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The promotional materials for this book do not do it justice. The story is well thought out and original, but deals primarily with being a writer in New York City, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea.Lit Life is a far better story than Wenzel's second book "Gotham Tragic," and this edition is affordable but still has a stylish appearance.I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading books that frequently talk about writing books.
The only parts I enjoyed were the trials and travails of writers, which seemed accurate enough, but what do I know. I picked this up because I love to write. It started strong but went downhill from there. The plot was too predictable at times. I didn't feel any compassion for any of the characters, mostly because I didn't feel like I knew them well enough.
From the introduction on through this book keeps your attention. A great story of comedy with heartfelt drama and sadness. A mix of a little of everyhing. Great potential for a movie.
The last idea is not as fanciful as it sounds; a noted British novelist agreed to such a deal (I don't know if Wenzel anticipated it or not). By the time the two meet, that fame has gone sour -- Clayton finds himself listed in an article in New York magazine as one of the 100 most obnoxious New Yorkers. Clayton and Whitehurst could not seem more different -- Clayton has spent the years since his first novel getting drunk and chasing women, while Whitehurst has shown an almost monkish dedication to his work, to the point that he is alienated from his wife and daughter. The book is best described as a satire.Wenzel is a highly skilled writer.
Clayton has long admired Whitehurst's work, and Whitehurst admires Clayton's work and envies his fame. Lit Life is Kurt Wenzel first novel, and is centered on three characters: Kyle Clayton, whose first novel was a huge success, but has written nothing else for years; Richard Whitehurst, who is called America's most underrated writer, having failed to achieve success despite a lifetime of hard work and respectable reviews; and Whitehurst's wife Meryl, who after decades of marriage to Whitehurst sees their relationship dying as a result of the writer's failure to achieve the success he has dreamed of. While Wenzel has some interesting things to say about the life of a writer, he does so in a way that has broad appeal -- this is not a navel-gazing book. And Wenzel handles his three main characters well -- none of them are stereotypes. Whitehurst persuades Clayton to spend the summer with him in the Hamptons, and this intrusion into Whitehurst's settled life has consequences that no one could have expected.This description of the plot makes the book sound like grim reading.
And Wenzel is quick to see the humor in his other charactes as well. The book moves smoothly from comedy to tragedy, with an very effective ending. However, the differences between the two result in a relationship. He moves the vantage point of the novel from Clayton, to Whitehurst, and to Meryl to show how the characters view themselves and each other. It is not.
Clayton's escapades at throughout the book, as he gets drunk, behaves (at times) badly, and ponders the possibility of agreeing to product placement in his next book are all very funny. This is an effective way to flesh a character out. I look forward to Wenzel's next book.
Drugs, drinking, sex, affairs, and ultimately a suicide; this book is like a literary soap opera."Lit Life"'s main conundrum is that either you can be a great artist with no recognition like Richard Whitehurst or popular, rich, and not talented like Richard's nemesis Arthur. For example, readers never even see Richard invite Kyle to stay with him. Instead, "Lit Life" is a "satire" that demonstrates all that is wrong with the publishing industry; it is a book more concerned with dishing dirt than building an effective, meaningful story. I naively thought that meant they would form some sort of bond and learn about WRITING and life from each other.
So maybe it's just me, but I think we might want to flesh that out a little more than a couple paragraphs here and there. If you're in the publishing industry then I suggest you read this book; this "satire" will probably be right up your alley. I'd read in the descriptions that it was about two writers at different points in their lives spending together. These two spend a summer trying to bend young, troubled author Kyle Clayton to their point of view. Nor do readers see much of Richard and Kyle together during the summer; everything that Kyle learns from Richard is told second-hand instead of actually witnessed by the reader.
Wasn't that THE story. In a world where sleaze sells, "Lit Life" is there with all the sleaze a modern reader could ask for. There is no real middle ground if you believe "Lit Life"; you're either one or the other. For those few who want a book more interested in developing a story than dishing gossip, move on to something else.Was this review helpful to you.
I'll be up front: this book was not what I was hoping for. Take Wenzel's word for it, Kyle was really influenced by Richard. Wait, wasn't that the whole crux of the story. No, instead let's talk about another party, that's really what this story is about--parties.Enough of my ranting. Unfortunately I don't know enough famous writers to answer that question, but I don't believe that for a moment. Nope. That never really materialized.
Was it helpful to me. You can't be a wealthy and talented writer, can you. As a writer hoping to get published someday, I CAN'T believe that.Overall, my problem with "Lit Life" is that Wenzel glosses over important moments of the story. Or if you want some light airplane reading and want to believe that all writers are either toiling futilely or selling their souls to Hollywood, then "Lit Life" has you covered. You betcha.
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