DISQUS

whetstone · 2 years ago

I thought the underlying theme of The Emperor's Children was that NYC's cultural elite (and thus the people who are responsible for much of mass culture in America) consists of people who came to the city to revolutionize it, set it on its ear, burn it down, etc--but when everybody's doing that, or pretending to, no one is, and thus it turns into a system that produces the same old sameness.

Tom Watson · 2 years ago

I guess it was, but that particular theme never caught me - it's so old and obvious really. I thought she didn't mean us to take that as the main point, another outsiders-in-New York tale with the city winning in the end. And none of the characters was in any way revolutionary - they talked about it a bit at odd moments, but never did anything. Even the "Idiot" character had no revolution in his heart really; turning on his mentor - well that's been done before. No - I found it interesting only as a period piece.

Rebecca Burke · 2 years ago

I'm trying to read The Emperor's Children for the 2nd time and not sure I can stick it this time, either. I keep reading the voluminous blurbs and thinking it must be better than it seems to be to me. Same feeling as above: the characters are appalling but not in terribly interesting or novel ways. So what is the point? I wonder also. If what we think it is--"these are what the NYC literati/cultural avatars are like, look ye in dread"--then color me "shocked, just shocked." They're all despicable and ordinary and cliched. Is it so well-reviewed b/c Claire Messud is married to James Wood, the critic's critic, and everyone thinks it simply must have passed muster w/ him, so must be deep and good? It is amply supplied in details, but in every other way does not seem worthy of its accolades. What aspect of this book rewards the reader's investment? I wonder....

Tom Watson · 2 years ago

Rebecca - I had similar reaction. I will say this - it's very competent writing, and I did feel like I was "in" some of the interiors. That was nicely done: the old house, the west side apartment, the chelsea pad, the east village dive. But there was a central casting quality about the horrible literary NY snobs. You want to say, "yeah...and?"

Panagiote · 1 year ago

Interesting...

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Alyssa Odonnell · 1 year ago

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Marcus@essays · 9 months ago

Sometimes it's fun to read books with this theme. It sometime makes you laugh and aware at the same time.