Fast Sofa [Paperback]

Bruce Craven (Author), Mike Louth (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1993

Rick Jeffers takes his nihilistic, hedonistic lifestyle on a cross-country jaunt after his apartment is looted, and he picks up a homeless mall rat and a tantalizing porn queen on the way. A first novel. 50,000 first printing. $42,500 ad/promo. Tour.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First novelist Craven's synthesis of On the Road , David Copperfield , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , The Sun Also Rises and TV's Melrose Place quite simply doesn't work. Behind the promotional tie-ins (accompanying soundtrack, parental advisory sticker, hyped image of bad-boy-novelist/administrator-at-Columbia-University) lays a banal interpretation of life on the edge in the contemporary U.S. Rick, the protagonist, is a reckless, car-loving character for whom the '60s, '70s and '80s do not matter. He stumbles upon the porn star of his dreams and cavorts around the country with her and various other cartoonish characters, drinking too much, experimenting with drugs and having casual, unprotected sex. Rick's animal magnetism and visceral sexuality cause his true love, Tamara, to put up with his sexist and racist antics in spite of her better, feminist instincts. Even the character who represents wisdom, an eccentric bird lover named Jules, has scant sagacity to offer as Craven uses him to comment on little more than when television became a truly vapid medium. If the message here is one of nihilism and male anomie, the question arises: Why all the overblown excitement and hype? Author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This first novel continues the literary trend toward nihilistic hedonism started with Brett Easton Ellis's Less Than Zero by exploring the heart-pounding, boozing, pill-popping fast lane that the 20-something L.A. crowd is flying on. Rick Jeffers finds his apartment has been robbed and his girlfriend sleeping with his best friend, so he hits the road Kerouac-style. Unfortunately, it takes over 100 pages of hip talk for him to make that move, and, once he does , nothing much happens then either. This novel is heavy on dialog and youthful ambiance, short on plot and reflection. The characters have arguments about which rock band is the most "now," drink, watch TV game shows, and call each other "dude." Despite its seeming authenticity, the novel is almost too cool and becomes tiring after a couple of hundred pages of nothingness. The Wayne's World crowd might enjoy this; older readers might find it tedious in its attempt not to be. For larger collectons or where there is demand.
- Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. System, Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 331 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1ST edition (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688123368
• ISBN-13: 978-0688123369
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,700,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Play This Novel Loud?, August 28, 2000

By 

Bryan A. Pfleeger (Metairie, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fast Sofa (Paperback)

It's a strange feeling when one reads a novel and literally has nothing to say about it. I purchased this book in 1993 largely because of its interesting layout. At the time a book with a soundtrack was quite unique. Bruce Craven presents a horrorshow roadtrip that takes the reader nowhere. Even though Mr. Craven can be quite descriptive in his writing (some of his images are lush and quite beautiful) one gets the sense that all the description is somehow wasted. I know critics will say that this is a Generation X novel that this reader just does not understand but I assure you that I was of the same age of the characters when this book was written and so were my friends and we did not live the life of Rick Jeffers. The character development in the novel is sparse and I found myself simply liking none of the characters even though some sympathy must be granted the long suffering Tamara and the slightly loony Jules. If one wants to get the true feel of Gen X I would suggest Couplands' Generation X, Ellis' Less Than Zero, or Hornburg's Bongwater. For your money Fast Sofa is a wild ride that can be skipped.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book ROCKS!!!, November 8, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Texas, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fast Sofa (Paperback)

Had a blast reading it. Only book I can compare it to is "The Informers" by Ellis. Fits into the "Less than Zero" type of story. Guess you had to have an adolescence like this to understand. Highly recommended to "the troublemakers" out there.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS NOVEL ROCKS!, December 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fast Sofa (Hardcover)

Forget those reviews. Critics are squids. This book is super cool. Like Jack-in-the-box super taco's and cactus cooler. It's junk food literature, porno for bookworms- word candy. But super cool all the way. The characters are interesting and realistic southern californians, and their struggles and victories are vividly told. The joy of reading Fast Sofa is not only the story and the plot, but how it is written- exellently and interestingly told. Craven is an masterful storyteller. The characters have distinct voices and are clearly different than faceless stereotypes. I've read this book three times, I wish Bruce Craven writes another soon

Also recommended: The Patricidal Bedside Companion, Generation X (not as good as Fast Sofa)