A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

"Time's a goon, right? You gonna let that goon push you around?"

It's hard to know where to begin writing about this book, so I'll start by thanking my book club for pushing me to read a title I would not have chosen on my own. Since its release nearly two years ago, I've avoided A Visit From the Goon Squad, the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Jennifer Egan. An edgy "novel of interconnected lives at the fringes of the music industry" simply didn't appeal to me, especially one which features a chapter in PowerPoint. In the end though, I was nudged out of my comfort zone and quite enjoyed the experience.

A Visit From the Goon Squad is a novel about the passage and effects of time. It's about aging, growing, and surviving. The characters are interesting, although not overly likable, and their stories intertwine through various connections to the music industry. On initial presentation, they appear in one dimension and seem a little flat. The beauty of the novel begins when the characters reappear in another time or setting. We see another aspect of their personality, observe how they've grown or changed, and begin to understand how multifaceted they really are.

My planned approach was to listen in the car and read at home, but it ended up being primarily an audio experience.  I cannot stress strongly enough that this is NOT a good choice for a novice listener. The non-linear plot shifts abruptly and without much warning from present, to past, and even to the future. There are point of view shifts, too. Most chapters are told from a third person perspective. I found the sudden switch to second person narration disconcerting, but strangely effective. It took some work to follow this one.

About the PowerPoint chapter: I was driving, so ended up listening to it first. Typing (and maybe clicking) can be heard in the background, and a character is asked why she doesn't just write instead of make slides.... pretty strong clues for a PowerPoint presentation. The main ideas came across clearly and I was prepared to report that this worked just fine on audio. Later that evening, I read the chapter and was amazed by its impact. The ability to see the arrangement of shapes, arrows, graphs, etc., made the print version much more powerful and effective. But, even though the printed version conveys more, I still feel the audio was adequate. In the end, I decided it was like listening to a nonfiction title without access to charts, maps, and photos. You're fine without them, but if you take the time to hunt down a print copy, the rewards are great.

My book club's reaction was mixed. Due to scheduling confusion, only five members were present. We were all impressed with the creativity and originality of the novel. Two of us liked it, two were neutral, and one did not finish. One member that could not attend sent an email expressing her strong dislike. Those of us who enjoyed the novel still felt it was not one we could easily recommend.

About the audio production: Roxana Ortega, a new narrator for me, did an excellent job of adjustinging her voice and tone as characters wandered in and out of chapters. Her delivery style ranged from warm and engaging, to cool, detached and almost clinical. I did not see other credits listed at audible.com, but would happily listen to more of her work. You can sample the production here.

My rating:

FTC disclosure:
audiobook purchased from audible.com, print copy borrowed from library

A Visit From the Goon Squad
by Jennifer Egan
Narrated by Roxana Ortega
AudioGO, 2010
10 hours and 8 minutes