"And I know that you're mine." - My Morning Jacket, If All Else Fails
The Failure by James Greer (2010, Akashic Books). I purchased The Failure after Lit Crawl II where Greer was a featured reader. He was impassioned and humorous and tortured and interesting and it was available on the Nook eReader app which I had wanted to try and so I grabbed it up. I liked it. I can't really explain it except to say that it's an amusing little Los Angeles story in which the little moments lead to the big plot turn (which, in this case, is revealed in the very first chapter) but, in the end, it is those little moments that linger. They are funny and occassionally touching and absurd and quintessential L.A.
What I'm thinking about tonight though is how Guy's demise (that is not a spoiler -- Sucess is not an option) is because he obsesses about the wrong things. I'm not sure that there are any right things in Guy Forget's world except for his friendship with Billy but, still, it's his own delusions of grandeur that become his downfall.He believes he's smarter than everyone else despite their being no evidence of that. He is gullible while convinced he is shrewd. He fancies himself a dramatic figure while he metaphorically walks around the world with clown makeup on his face.
It's fascinating. It reminds me that we often focus on the wrong things. We often see ourselves and the world around us incorrectly and instead of acknowledging that, we puff up. We peacock. We delude ourselves.
And, in that lie our failures.
In this book, however, lie many many laughs.
An amusing and quick read.
Recommended.
