Mirabell
16-Apr-2009, 01:53
Some of the Parts is T Cooper?s debut novel; it has earned him a lot of attention and well-deserved praise. Cooper has since published a second novel, Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes and a fairly large amount of journalism. Some of the Parts is a good novel, but it?s clearly a debut novel, uneven sometimes, often less dazzling and impressive than it could be. Its centered around four characters: Taylor, Charlie, Isak and Arlene. It is structured in short chapters that bear the name of the focal character and are written from his or her perspective, usually in the first person singular, with one exception: Taylor?s chapters are related by a third person personal narrator. We are, however, spared long-winded ruminations and soul-searching. Cooper?s writing is spare in the best sense. It?s never exceptional or particularly quotable, but it makes for comfortable reading (...)
For a debut novel, T Cooper?s Some of the Parts has quite a lot of the parts of a great novel; ideas and writing are remarkably mature and assured, and it bests many more established novels that treat a similar topic, simply by being frighteningly smart. Cooper does not take short cuts in his thinking and, which is rare for a debut novel, he is never self-indulgent; he knows how much meat the bones of his ideas need. The sparseness, however, is also its major weakness. The writing is never quite convincing, never quite as good as the ideas and the characters conveyed through it. This writer is clearly testing the waters and it?s a great joy to watch him do it. Recommended.the rest of the review:
http://shigekuni.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/pieces-t-coopers-some-of-the-parts/
good day.
For a debut novel, T Cooper?s Some of the Parts has quite a lot of the parts of a great novel; ideas and writing are remarkably mature and assured, and it bests many more established novels that treat a similar topic, simply by being frighteningly smart. Cooper does not take short cuts in his thinking and, which is rare for a debut novel, he is never self-indulgent; he knows how much meat the bones of his ideas need. The sparseness, however, is also its major weakness. The writing is never quite convincing, never quite as good as the ideas and the characters conveyed through it. This writer is clearly testing the waters and it?s a great joy to watch him do it. Recommended.the rest of the review:
http://shigekuni.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/pieces-t-coopers-some-of-the-parts/
good day.