Richard Yates
Richard Yates is a great book, really. It just happens to be a great book full of terrible people doing terrible things. And it’s written in a style that will make those unfamiliar with the work of author, Tao Lin, feel like their brain is being scraped on very clean asphalt.
Lin’s unique writing style doesn’t lend itself to big words or flowing sentences. He writes in a minimalist, deadpan tone; everything in Lin’s work is very concrete, and words are treated as a means to an end. Lin’s writing has a precision and immediateness to it that most writers lose in their attempt to sound like “writers.” He writes about reality; he doesn’t ignore the suburban ennui and gaping flaws of his characters. Instead, he builds off them, providing an intimate look into his own life.
Richard Yates is about a 25-year-old poet, Haley Joel Osment, who is in a relationship with 16-year-old student, Dakota Fanning. Most of the book consists of dialogue between the two of them, much of it taking place on Gmail chat. The story starts out very cute, with conversations about hamsters and vegan smoothies, but quickly takes a dark turn as Haley Joel Osment becomes obsessively controlling, and Dakota Fanning starts lying compulsively and develops bulimia.
This novel is an examination of the seemingly mundane things that drama can build around. It is a reaction to the hyper reality and melodrama we see in most of modern fiction. Richard Yates is a book that will make you want to examine your own behavior and aim to treat people better. If you can get past the quirks and gimmicks, it is a sharp, funny, and very moving story.
Richard Yates is a great book, really. It just happens to be a great book full of terrible people doing terrible things. And it’s written in a style that will make those unfamiliar with the work of author, Tao Lin, feel like their brain is being scraped on very clean asphalt. Lin’s unique writing style doesn’t lend itself to big words or flowing sentences. He writes in a minimalist, deadpan tone; everything in Lin’s work is very concrete, and words are treated as a means to an end. Lin’s writing has a precision and immediateness to it that most writers lose in their attempt to sound like “writers.” He writes about reality; he doesn’t ignore the suburban ennui and gaping flaws of his characters. Instead, he builds off them, providing an intimate look into his own life.Richard Yates is about a 25-year-old poet, Haley Joel Osment, who is in a relationship with 16-year-old student, Dakota Fanning. Most of the book consists of dialogue between the two of them, much of it taking place on Gmail chat. The story starts out very cute, with conversations about hamsters and vegan smoothies, but quickly takes a dark turn as Haley Joel Osment becomes obsessively controlling, and Dakota Fanning starts lying compulsively and develops bulimia.This novel is an examination of the seemingly mundane things that drama can build around. It is a reaction to the hyper reality and melodrama we see in most of modern fiction. Richard Yates is a book that will make you want to examine your own behavior and aim to treat people better. If you can get past the quirks and gimmicks, it is a sharp, funny, and very moving story.
Andy Hatz
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