Visit from the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
Neil’s mum really likes Wasjigs. For those who aren’t in the know, these are jigsaws in which the image on the front of the box doesn’t match the image printed on to the jigsaw pieces. The jigsaw picture will be a different perspective on the same scene. So, not only do you have 1000 jigsaw pieces and no idea what to do with them, you’ve also got no idea what picture they make. I have neither the patience nor the inclination to do a wasjig (or a jigsaw for that matter), but I’m told the sense of achievement when you finish it makes it all worthwhile.
“A Visit from the Goon Squad” is a wasjig.
Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective, and the narrative jumps around over a period of about 50 years, both in the past and in the future. All the characters lives are intertwined, but not in an obvious way, and what is not overtly stated is often implied. You dip in and out of lives and events, without necessarily finding out how it all panned out, but not being annoyed that there are still questions unanswered. Towards the end of the book, you begin to see just how intertwined all of the characters lives are and get a greater perspective on the timeline involved.
In fact, I got a little bit geeky about it and flipped back through the book to remind myself of all the characters names and plot lines, like a very elaborate game of cluedo. This probably has more to do with my terrible memory, and the fact that I didn’t pick the book up for several days between chapters, rather than the story being forgettable. Because of the complexities and details, I do suggest it’s one of those books that’s better read in a short session, like on a holiday, so you can enjoy it properly, without getting the marker pens out.
The characters are incredibly real, and I very quickly felt empathy for all of them. I personally wasn’t a fan of the chapter set in the future, because it felt a little bit uncomfortable, a bit like how I feel watching ‘Back to the Future’ now and being disappointed that we don’t all whizz around on hoverboards. Although the book was only recently released, I think this will age it in the future. That said, the author does have some interesting ideas about the role of technology in the family, and the changing scenery of language (for example, ‘friend’ becomes a word which is only understood within speech marks, as it has lost its meaning in modern (future) society). It also has some interesting ideas about marketing and PR in the future, Egan suggests that the power of recommendation from our ‘friends’ (who’s opinions can be bought) will become far more prevalent in years to come - not something I’ve thought about before, but definitely an idea with a lot of validity.
It’s had a lot of hype recently, and it deserves the hype. 5/5.
This is the 21st book I’ve read this year. You can read my other reviews on my blog.
