| Title | : | You Shall Know Our Velocity! |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1400033543 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781400033546 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 401 |
| Publication | : | First published September 1, 2002 |
You Shall Know Our Velocity! Reviews
-
I'm a little torn here, because I feel like I was supposed to like this book, so part of me wants to pretend that I didn't like it. It just seems so blatantly directed at exactly who I am, a late 20's person confused about what direction to take in life. It's like a movie where you know they are trying to make you cry, and you do cry, and then feel bad about it because you know that they played you like a fiddle.
But as much as I'd like to resist it, I am a fiddle and this book played me. I identified very strongly with these characters, and this blind desire to keep moving, and have only important, true, enlightening experiences. This idea that every moment that you arent experiencing something new you are wasting your life....I know that isn't true, but I feel it too sometimes. And this book is a perfect summary and explanation of that feeling.
Plus it really goes to the core of how it feels to be a relatively priviledged person today, who knows that he should be trying to help less fortunate people, but has absolutely no idea how to really go about doing that. The idea of randomly handing money to people has a certain romantic charm, and Mr. Eggers walks a nice line between acknowledging that yes, it can be romantic and charming, and it can also be incredibly awkward and wrong.
A great book. Great. -
Preface to the fourth edition:
I wrote this a few years ago, back when I had just finished reading the book, but before I had died. I still haven't died so that's beside the point. I'm procrastinating right now, and copying this from another site where this originally appeared.
Original Preface
There are three ways that I pick out books to read. One is through the convoluted and serpentine way that I choose most of my books. The second way is by catchy covers promising pop-culture hipness. This second of choosing books I have begun to wean myself off of since too many times I have been burned on the choices. One book in particular that I choose in this manner was Dave Eggers A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I’m one of the few people of my demographic that hated this book and felted cheated (or of the few I’ve run into (4th edition note, this is not so true anymore)). I thought the idea of Dave Eggers was great, I respected his journal McSweeny’s and sometimes thought his quasi-punk rock ethics were commendable. I just didn’t like the book though (I have to stop here about A.H.W.O.S.G., if I get started on this book I’ll just rant on and on—one note though from here on out I will refer to Egger’s first book simply as the first book. Following this brilliantly simple shorthand I will call his second book, You Shall Know Our Velocity!, the second book. I will do this for two reasons. One, because I am not the kind of writer in the Wallace, Moody and Eggers school who enjoys keeping track of long acronyms; but more importantly because I can never really keep straight the titles of Eggers books.).
A short aside in the form of a list of titles I have mistakenly (consciously and unconsciously) called both of his books while at work to co-workers and customers
A Staggering Work of Heartbreak, You Will Know our Velocity, You Will know us by the Trail of our Velocity, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Pretensions, That Something book about Genius and Death, The Book without the Cover…. (Authors note: this sounded like a much better idea at the time. Much like the time when I made up a write off, in order to try to get more hits. I then realized it was stupid and I changed the write off. Four days later I cancelled the write off. The moral of this story could be that I don’t like erasing things once they are written. A second moral could be that I really should edit my work better).
A second aside in the form of a continuation needed to wrap up the Introduction
The third manner I choose my books is with a masochistic zeal to read new books by authors who I disliked to the point to ranting continually about them for weeks in order to a) confirm my suspicions, or b) make me look like an open minded kind of person who can re-encounter a previously disliked author and find enjoyment in their work. Of course when I choose a book for this reason I’m really hoping for A. I don’t go in with an open mind, because I’m an opinionated jerk. I picked up Eggers second book for this third reason. I wanted it to get my goat, and allow me to say, “See I told you.”
Second Preface to the Review
I’m not the kind of author who would write a second, third or possibly even fourth preface to a review. I need to clear up some points made in the introduction.
1. I will be the first to admit that I didn’t need to give three ways I pick books. I know full well that I never actually explained the first manner of choice. But see I just pointed out the fault so don’t blame me for it. I know that I was wrong.
2. Everything coming before this note has been extraneous and probably best skimmed over. Since you couldn’t have known this till you got to this point in the review you could a) consider yourself noted; b) not blame me, I pointed out in an overtly self-reflexive manner my shortcoming, a la beating everyone to the criticism punch, c) inform your friends of the gratuitousness of the review and tell them to skip through the beginning.
