Good on you, Chuck.

I've always enjoyed Chuck Klosterman, in a low-key kind of way. Meaning, I don't have to run right out and read every new book he writes (which I DO have to do with, say, William Langewiesche and Paul Feig, assuming, of course, that Feig ever writes another book--pretty please?), but when I see his name I'll usually give the book or magazine article a quick perusal. I did particularly enjoy his essay collection Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low-Culture Manifesto, and he's sometimes got interesting things to say in his Esquire column, but I can't say I ever, you know, liked him liked him.

But I was pleased to see him branching out into fiction with the publication of his new novel, Downtown Owl, and I was even more pleased to check it out and be thoroughly amused by it. Klosterman, a North Dakota native, sets his novel in Owl, a small town in North Dakota, during the 1980s. Ostensibly the plot device (at least toward the end) is a killer blizzard that has repercussions (to say the least) for many of the book's main characters, but it's really a fairly clever little look at small-town America.

"But the one quality that truly drove the citizens of Owl bonkers--and particularly the old men who had coffee at Harley's Cafe every day at 3:00 p.m.--was Chet's intimacy with his dog. Chet had a black Labrador retriever, and he kept it inside his apartment. He turned a hunting animal into a house pet. This was less reasonable than talking to a brick wall. He would bring his dog inside the bar, and the dog often sat in the front seat of his Camaro, a vehicle which supposedly cost sixteen thousand dollars." (p. 18, about a character referred to by the locals as the 'Dog Lover.')

That made me laugh, as there is a certain set of the population that firmly believes animals live outside, not inside. I also enjoyed this tidbit:

"Traditionally, Roman Catholics are not big Bible scholars. Catholics focus on the Gospels; the rest of the Bible is what Protestants arbitrarily memorize for no obvious reason." (p. 84.

It's a great read. Chuck is starting to make me sick, actually, with his proficiency in both nonfiction and fiction. But I'll get over it.

Comments

[Melanie]

I'm going to have to find a copy of this. I was raised in small town South Dakota, so this could be eerily familar for me.

[Citizen Reader]

Melanie,
You've GOT to tell me what you think of this one. I was raised near a small town but was never really part of one--so it was close enough for me, but I wonder how a true Dakotan will find it...

[The Laundress]

Having taken a lot of flak from assorted acquaintances for having "livestock" in the house, know the feeling. Plus your Catholic/Protestant quote made me laugh 'til it hurt. Will check this out. Klosterman is cool (and his glasses blow Sarah Palin's outta the water)

[Citizen Reader]

Laundress!
I thought the Catholic bit might charm you. I read it multiple times and chuckled every time. I think Chuck might charm you too. Plus we gotta support these good ol' ex-Midwestern boys.

[Katharine]

what are the odds that two small-town raised South Dakotans are reading your blog! I grew up in Hartford, where did you grow up Melanie? SD'ers are such a nice bunch don't ya think. I am a big Klosterman fan so I am definitely on the list for this one. The scene you described reminded me of "story of edgar sawtelle" one at the beginning (and the end of the book for me, I quit readin' it) of that book. I must say my hunting dog/in house dog just got back from a hunting trip and he is loving his couch right now.

[Citizen Reader]

Let's hear it for South Dakotans everywhere! Katharine, I can't wait to hear what you think of this one. I agree completely about animals--my wild kitty is sacked out on the couch where she belongs.