A review by lawbooks600
Great Jones Street by Don DeLillo

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Representation: Black characters
Score: Five out of ten.

Well that was a unique reading experience. I wanted to read Great Jones Street when they got it last year but I put it off for months before finally picking it up. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem intriguing, but I lowered my expectations after seeing the ratings, and when I closed the final page, I thought it was average.

It starts with Bucky Wunderlick leaving New York in the 1970s after forgoing fame and fortune when he left his rock and roll band to pursue peace by travelling across the world in the opening pages. I enjoyed the beginning but Great Jones Street got stale from there as its slow pacing didn't do wonders for it as it disengaged me from the narrative. For a piece of literary fiction, Great Jones Street's plot is surprisingly simple even though it tries focuses on the theme of escaping from fame and riches. Tries. Still, it's superficial since the story is mostly about Bucky going to places and talking to so many characters I couldn't keep track of, and they were hard to connect or relate with. At least I interpreted a message saying being a celebrity has unintended consequences (which is true,) but making the narrative more engaging would've cleared everything up. The conclusion has slightly more action as Bucky arrives at a place called Happy Valley, where he takes a drug that makes him forget to speak until the last pages. What a finish.
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