3. I must point out once again that I am not the kind of writer who would ramble on and on in this manner.
4. I’ll be the first to admit that really only 26% of this review is worth reading. The rest of the review is best skipped over. Again, I warned you so it’s all out of my hands.
An Addition to Third Edition of this Review
Surprisingly it has come to my attention that I have been paid for this review. Of course, that means I need to make a full disclosure of the monies received and the manner in which I will / have spend / spent them.
Amount Paid to Date: $0.02
Amount of Time (Roughly) Spent Reading the book to base a review on it: 7 hours.
Amount of Time Spent Writing the Review, including revisions: 3 Hours.
Amount Paid per Hour for Review: $0.002
Amount Spent of Royalties: None, I will not receive any money for the review for quite a long time (I never received the money, they took it away from me because I stopped putting up reviews for too long 4th edition note)
I feel more than a little guilty at the staggering two tenths of a penny per hour (or 2 thousandths of a dollar) I received for this. When the money comes to me I will be sure to split it up among worthy causes and make a full disclosure of how the money was spent. I imagine it will be used as two percent of the cost of a large cup of coffee at the deli around the corner from where I work.
Graphical illustration of profit.
Time Spent for review.
**********
Money Received
(can't make something that small here)
Cost of Cup of Coffee
********* ****************** ************ ******************* ************ ******************** *********
Royalties Spent towards this Staggeringly expensive Purchase of Heartbreaking proportions.
**
The Review
What is the Book About
Well I can’t tell you. Sorry. (I cut a bunch of words here because I was over in the character count. I rant about people giving away the plot of books, but will keep a movie plot a big secret.) Well according to the back it’s about giving away $32,000 in a week, but why? I’m not telling. The novels about two guys, the narrator Will, who is telling the story after Jack died but a couple of years before him and his mother drown in Columbia (That’s the first page of the novel paraphrased, or the cover if you get the hardcover version). The second guy’s name is Hand; he’s the zany friend you wish you had growing up. You know the one who will do anything, has the wacky ideas, and gets annoying but always a party to be around. The two decide to travel around the world in one week and give away $32,000 dollars along the way. The catch? The people need to be deserving of the money, the countries need to be off the beaten path and not require visas to enter.
Along the way in the travels of Will and Hand, Eggers throws some literary tricks into the mix that call into question all kinds of assumptions about the basic structure of the novel. I can’t say anymore about this though. I’d feel as if I was cheating anyone who read the book after reading this of the fun.
About the Novel
The writing in the novel is more straightforward than in the first book. Much of the book is quite funny in a dry sardonic sort of way. It’s difficult after reading Eggers first book to believe that this novel isn’t also autobiographical in nature. The depressing qualities of H.W.O.S.G. come back through. Taking into account Egger’s life (his parents plus his sister have passed away) it is understandable that the topic of dealing with grief should be a dominant theme in his work. He offsets the grief though with humor that most of times works (sometimes the humor is too smart for it’s own good).
There are a lot more things I want to talk about, but if I did the novel would be ruined. Eggers does some interesting things with the form of the novel, but they are just too good to reveal in a review to possible readers.
Conclusion
If you liked Eggers first book I think you will like this. If you hated his first book I think you will still like, I did. Eggers is probably best appreciated by twenty and thirty something year olds, but I can see their being an appeal of this book to most readers of literary works.
Afterword
The author wishes to express the realization that this review is shoddy. As of this line only 29% of the review is dedicated to the actual book. The remaining 71% (now 72%) of the review has been a juvenile attempt at mocking Eggers writing style, especially the manner he handles the infinite introductions of H.W.O.S.G. The author acknowledges he is not half (or now 27%) the writer of Dave Eggers. The author of the review wonders why you have read this, wants to know why you care what he thinks and is considering swearing at you in an ironic manner, but then he realized he would be again just imitating Eggers, instead I’m going out and running down the beach and watch a Frisbee hang overhead, in that sublime manner that makes you realize the transcendence of life; and then maybe I’ll jump in a pool….. you know for the whole re-birth and baptism analogy. -
Probably more of a 1.5 star, but I rounded up because I feel the author has slight potential. This was quite a confusing jumble of a travelogue. The protagonist sets off around the world with a friend he seems to strongly dislike, all in order to give away $38,000. Why not just donate to charity, or invest it, or buy a house? The premise was never explained. They also were completely reckless and ignorant in their traveling, often going off with strangers or letting random people hop in their car. I simply can’t imagine anyone reading this and honestly listing it as a beloved or favorite book.
