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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
McInerney is lifting his game.,
By
This review is from: How It Ended: New and Collected Stories (Hardcover)
Hot of the presses from McInerney is a collection of short stories about adultery, deception and guilt in post 9/11 New York. If you're familiar with McInerney's previous work (see "Bright Lights, Big City") then you'll know that he has that cynical, urban 20/30-something, hip NY thing down pat. And that's what we get with "The Last Batchelor" - lots of hip, stylish people screwing around. But it isn't as shallow as it might sound or even appear at first glance as there is plenty of morality coming through because the bad people usually get their comeuppance. I've found McInerney's other novels to be a bit like this also - on the surface they may appear to be stories about shallow individuals who get messed up and make bad decision but when you scratch the surface a little you find some deeper insights into modern life.
There is a hint of repetition in the formulae sometimes (wife exacting revenge from a cheating husband, partner cheating on spouse and regretting it) and also some of the characterers are a bit clichéd (fading playboy, ageing gold digger, reformed party girl) but none of this seems to matter. It's all good stuff and if I'm not mistaken McInerney is making a conscious effort to lift his game here. The language is richer than I recall in his earlier novels, the $60 words more frequent and although his writing seems casual I think it's actually quite crafted. I think he's making a real effort here. A few other interesting points for the trainspotters. McInerney has reprised Alison Poole - a character that first appeared in his earlier novel "Story of My Life" and later turned up in the Bret Easton Ellis novels "American Psycho" and "Glamorama". McInerney has previously said that the character is based on his former girlfriend Lisa Druck. Interestingly, this former girlfriend was revealed in recent times to have been the mistress of John Edwards (an unsuccessful presidential candidate). And what do you know, in one fo the stories Alison Poole is the mistress of a politician. (As an aside, Ellis also uses Jay McInerney himself as a character in his most recent novel "Lunar Park"). Also, McInerney famously upset his family by writing about his mother's deathbed confession and here you will find a story about a family going to war over just that. I suspect there are other interesting references and characters (and possibly autobiographical parts) for those more knowledgeable than I. All in all, a great little collection of interesting stories. There are some great lines and some bizarre scenarios. There is also plenty of incestuous references to keep the die-hards happy. The hardback is also beautifully bound, exquisitely typeset and even has a ribbon for a bookmark. I do love a good book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
introduction to the New Stories.,
By
This review is from: How It Ended: New and Collected Stories (Hardcover)
"Sleeping With Pigs."
A married couple - belonging to the High Society - divide their time between New-York City and a farm in Tennessee. The wife likes to sleep with a pig between her and her husband. " I Love You, Honey." A man is unfaithful to his wife. She takes revenge on him in a sophisticated but cruel way. "The Madonna Of Turkey Season " Four brothers lost their parents and each year at Thanksgivings Day, they invite all kinds of women at the table: girlfriends and acquaintances or just a girl that happened to be in the neighborhood. "Everything's Lost" Sabrina wants to throw a surprise party for her boyfriend. But she's afraid that she won't be able to keep it a secret, now that he suddenly decides to stay at home most of the time. "Invisible Fences." A man wakes up around one o'clock in the morning. He goes to the kitchen for a beer and a cigarette. He hears strange noises coming from the living room; his wife lies in the arms of another man. "The March" During a march against war with Iraq, two old lovers meet each other. After a while the peaceful march gradually turns into violence. "Summary Judgement." A gossip-like story about very wealthy Americans and European aristocracy. "The Waiter" America and Europe Again. "Penelope On The Pond" The mistress of a man who's running for President is temporarily tucked away in a house near a pond. He promises that when everything is back to normal, he will return to her. How long will she have to wait? "Putting Daisy Down" The oldest word: love The oldest crime: adultery By the way, Daisy is the name of a cat. "The Debutante's Return" Present and past of a wealthy Southern family. "The Last Of The Bachelors" A marriage in the South. It's a description of social life rather than a story.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining,
This review is from: How It Ended: New and Collected Stories (Hardcover)
The most entertaining book I've read in 5 years. It's that simple. Call it a guilty pleasure or whatever else... The man can write and tell a story. Maybe what Jay McInerney does should be catagorized or labeled as genre fiction; if it is he's at the top of that genre.
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