Too Much, Too Late: A Novel (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this funny and engrossing sendup of cheesy rock 'n' roll memoir, Spitz (How Soon Is Never?) presents alcohol-soaked drummer Sandy James, formerly of '90s could-have-beens the Jane Ashers, who chronicles the Ohio band's rise to fame and abrupt collapse through the story of front man Harry Vance. As aimless 20-somethings in the early Clinton era, the Jane Ashers make three years' worth of unsung garage band magic before they have one big hit—and Harry quits to be a dad. Thirteen years later, Sandy is living on a worker's comp settlement and putting his free time toward reuniting the band. Harry reluctantly agrees to rejoin in the hopes it will impress his petulant teenage son. The son's girlfriend hypes them on her improbably well-trafficked music blog, and before you can say "label rep" these over-the-hill rockers are selling out a stadium tour, and Harry is transforming from reasonably happy family man to self-destructive coke fiend. Spitz, a senior writer at Spin, knows his business and pitches his wealth of rock knowledge and insider wisdom perfectly, keeping the mix of the cliché, the fantastic and the tragic bright and exact. (Mar.)
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From Booklist

Ace teenage trend-spotter Natalie "Motorrrju" Levine waxes enthusiastic about her boyfriend's father's band, the Jane Ashers, in her super-popular blog, and within the space of days, the aging rockers find out that that one of their old songs, "Let's Go Steady, Debbie," has become the most commonly bootlegged MP3 file on the Internet. They land a recording contract and a tour date and soon find themselves staring down the same demons that broke up their band in the first place. Veteran hardware-store employee and ace songwriter Harry Vance attempts to treat his writer's block with massive amounts of drugs and alcohol and keeps forgetting to call his wife. Drummer Sandy Klein, the novel's narrator and an unapologetic stoner, is so busy enjoying the perks of being in a wildly successful rock band that he forgets to keep his eye on his emotionally fragile bandmate, handing off the chore to the tour manager. Music journalist and novelist Spitz (How Soon Is Never? 2003) gets a lot of mileage out of his one-note premise in a fast and funny read. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (February 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400082935
• ISBN-13: 978-1400082933
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,000,541 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A personal story of success and failure, March 28, 2006

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

Author Marc Spitz, senior writer at Spin magazine, displays expertise of punk rock history in his second novel, TOO MUCH, TOO LATE, in which he tells the story of a '90s rock band through the voice of drummer Sandy Klein. In the year following their breakup, Sandy writes the story of the Jane Ashers --- in part to understand and in part to justify. It all begins in a small Ohio town called Dean in the summer of 1990.

Together with guitarist Rudy Tunick, the only other Jewish boy in Dean, and Harry Vance, a brilliant vocalist, Sandy jams in his garage at the end of his high school days. His sole ambition is to become a rock star. Keith Richards, Winona Ryder, David Bowie and Davy Jones are rockers whom Sandy and his friends idolize. Realizing they need a fourth participant, an ad is placed for a bass player. Archie Funk --- Ritalin addict at 24, bass musician and owner of a gray 1969 VW bus --- rounds out the group. The second order of business is to find a name, one that can elicit idolatry and gain them immediate attention. Following an exhausting list of choices comes the final selection, Jane Ashers. Jane Asher is the English actress who inspired Paul McCartney to write "Here, There and Everywhere" and, more importantly, dated him. Sandy's band is christened the Jane Ashers, and they get to work on becoming a success.

Harry is the song-writing genius who inspires them with new stuff to practice and perfect. But his human side goes sideways when he meets and dates his inspiration, Debbie Andrews. The love of his life, she both motivates and seduces him. He writes "Let's Go Steady, Debbie" out of this infatuation. The lovebirds become a couple and Debbie involves herself with publicity for the band. From their performance at a backyard gig comes the possibility of opening for an established star, Liz Phair, in Cleveland. This could be their big chance, and they are ready to take it. A pregnant Debbie becomes the gigantic boulder in their road to stardom.

Fast-forward about 15 years to the Jane Ashers now blown about in the wind to varied career paths. Harry is part-owner of a hardware store. Rudy and Sandy have had odd-jobs for years and Archie dies of an overdose. Providence comes to Sandy in the person of a 16-year old punk rock enthusiast named Natalie Levine, who calls herself Motorrrju. She's a blogger who's infatuated with the now-defunct Jane Ashers. A revival of "Debbie" restarts their popularity on a grandiose scale.

Sandy's memories of the Jane Ashers' rise to success, failure and then success again is written best by the rocker himself. Spitz uses the vehicle of his drummer to brilliant advantage in the telling. Laced with true stores of real stars, Spitz's words are truth of his experience in the world of rock writing. While not everyone's genre, TOO MUCH, TOO LATE is a personal story relevant to success and failure in any business venture. Less impressed with the "star" personas depicted than their deeply personal issues, I read the novel with thirst for the unfolding drama of the Jane Ashers' rocky road to fame.

--- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad

4.0 out of 5 stars it's not as good as..., November 16, 2007

By	A. Whitley (MO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Not as good as Spitz's novel "How Soon is Now?" but still very decent. If you liked his first book you will like this one, too...but it's probably best to read this FIRST and then you'll love "How Soon is Now?" all the more!! It sounds like Spitz has been in a band or very close to those in a band...he knows his stuff. Funny and at times tongue-in-cheek.

5.0 out of 5 stars I Know It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It), March 14, 2006

By	Harry Brooks - See all my reviews

... In fact I love it. This is the best music fiction book that I have ever read. Too Much, Too Late has irresistible characters, an enchanting plotline, and wonderful dialogue. If you have any interest in rock 'n roll you will love the song references, not to mention the entire book. Anyone can relate to a member of The Jane Ashers. The overall experience of being in a band (sex, drugs, alcohol, and of course rock 'n roll) is captured beautifully in Marc Spitz's novel.