-
Really 2 1/2 stars
I'm not sure what to say about this book really. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. I very often found myself enjoying Eggers's writing style while being annoyed with the story itself.
I don't really understand what it is with male writers that makes them want so badly to write these books about disillusioned young men who are basically losers. I mean this book is essentially Catcher in the Rye for people in their late 20s. I don't know I just have a problem with characters in books who are clearly losers and have clearly done nothing with their lives and then go about philosophizing about how life is meaningless and how there is so much pain and suffering blah blah blah.
I got the distinct feeling from this book that Jack was the only one who had made anything of himself. That Will and Hand are those friends you had in high school who will never move past their minimum wage jobs and will always be bitter about not reaching the potential they felt they were promised. -
I loved the writing, I really did. Imaginative and colorful and funny. There was just too much of it.
I think the whole book could have been trimmed by 20 to 30 percent and been much more enjoyable. It’s divided into 3 parts, and in my edition they have ratios that are almost too mathematically precise to be a coincidence. The first 250 pages were Will’s first person account of his and his friend Hand’s frantic, limited-to-one-week, global travels trying to unload $32,000 in cash through various bizarre schemes. The reader is left mostly in the dark, except for some cryptic references, as to why, and particularly, why this method. These two are supposed to be in their late 20s, but behave like 8 year olds on a cupcake binge (OK, 8 year olds who go to nightclubs and hang out with hookers). The story was actually an intriguing and humorous concept, punctuated by Will’s angst, the origins of which remain (irritatingly) mysterious.
The middle section is Hand’s explication of Will’s story, and it’s exactly 50 pages, bringing in a lot of meta-fictional elements such as his talking about the story as if it were a history of a real trip, which Will (before his death) had fictionalized to some extent, which Hand does not understand or approve of, when their original intent had been to create a “Performance Literature” piece. [This reference to Will’s death is not a spoiler, as it is disclosed on the first page of the book.] Hand’s explanation of their purposes, to proactively set events in motion in order to record them, his speculations about the reasons for Will’s fabrications, and his reference to some parallel events between occurrences in Will’s narrative and his own “life” after the fact all get very post-modern and self-reflexive. Now I’m having fun! I also liked Hand’s comparing the book to a Sacrament (said to be the original title of the book).
But alas, then we go back to Will’s story, another 100 pages exactly (with new insights because of Hand’s interlude), and again it seems to drag and bog down for me although, with the new information, it is better than the first part.
In addition to some philosophizing about money, poverty, charity and the relationship of haves and have-nots within the context of the giving, this also may be an allegory about our rushing around madly in life trying to find a purpose and meaning and too often it’s all wrapped up with our concerns about money.
All in all, I have to give it a 3, maybe 3-1/2, mostly for the writing and creative treatment and humor. It did need a ruthless editor, though, and I think the book would have been much improved had a machete been taken to much of the first section. I may try another of Egger’s book, because I did enjoy his language skills. There is certainly some talent there. And I really liked a movie that he and his wife wrote a couple of years ago called “Away We Go.” -
Before I get into the story of this book, and what I thought about it, I have to start with this. I LOVE the paper it's made of!! Really! It makes me want to write, in a typewriter, and live in some far off place, the color, the texture, wow, I tried to find out what they used but there is no information on the subject. I think I probably finished the book because of that wonderful paper it is made of. With paper like this, how can I even consider going on to electronic books?
Now, for the story. It got on my nerves! So much urgency! so many unplanned flights, oh, and the money, it's such an important element in the story, and that gets a little old. Give away money, travel to as many places as possible and just give it away. To people who "need it" argh! Money money, changing checks, exchanging currency. It seemed to me so, mister dollar visits poor countries and gives them a little of what they need, is that really, mister Eggers, all that people really need? And is that, in your opinion all that your story needs?
But I love that paper!! -
Legitimately, probably the worst novel I've ever read. Neither interesting nor intellectually intriguing, it seems Eggers debut novel was meant to satisfy nothing more than his public posture.
