Jay McInerney
There is great authorial risk when straying from normal literary mores and conventions, particularly those involving narrators (which tend almost exclusively toward first- and third-person singular narrators, even in cases where narrative may alternate between chapters or sections). Jay McInerney, however, achieves his desired effect when utilizing the second person present tense ("you are") as the main narrative voice in his atmosphere-heavy Bright Lights, Big City. From the first sentence of the book, the use of "you" as the primary narrative voice has a disorienting effect on the reader which in this book successfully mirrors and even enhances the confusion experienced by "you" during a mad rush of cocaine- and alcohol-fueled highs and hangovers. The book is heavier on atmosphere than on plot and even character development outside of the main character, but these are enough to sustain it through its short duration. Though the third act twist is a bit unsatisfying, unexpected, and leaves some loose ends, even this uncertainty seems to echo the (ironically?) brute driving force of the novel. Despite the main character's malaise and desire to escape, that desire seems at times frantic, culminating in many sudden blackouts and accompanying breaks in the text.
This, then, is McInerney's great achievement: he has been able to take a jarring, awkward narrative voice, a flat supporting cast, an occasionally tangential and repetitive plot, sudden unexplained breaks in the narrative, and a wholly unlikely Transformative Climax Moment and spin them somehow into a compelling narrative that is, despite the annoying elements that comprise it, enjoyable to read. The evil, out-to-get-you boss may be a bit overplayed, but here it somehow fits with the tone of the novel and with the main character's general outlook on life. And to create such a well-rounded main character out of the reader solely by telling "you" what "you" think is a remarkable achievement; McInerney allows readers just enough memory-based self-exposition while utilizing outside characters' reactions and assessments to create a fully realized second-person character. So many elements herein are cliche and tired- the struggling, self-loathing writer, escaping the past in New York City- but are given fresh life in the rapid-fire pace and persuasive voice of the novel, which is tinged with just enough dark humor to sustain the desired effect without turning into brazen satire or outright silliness. This is a serious book. Bright Lights, Big City is an absorbing reading experience almost despite itself, and successfully utilizes narrative voice and pacing to create a compelling and engrossing reading experience.
Grade: A
This, then, is McInerney's great achievement: he has been able to take a jarring, awkward narrative voice, a flat supporting cast, an occasionally tangential and repetitive plot, sudden unexplained breaks in the narrative, and a wholly unlikely Transformative Climax Moment and spin them somehow into a compelling narrative that is, despite the annoying elements that comprise it, enjoyable to read. The evil, out-to-get-you boss may be a bit overplayed, but here it somehow fits with the tone of the novel and with the main character's general outlook on life. And to create such a well-rounded main character out of the reader solely by telling "you" what "you" think is a remarkable achievement; McInerney allows readers just enough memory-based self-exposition while utilizing outside characters' reactions and assessments to create a fully realized second-person character. So many elements herein are cliche and tired- the struggling, self-loathing writer, escaping the past in New York City- but are given fresh life in the rapid-fire pace and persuasive voice of the novel, which is tinged with just enough dark humor to sustain the desired effect without turning into brazen satire or outright silliness. This is a serious book. Bright Lights, Big City is an absorbing reading experience almost despite itself, and successfully utilizes narrative voice and pacing to create a compelling and engrossing reading experience.
Grade: A
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