Brad Leithauser

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Has anyone ever read any of his books? I know nothing about him, but based solely on the plot descriptions, they sound pretty entertaining.

― NA (Nick A.), Saturday, 17 April 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I bought "Hence" at the used book store and started it today. I'll keep you posted.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm halfway through and enjoying it generally, though I'm annoyed by Leithauser's tendency to overexplain each character's motivations and hidden meanings. Nearly every line of dialogue is followed by exposition on how this reflects on the personality of the character that speaks it. He could trust the reader a little more.
The back of the book compares Leithauser to Nabokov and Borges. I don't see the Borges at all. I can see the Nabokov in the love of large words and the unreliable narrator. But so far it mostly makes me think of a much shorter, much less pretentious version of Infinite Jest (though Hence came out first, I think in '95 or so). More when I actually finish it.

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 29 April 2004 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

It actually came out in '89.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 30 April 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

OK, I know everyone's been waiting with baited breath for this, so here we go. Ultimately, "Hence" was disappointing. A promising start, but the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. Basically, it felt like Leithauser was sick of his characters, and so just ended the book without finishing the story. Most of the characters were stereotypes as well (the troubled genius, the sympathetic Eastern European chess expert, etc.). I might give Leithauser another shot, maybe his later books improve. The End.

― NA (Nick A.), Monday, 3 May 2004 14:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the loneliness of this thread.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

NA, I've been with you the whole way! Riveting stuff.

Love, the guy who lurks on the thread devoted to the author he has never heard of and will probably never read

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Creepy.

― NA (Nick A.), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, to be honest, i only looked at this thread today. But I enjoyed it thoroughly!

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Brad Leithauser... Mind if I come in? I never read any of his novels, because the idea of a formalist poet turning to novels just pissed me off. Don't know why, really. Kind of like a neo-conservative turning to nation building? Probably a bad comparision. Anyway, I kind of liked something about his first book of poems, there were some clever autobiographical poems that were in tight forms that seemed promising. Like the two impulses—autobiography and poetic form—were having some sort of argument. Who should I be, James Merrill or Robert Lowell? Anyway, I'm glad you didn't like his novel. Why is that?

― donald, Wednesday, 12 May 2004 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I said why above, but essentially, I was not left satisfied when I finished reading it. The story felt incomplete, there was no emotional resonance/connection, and the style was repetitive (though somewhat impressive at first).

― NA (Nick A.), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Stephen King's "On Writing" was kinda fine :-) (It's autobiographical)

― Fred (Fred), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

oops! wrong thread. sorry. Dang!

― Fred (Fred), Monday, 17 May 2004 16:59 (twenty-one years ago)

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