Agent Palmer

I decided to pick up Downtown Owl again. I originally read it much closer to its release in 2008 for two reasons. First, Klosterman is an author whom I enjoy, and because I want to include a review or an essay on each of his works on this blog I was surprised that I hadn’t reviewed Downtown Owl before. Considering that I read it before this blog started, that makes a ton of sense.

At this point in the Samson-verse, picking up the book is like reconnecting with an old friend. But if Faith was your first time meeting Bernard Samson, you wouldn’t be lost for some conversation either.

Roger is not where he wants to be, working at Staples well past the age where that would have been noble. Bethany is Roger’s much younger co-worker who discovers that he’s a writer, or at least he’s attempting to be. What follows is a collection of letters and emails written by the characters that move the story along revealing the world as we know it.

Tommy and the Order of Cosmic Champions is dripping with the neon nostalgia of the 1980s as we remember, or at least as modern media will never let us forget.

“If America is a lunatic asylum then California is the… Violent Ward.” Deighton’s Violent Ward, which takes place during the Rodney King trial and subsequent verdict and riots not only captures the moment, but the chaotic false bravado of Hollywood as well.