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A review by justinkhchen
The Novelist by Jordan Castro
funny
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
A surprisingly engaging stream of consciousness journey about (not) writing a novel, The Novelist follows the protagonist inability to work on his novel, distractions ranging from external sources (email / social media), bodily requirements (never have I imagined musing on wiping after number two could make for such engrossing read), to something more psychological and intangible.
As a creative person myself, I'm impressed at the way Jordan Castro so effortlessly articulates these in-between moments: the sense of being at the cusp of something great but still formless, frantically seeking references / precedents for reassurance in our instincts, and the eventual existential crisis at our own incompetence for a thing that have yet to come to fruition. I particularly appreciate all the sidetracked scenes (process of making coffee, spiraling about organic versus inorganic food), as they come across quite relatable and offer a nice dose of levity. The narrative did lose me at a few spots (there's a 'rant' segment that I found to be a little philosophically indulgent), and I'm sure I missed quite a few literary subtexts along the way (only after the fact did I become aware of the connection to Tao Lin's work).
All in all, this is a nice change of pace from the plot-focused fiction I've been reading lately!
As a creative person myself, I'm impressed at the way Jordan Castro so effortlessly articulates these in-between moments: the sense of being at the cusp of something great but still formless, frantically seeking references / precedents for reassurance in our instincts, and the eventual existential crisis at our own incompetence for a thing that have yet to come to fruition. I particularly appreciate all the sidetracked scenes (process of making coffee, spiraling about organic versus inorganic food), as they come across quite relatable and offer a nice dose of levity. The narrative did lose me at a few spots (there's a 'rant' segment that I found to be a little philosophically indulgent), and I'm sure I missed quite a few literary subtexts along the way (only after the fact did I become aware of the connection to Tao Lin's work).
All in all, this is a nice change of pace from the plot-focused fiction I've been reading lately!