Keep Your Cool, Ms. Kakutani

Smelling salts! Icy towels! The heat has gone to Michiko Kakutani’s head! Her review of Benjamin Kunkel’s Indecision is written in Holden Caulfield’s voice. Gothamist can’t remember such a wacky review since she favored us with her thoughts on Candace Bushnell’s Trading Up, said thoughts taking the form of a memo from Elle Woods to Bushnell’s protagonist. (Seriously, read it. It’s crazy.) While it’s hard to say that Michi’s grasp of voice is absolutely secure—however many tokens of authenticity are included to assure you that yes, like you, Michiko Kakutani has totally seen Legally Blonde and knows her Catcher in the Rye—we do like seeing things mixed up a bit. Especially since this treatment seems to be reserved for drubbings, it’s less dreary than a full-on dismembering of the book (though probably no more pleasant for the author).

We have our gripes with Candace Bushnell (for instance, if we have to listen to one more girl fake an orgasm over a pair of shoes, we are moving to Austin), and we’re probably just jealous of Michiko Kakutani’s fierceness (and the fact that her brain is obviously ten times the size of ours), but it seems a bit harsh to do this to a first-time novelist. Benjamin Kunkel is a founding editor of n + 1, and Indecision is about a privileged 28-year-old New Yorker who has trouble making the kinds of decisions you have to make to become a grownup. Don't know anyone like that, do you? He takes a lot of drugs, including one that is supposed to cure indecision. Gothamist hasn’t read it yet, but we have heard nice things; you can read an excerpt here and decide for yourself. Kunkel will read at the Astor Place Barnes and Noble at 7pm on September 15th. And think what you want about Eggers & Co...this is still hilarious.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Robin Reardon in Arts and Events on August 23, 2005 2:47 PM

Comments [rss]

solomon grundy

My friends and I were debating this review. Damning him with phoney praise? Or does Kakutani actually think it's a light but fun, Salinger-esque coming of age novel?

I think she shows her hand at the end when she suggests Kunkel wrote it with a film adaptation starring Topher Grace in mind. Owtch.

But the NYT redeemed itself in the eyes of its own book critic Kunkel (yes, there seems to be some nepotistic taking care of family at play here) with a Jay McInerney review of Indecision two days later in the Book Review that was clear in its judgement (and also very positive). Though again, McInerney was kind of like, "maybe I only like this novel so much because I'm a juvenile asshole." What the fuck?

PShack

I just posted an interview of Julian Fellowes where he speaks about the differences between class structures in America vs the UK, his book SNOBS, his upcoming movie and directorial debut with SEPARATE LIES, and who he thinks would make the next James Bond. Check it out I welcome posts to our BB Blog/ book reviews... where are all the people with a literary bent and a sense of humor - are they ALL in NYC?

Shawn

Bemusedly, I must confess I've seen Ms. K do this before. In August, 2002, she reviewed "Ready, Steady, Go!", my book about Swinging London, in the voice of Austin Powers.

You can, as they say, look it up: http://tinyurl.com/8kl5k

Having written every sentence with the express thought *not* to sound like Austin Powers, I was confused, frustrated and finally embarrassed for her....

Robin Reardon

I thought that "memoir-he's-calling-a-novel" line was harsh; whether or not it feels that way to the reader, there are gentler ways of putting it. And whenever the review said something nice, I wasn't sure whether we were supposed to take it as her opinion or the opinion of Holden, whose critical judgment presumably does not echo hers entirely. I know the New York Times is not the Believer, but this seemed to me a dismissive way to treat the book. Maybe I'm wrong & it's actually attention-getting...if a reader just glanced at it, he might come away with the impression that this is the new Catcher in the Rye.

dio

actually, if you read the review carefully you'll realize she's being fairly complimentary.

Jen

Well, Michiko loves to role play - she pretended to be Elle Woods from Legally Blonde when she reviewed Candace Bushnell's recent book.

TJB

If anyone can find the New Yorker article she wrote on Kaaterskill Falls, I'd appreciate it - it's the only writing by her that I'm aware of, and it's very good. She just doesn't get enough respect at NYT; she should be a staffer at NYRB.