Lately I have been going back and reading the early work of some of my favorite writers. I had read and loved Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay several years ago. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is his first novel, a great coming of age book about Art Bechstein's adventures in Pittsburgh the summer after his college graduation. At times deadly serious, at times wildly humorous, this book is an interesting meditation on the nature of friendships and sexual relationships (hetero and homo)at that stage of life. For an added twist, Bechstein's father is in the mob. His girlfriend's name is Phlox, his boyfriend's name is also Arthur, and his best friend is named Cleveland. What happens when they all come to know of each other's existence? Chabon's excellent storytelling and compelling writing style make the implausible seem like it could really have happened (perhaps in your own life).
Fun Fact: Amazingly, this book was his master's thesis at the University of California - Irvine! No wonder he went on to win the Pulitzer for Kavalier and Clay!
2 comments:
If you enjoyed the book, do NOT see the soon-to-be released film by writer/driector Rawson Marshall Thurber of DODGEBALL fame... You won't even recognize the story!
RMT has completely changed the plot, cutting the gay character of Arthur Lecomte, reducing Phlox to Art's "sometimes girlfriend" and making Cleveland his bisexual lover.
For more info, check out the official MOP Film Boycott
Thanks for the head's up about the movie. Those seem like terrible choices, since it's clear from the book's conclusion that the distinction between friends and lovers is vital to the story.
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