Customer Reviews

Third Class Superhero (Salt Modern Fiction)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Based on the marketing and a short reading I heard, I picked this up expecting to follow the fate of a hapless superhero. I wasn't disappointed, and Moisture Man reminded me of what comics promised me as a kid. Further into the book, I was surprised to find that the rest of the stories dissected mundane characters with mathematical precision. It was as though I bought a Superman comic and found myself immersed in Clark Kent's relationship with his mother, Lois Lane, and his job. In this, Yu approaches the level of George Saunders at his best.

I'll fully admit that I picked up this book based on the nifty pop art cover, and then after flipping through it and seeing somewhat unusual typography and story structure, I took it home. The title story leads things off and is a very engaging Jonathan Lethem-style tale about "Moisture Man." He's a cut-rate superhero whose power is, as he puts it, very handy in a water-balloon fight, but that's about all. Already past his prime, to "make it", Moisture Man has to be able to fly, and there's only one way for him to do that: the dark side. It's an amusing framework for examining the compromises we all have to make in our daily lives, and easily the most enjoyable story in the book.

The other ten stories are rather precise, almost cold exercises in the craft of short story writing. While some take on imaginative frameworks, such as "Problems for Self-Study", which unfurls as a quasi-math/logic test, or the series of rules in "Two-Player Infinitely Iterated Simultaneous Semi-Cooperative Game with Spite and Reputation", they don't deviate from the central theme of identity and the quest for a meaningful existence that runs throughout the stories. In one story a couple tries to derive meaning and identity via packaged consumer goods and services, in another a man's identity literally splits in two, in another, an actor becomes overly immersed in his role, and so forth. In many of the stories, the characters aren't even given names, just "man" or "woman" or "A" or "B"... Another running theme is the idea of connection (in the E.M. Forester sense), in that many of the characters want to connect with others (family, lovers, friends), but are unable to move themselves to action. Personally, these failed to strike any kind of chord, and the navel-gazing aspect grew somewhat repetitive. Still, fans of the short form should check this out, as Yu's approach is certainly different from most of what's out there.

Charles Yu's short stories are reminiscent of Donald Barthelme, but he has his own sensibility. I have read these stories over and over, at least three times each, and each time I enjoy them again. "Florence" is unforgettable. People I know who've read the book seem to be divided into two camps; one thinks the title story is the best, the other thinks it's the worst. I happen to be in the first camp. I think the title story is not only hilarious, but a little sad and all too human.

refreshingly original. only wish there were more stories to read. if u want an intelligently creative read, this is it.

Yu's quirky yet insightful short stories go much deeper than they seem on the surface. The title story's main character, Moisture Man, longs to be a successful superhero but must deal with the ambiguity of talent, good and evil when all he can do is secrete a little extra moisture out his pores. "(401)K" makes fun of our desire to quantify everything in our lives, as well as the desire for success that is the black heart of the American dream. "The Man Who Became Himself" recognizes the gap between who we are and who we perceive ourselves to be. And "Florence" makes us realize that even after the nuclear explosion when there are just fifty people and they all live on the same planet, we'll still have the same problems relating to each other that we do now. Yu is a keen observer of the human condition; his stories are that rare combination of smart, funny, and heart-achingly true.

After writing this little short story about an ordinary superhero and polishing it for many years throughout college, I realized that Charles Yu had done so much that made my story look so ridiculous. His stories are carefully crafted, witty, and highly original. And even though, I feel like I should toss my story, I'm really happy that someone has taken this idea to great heights and down so many fun paths.

This is an entertaining book of short stories written for thinkers.

The third class superhero spoken of in the title is Moisture Man. He has the powers to be a good guy, but not enough to be on the A list. His superhero friends throw him a bone occasionally and ask for his help, but they don't really need him. If only he could fly, he could get a higher designation. There is the possibility of getting more power, but only if he goes to the dark side. It's a problem we all face.

In 'Florence' a man spends centuries with a lone fish. He hears from his boss, at four-year intervals, asking if the fish is still doing the same things it has been doing for eons.

Unrequited love for a woman who refuses to live in his galaxy--because she loves the mushrooms available only on her own plot of universe--eats at him. It turns into a love triangle when the boss, who may be dead, starts sending videos of himself, naked and singing. He needs to visit his Presbyterian Aunt Betty, but waits too many centuries, as she moves away before he can get there. This is lonely in a nitrous world.

One story is told in multiple-choice questions, and another unfolds as a seven-year-old beats a world-record game score.

Armchair Interviews says: An uncommon, thought-invoking read that takes us through pathos with humor.

Charles Yu is not for everybody. I've read both How to Survive in a Science Fictional Universe and now Third Class Superhero, and his style can put people off. The relentless interiority of the voice, plus the experimentation with form and meta-narrative, is just too much for people looking for a more conventional immersion in character and plot. I understand and appreciate this-- its not always my cup of tea either.

But in his niche, he's a master. The stories are reflections on ambivalence, time, loss, just getting by. The fragmentary, solitary, claustrophobic self. Our inability to know each other or even ourselves. These are serious topics, as anyone who has spent much time living at the edge of these feelings knows. And while the tone of the stories is often light and amusing, they are, at core, deeply felt. These are stories with something to say.

And the form of his writing is a perfect match. Some are fragments, structurally disjoint, lists or instructions or stage directions. Often the subject is narrating and annotating and reflecting on his (almost always his) own interior monologue, replete with bullet points, capitalized phrases, paragraphs of a single short sentence, urgent banalities:

"It's never to soon to start thinking about the unthinkable," the Realtor says. He pulls out a comb and pulls it through his already-combed hair.
We don't need the Good Life. The Pretty Good Life would be just fine.
"Nice neighborhood," I try to convince my wife.

The combination of inventiveness, humor, and pathos is perfect. If this is your thing, don't miss this book.

This book is a collection of what Charles Yu thinks to be "thought-provoking" and "innovative" short stories. Unfortunately he only succeeds in proving himself to be a spoiled hipster who wants to prove a point about "America these days." The common theme throughout the book is people who are unhappy with the lives they have; always wanting more. This snobby "writer" needs to go back and produce a book with actual depth and meaning, instead of simply using "different" and, let's be honest, ridiculous narrative techniques to write about the most mundane and entitled concept. Quit acting like you're something special for using physics and over-capitalization to make your stories stand out. Unless required for a class, as it was for me, do NOT even think about reading this book. Complete waste of your time and energy. Go out and do some actual good for the world instead.

I like these stories a lot. They stay with you and are different than the average short story collection. The best one, "The Man Who Became Himself" is a must read; it deals with identity and has an obsessive and unique look at life and the question of who we are -- it made me go and find other Charles Yu stuff.

The only issue is with the Kindle version. It is not formatted very well; paragraphing is a bit messed up, weird line breaks, and the Table of Contents is practically useless since it is not clickable, making it almost impossible to navigate and jump quickly to a certain story. Inexcusable for a ten dollar e-book. That's why I'm docking one star.