A review by timshel
Twilight of the Superheroes: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg
1.0
Blech!
I tried to muddle through this collection, but it was difficult. I had no idea what the author was talking about half the time. I couldn't figure out if she just had ADHD or I had an attention deficit disorder of my own. Take, for example, the following passage from the title story
"And actually, Russell (who seems to be not only Amity’s friend and possible suitor but also her agent) has obtained for Amity a whopping big advance from some outfit that Madison refers to as Cheeseball Editions, so whatever else they might all be drinking to (or drinking about) naturally Amity’s celebrating a bit. And Russell, recently arrived from L.A., cannot suppress his ecstasy about how ur New York, as he puts it, Mr. Matsumoto’s loft is, tactless as he apparently recognizes this untimely ecstasy to be."
Granted, you may not know who Russell, Madison, Amity, and Mr. Matsumoto are. You don't know the setting. You have no context. Neither did I. Every passage leading up to this was quite the same. Names, places, more names, and phrases that just seemed to run on and make no sense. If you read the passage above, understood it, and enjoyed it, then you should probably buy this book as quickly as possible and never read another of my reviews again. Please.
The only story that had any redeeming qualities was "Some Other, Better Otto." It wasn't the most compelling story, but it made sense. Otherwise, I really felt like I wasted my time on this one.
I tried to muddle through this collection, but it was difficult. I had no idea what the author was talking about half the time. I couldn't figure out if she just had ADHD or I had an attention deficit disorder of my own. Take, for example, the following passage from the title story
"And actually, Russell (who seems to be not only Amity’s friend and possible suitor but also her agent) has obtained for Amity a whopping big advance from some outfit that Madison refers to as Cheeseball Editions, so whatever else they might all be drinking to (or drinking about) naturally Amity’s celebrating a bit. And Russell, recently arrived from L.A., cannot suppress his ecstasy about how ur New York, as he puts it, Mr. Matsumoto’s loft is, tactless as he apparently recognizes this untimely ecstasy to be."
Granted, you may not know who Russell, Madison, Amity, and Mr. Matsumoto are. You don't know the setting. You have no context. Neither did I. Every passage leading up to this was quite the same. Names, places, more names, and phrases that just seemed to run on and make no sense. If you read the passage above, understood it, and enjoyed it, then you should probably buy this book as quickly as possible and never read another of my reviews again. Please.
The only story that had any redeeming qualities was "Some Other, Better Otto." It wasn't the most compelling story, but it made sense. Otherwise, I really felt like I wasted my time on this one.