I didn’t like this book. I think Lethem’s use of language is awesome, but the characters are dumb. Perhaps they weren’t meant to be realistic, but the artificial use of fake people to make a point about art is just idiotic if the point isn’t that artifice is stupid.
Let’s back this up a bit. Lucinda Hoekke is dating Matt in the opening scene of the book, but they are meeting to break up. They are also in a band together and are concerned about the breakup affecting the band. Quick fast forward, Lucinda is now working for some arty dude whose art project is to post signs saying Complaints?
with a phone number. Lucinda answers the phones and writes down the complaints. One particular complainer uses such eloquent words (though they don’t really sound like complaints) that Lucinda steals them and feeds them to the songwriter for the band. Eventually the following two things happen: Lucinda meets and screws the complainer, and the complainer learns that the band is using his words and therefore wants to join the band. The copy on my A.R.C. promises disastrous consequences.
The whole thing reads like a bad version of Singles for people who are even more pretentious. Singles was pretty pretentious to start off with and wasn’t that great a movie either.
Title: You don’t love me yet
Author: Jonathan Lethem
Imprint / publisher: Doubleday / Random House
Format: Advance Reader’s Copy
Length: 243 p.
Publication date: March 2007
ISBN-10: 0-385-51218-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-51218-3
Subject: Musicians — California — Los Angeles — Fiction
LC classification: PS3562.E8544 Y68 2007
