PatSomething Happened
March 16th 2008 11:05
Something Happened was Joseph Heller's second novel. His first novel was Catch 22. Catch 22 is widely regarded as being a good book. Something Happened is regarded as being not quite as good as book, and some people did not like this book very much at all. I'm not one of those people and if I had to tell someone about what I thought about the book Something Happened, then my response would be something like this: I like that book; it's ok in my opinion.
What follows is a 'book review' detailing the reasons why I like the book entitled 'Something Happened'. Enjoy!
First of all, here's a link to a review of this book by Kurt Vonnegut: Really Long Link
I can't compete with that and I don't even want to try because I would consider this review to be a success if you just clicked on that link and read Vonnegut's review and mentally made a note that Orble user: Pat is a good guy because he gave you a good link.
Just reading that review makes me depressed because it's a terrifyingly good piece of writing, but anyway let's not dwell on my inadequacies and move on to the next paragraph of this particular piece of writing (found below).
I find writing plot summaries to be fairly tiresome so here is one I stole from the above link:
I realise that the above doesn't really reveal much of a plot and there's a very good reason for that. This book literally has no plot. None. The title actually refers to the single notable event which takes place in the entire narrative and you have to wait until the very end of the book for that single event to happen. Seriously, nothing at all happens and it's quite a long book despite of this and it still manages to be great.
I've read a number of other reviews which criticise the book for it's slow pace and lack of momentum, and I can understand why this is a major disappointment to some readers who expected a more interesting narrative like the erratic mess of storylines running through Catch 22. Instead of finding it frustrating, I enjoyed the fact that the book is virtually a character study of Bob Slocum and a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the influential people in his life.
Every character created by Heller in this story (with the exception of Slocum's two sons) is absolutely deplorable. We hear about Slocum's repeated infidelities, his tragic marriage and his difficulties with handling family life centred around his younger son, who is severely mentally handicapped. Slocum is painted as a man with no redeeming qualities of any kind whatsoever and, and while Heller uses this as a platform for some very funny black humour, the book is difficult to a certain extent, simply because it is inevitable that the reader will be repulsed by the Slocum family and friends.
(At least, this was the case for me but maybe that's because when I read this book I was stuck in a horrible job and living in a strange city and listening to too much Billy Bragg and the whole thing was horribly depressing, but this isn't a criticism of the book really and if anything it's a positive about the book that it could make me feel depressed with all of its horrible creatures and let me just reassure you that this grammatically shocking run-on sentence is the one and only time in this blog's lifetime that I will refer to my personal circumstances ever and I'm genuinely sorry that you had to read this!)
Overall, this review has two main points which I am trying to get across to you.
Firstly: you should read Kurt Vonnegut's review (link above) because it's great and mine is terrible and I shouldn't have read his before I started writing this because it has completely sapped my will to bother trying to compete with that dead jerk.
Secondly: If you can tolerate a somewhat-lengthy book which doesn't have much by the way of action, but is a very clever and funny black comedy dealing with a guy who hates his job and his family and his life, then this is the book for you!!!
Writing this review made me feel physically sick. I don't like it and neither should you.
What follows is a 'book review' detailing the reasons why I like the book entitled 'Something Happened'. Enjoy!
First of all, here's a link to a review of this book by Kurt Vonnegut: Really Long Link
I can't compete with that and I don't even want to try because I would consider this review to be a success if you just clicked on that link and read Vonnegut's review and mentally made a note that Orble user: Pat is a good guy because he gave you a good link.
Just reading that review makes me depressed because it's a terrifyingly good piece of writing, but anyway let's not dwell on my inadequacies and move on to the next paragraph of this particular piece of writing (found below).
I find writing plot summaries to be fairly tiresome so here is one I stole from the above link:
There is a nattily-dressed, sourly witty middle-management executive named Robert Slocum, he tells us, who lives in a nice house in Connecticut with a wife, a daughter and two sons. Slocum works in Manhattan in the communications racket. He is restless. He mourns the missed opportunities of his youth. He is itchy for raises and promotions, even though he despises his company and the jobs he does. He commits unsatisfying adulteries now and then at sales conferences in resort areas, during long lunch hours, or while pretending to work late at the office.
He is exhausted.
He dreads old age.
He is exhausted.
He dreads old age.
I realise that the above doesn't really reveal much of a plot and there's a very good reason for that. This book literally has no plot. None. The title actually refers to the single notable event which takes place in the entire narrative and you have to wait until the very end of the book for that single event to happen. Seriously, nothing at all happens and it's quite a long book despite of this and it still manages to be great.
I've read a number of other reviews which criticise the book for it's slow pace and lack of momentum, and I can understand why this is a major disappointment to some readers who expected a more interesting narrative like the erratic mess of storylines running through Catch 22. Instead of finding it frustrating, I enjoyed the fact that the book is virtually a character study of Bob Slocum and a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the influential people in his life.
Every character created by Heller in this story (with the exception of Slocum's two sons) is absolutely deplorable. We hear about Slocum's repeated infidelities, his tragic marriage and his difficulties with handling family life centred around his younger son, who is severely mentally handicapped. Slocum is painted as a man with no redeeming qualities of any kind whatsoever and, and while Heller uses this as a platform for some very funny black humour, the book is difficult to a certain extent, simply because it is inevitable that the reader will be repulsed by the Slocum family and friends.
(At least, this was the case for me but maybe that's because when I read this book I was stuck in a horrible job and living in a strange city and listening to too much Billy Bragg and the whole thing was horribly depressing, but this isn't a criticism of the book really and if anything it's a positive about the book that it could make me feel depressed with all of its horrible creatures and let me just reassure you that this grammatically shocking run-on sentence is the one and only time in this blog's lifetime that I will refer to my personal circumstances ever and I'm genuinely sorry that you had to read this!)
Overall, this review has two main points which I am trying to get across to you.
Firstly: you should read Kurt Vonnegut's review (link above) because it's great and mine is terrible and I shouldn't have read his before I started writing this because it has completely sapped my will to bother trying to compete with that dead jerk.
Secondly: If you can tolerate a somewhat-lengthy book which doesn't have much by the way of action, but is a very clever and funny black comedy dealing with a guy who hates his job and his family and his life, then this is the book for you!!!
Writing this review made me feel physically sick. I don't like it and neither should you.
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Do you really look like that (picture on your banner)?? Those glasses really suit you..
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Kim L, I'm only 10 years old you monster.. why would you call me whiney?!
That's actually a pretty old photo of me. I wear contacts these days.