Customer Reviews

Rock Star's Rainbow

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"You've got to read this," an old friend insisted, handing me a copy. Normally, I take such enthusiastic endorsements with a grain of salt and even wariness, but this was coming from a very trusted pal and literature professor. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of this novel. The first thing I noticed was the faint image of an angel on the cover, beneath some grungy font. As I opened the book, there was the same angel, but now much clearer--from Durer's Melancholia. There was some mumbo jumbo about how the famous artwork was used as a bookmark by the original author. What? I thought Kevin Glavin was the author. No. He takes the credit as editor. And why use Durer as a bookmark?

Well, I was now even more confused, but intrigued. The intro went on to explain how the manuscript was found on a plane, left behind by a tabloid reporter who had been killed for penning this very book--a celebrity scoop about the misadventures of a big rock star. Kevin Glavin supposedly found and pieced together the hurriedly-finished work that was almost lost. I'm a sucker for the classics, and the "found" manuscript, while perhaps archaic, is a technique that has a powerful tradition.

Drawn in, I kept on reading. What unfolds is a bizarre celebrity satire. After spending a few months searching through the multiple layers and allusions, I can say that it was definitely a sublime experience. This is not a book to be read casually. It takes work to track down the implications of all the connections. But in that search one becomes caught up in a discovery of pure literary gold that is almost as valuable as real money.

There are far too many allusions to go into here, but you should check them out on your own to fully appreciate the novel. Just in the first few pages we have Durer, Kierkegaard's Either/Or, Don Quixote, Hamlet, Heisenberg, Joyce's Ulysses, and many, many more. The point of all these references, it seems, echoes T.S. Eliot--we must honor the past while at the same time opening windows to future vistas.

Even without the allusions, the story itself is pretty wild, as I suppose a satire about celebrity and the culture that worships it must be. But the adventure is just the surface part. The real fun comes in going back and uncovering the myriad meanings and hues of the rainbow, and enjoying the hope the work gives to all our dreams.

So dig, man, dig.

P.S. I called my friend up just the other day and thanked him for the find. He laughed and said I should pay it forward, and so I am.

Rock Star's Rainbow is the kind of book that you think you've been reading for 10 min but you look up at the clock and an hour has passed. The pages really fly by in this one, and at the end of the book you can't help but want another book of the same unique style. That said its an incredibly captivating tale, but is also not your typical commercial novel. Although the main character has a life worlds different than the reader, unless of course they too are multi platinum rock stars, a deep connection is still skillfully made available to the reader. The worlds different rock star shows a side that is very human with very human problems which is identifiable to any person searching for a rainbow to make mundane life a bit more interesting. The author weaves bits of existentialism into the rock star's journey which probe questions of human nature and magnetically pull the reader to beget his own introspective journey. Aside from that, the book also has quite a bit of action and the author doesn't pan the picture away from any of it. It also portrays the main character's human qualities in very humorous ways giving the reader comical relief as to not allow the plot to get overly tense. It's definitely a book capable of teaching you a lot about yourself if you allow it to. My recommendation is to read the book, and be sure to follow your own rainbow no matter how obscure the end may seem to be.

The story was so captivating I finished the book in one weekend.

The story is very well developed with detailed/ interesting characters, and the major characters grew as the story advanced. The locations such as LA, Amsterdama and India also appear, and their descriptions made me want to travel there.

Besides the adventure portrayed, I (personally) felt that the main theme was very positive, about valuing family and doing what you have a passion for!

Reviewer's note: The following review is based on the first 60% of the novel. It was not completed due to violent content.

Rock Star's Rainbow is definitely different from the genres which I typically read. The whole thing has a nihilistic, soul-searching ambiance that reminds me of Garden State for reasons unknown. It's clear that the protagonist is having difficulty with the sense of purposelessness in his life, one which many of us face whether we are billionaires or dirt poor. It's that aching for self-understanding that connects the protagonist to the reader.

The plot deviates greatly from the typical "disillusioned entertainer" that has become quite the fictional stereotype. The enigmatic Hula isn't the all-knowing, innocent girl-next-door, and Rook spends more time treading water than making his way towards firm land. Unfortunately, all of the changes in location and goals, as well as the random insertions of sexual encounters and metaphysical thought, made it confusing to follow just where exactly all of this was leading.

One of the reasons that said confusion may have occurred is due to the author's tendency to gives us too much information. There is an abundance of parenthetical commentary explaining the motivations, backgrounds, and thoughts of characters that we will never see, nor hear from, again. Imaginary people have lives too, but if it doesn't advance the plot, contribute to the theme, or serve some other legitimate purpose, it's superfluous background that detracts from the rest of the book. Another example of this is the constant insertion of brand names and labels. For someone who doesn't know too much about such things, they add another layer of bewilderment.

In the end, I did want to see how it all pans out, but the violence made me too queasy to finish. Specifically, there are scenes involving mutilation and dismemberment that might appeal to many in a Kill Bill sort of way; I just didn't have the stomach for it.

Stimulated Outlet Book Reviews

This is a very unrealistic story that only perverts will enjoy. I got about half way through and deleted this garbage from my Kindle. Don't waste the space on your Kindle. I wish I could give it zero stars.