Ostensibly an exploration of Plato's theory of justice as manifest in the slums of West Berkeley, California, Powell's first novel works better as ethnography than philosophy. Although full of somewhat clumsy Platonic imagery and quite clearly pleading to be read as lofty commentary on truth and justice in the modern West Coast polis, this book's real strength lies not in its gimmicky dualism but in its ability to depict West Berkeley itself through images of its residents. These include down-and-out characters like Raja, who salvages junked appliances to feed his 11 children, and Annie, the crack-addict single mother who functions as the story's love interest. But the overeducated, underwhelmed twentysomethings are the focus of the story, and the backward-moving narration focuses primarily on their recollections about whatever led them to West Berkeley. Far more compelling, however, are their interactions with Raja, Annie, and their other neighbors. Plato and Generation X aside, what makes this book worth reading is its fresh description of the complicated tension between the urban poor and the disaffected student poor. REVWR
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Product Description
In this novel Powell explores the concepts of time and of self-analysis as his characters narrate themselves backwards toward some type of self-redemption or condemnation. As the title indicates, the novel is also concerned with justice as our institutions and we ourselves succeed or fail in meting it out. Now, with that heavy matter out of the way, let it be said that Powell weaves scenes and characters into a sometimes alarming, sometimes darkly comic mix. And his switch to a mini-play format at the novel’s end caps his exploration of city life with a tense poker game where much more than money is at stake, because loan shark Cold Water is looking on while Matthew plays, and the novel has made perfectly clear that Cold Water is aptly named.
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