The Failure

The Failure is a fantastic leap forward for James Greer. His previous novel, Artificial Light, was an insightful, dense look at myth, Midwestern drunkenness and the meaning of life. The Failure is a jazz riff of a heist book. It's jumbled narrative provides an exciting tool for loading up a story full of hilarious rants, cockeyed moneymaking schemes and a tangled love story. I'm excited to see where Greer heads next.

This book comes with a lot of hype and at first I wasn't sure, but having read it now TWICE I can say that I've enjoyed it thoroughly. It's funny enough to where you laugh out loud at parts, but there's an undercurrent of melancholy that tugs at you, too, and I can't help feeling there's a deeper meaning to the crazy, non-linear, at times absurdist plot that just... barely... escapes my understanding. Along with Justin Taylor's book of short stories it's probably the best thing I've read so far this year. I can't say better than that. Although they are two very different writers. My point is: I unreservedly recommend The Failure by James Greer. He is a great writer and takes risks with structure but still makes sense and makes you laugh. Is that helpful? I hope so.