Take a deep breath all you uninteresting white males: your story is not unique, your suffering is not beautiful. You are a selfish asshole, just like everyone else, yet without fail an infinite number of these "cerebral" authors sublimate their own perceived struggles into meaningless, emotionless, and reprehensible characters, all of which are drawn with the heaviest of hands.
The actual plot to this novel was so profoundly stupid that I found myself laughing out loud. As if we are not privileged enough as Americans, we need to take our almighty dollar to far away lands and pour cash into the laps of those wretched souls, or bury it in their soil, or strap it to their livestock, all to give some "meaning" to our lives.
There must be a massive wheel that all author's consult (not unlike an oracle) when they attempt to write their next novel. At the wheel, the author spins for character, occupation, plot, and obscure friend with strange name. For instance: Will is a lightbulb silhouette who is paid for his work still feels guilty, and decides to fly to poor places and tape money to animals with his friend Hand.
How infuriating is it that in this multi-national piece, every poorly constructed character these two jackoffs encounter is somehow an adept English speaker? Or that all they want to discuss is the Chicago Bulls or American pop music? This novel is so incredibly selfish that it would have read no differently if the locations were set entirely on American soil.
Generally when I encounter something as poorly constructed as this novel, I let it speak for itself:
"Hand, it's what we did to that cow."
"Will. It's not the cow."
"Hand, we burned that cow alive."
"The cow was dying."
--
-I know.
-C'mon
-Really.
-Sure.
-Good. Okay. Shit.
-Okay--
-Man this is like helium.
This novel is built on truly profound dialogue. Though I will admit, I got a great chuckle out of the father falling from the balcony and crushing the mother. Characters enter and exit the novel constantly, but one of the most poorly named character of all-time was the middle-school girl named Terri Glenn. Perhaps she outgrew this novel and started at wide receiver for the New England Patriots, I guess we'll never know. I'll close this review with a few of Eggers own words:
"Every story, Hand, is sadder than ours."
***
Despite reading two horrific fictive pieces, I may give Eggers another shot with regards to his non-fiction. Although, after digging briefly, I've found he was behind several lackluster screenplays: Away We Go and Where the Wild Things Are. So that's awful. -
I’m glad I read this although I had conflicting opinions all throughout the book.
The writing is unique and interesting and Eggers clearly has a powerful gift with words. The story is also challenging and thoughtful and I was continually fascinated by the concept. I loved the journey they took, and the juxtaposition Eggers creates between their being both constrained and liberated in their travels.
However, I don’t know if I love the execution. I found it to be a real effort to read and after a couple of hundred pages, I was trudging through for the sake of completion as opposed to enjoyment.
I had difficulty with the contradiction between Will as a moving & soulful character and Will as an idiot. It was like reading about Rodin’s “Thinker” in the body of a typically dumb American.
That being said, I was won over by the end. The Jumping People passage was brilliant. It romantically summed up the entire journey Will takes “running” and “jumping” around the world with Jack's weight and the burden of every voice he hears inside his head along the way.
Will is a mountain but moved like the wind and in such a way that almost made me feel like I could do that...just drive to an airport and in a moment's notice take a journey across the world without any regard to the destination. -
AWAY WE GO
2 simpatici amici ,Will* e Hand** ,decidono di partire,così, senza stare a fare troppi programmi
(che poi sono i viaggi migliori)
a disposizione solo una settimana di tempo,
per uno strampalato viaggio(quasi)intorno al mondo.
Il loro è ,piu' che altro ,un piombare a razzo in un posto,
per poi schizzare subito via,a prendere un altro aereo,
a macinare altri km in macchine a nolo,e così via...
L'idea di Will è semplice: muoversi di continuo ,accelerare più che si può,perché solo in questo modo gli pare possibile tentare di battere in velocita'(e lasciarsi alle spalle)il dolore straziante ,la rabbia e tutti i pensieri orrendi che lo torturano (incessantemente)da mesi.
* Will è uno dei parlatori piu' lenti che si possano incontrare, ma con una testa- quando non è presa in prestito da chissà chi- che saetta e turbina
** Hand è uno che è costantemente preda di una insaziabile curiosità ,che gli fa estendere le sue vibratili antenne su ogni cosa, dalle scienze esatte alle donne sensibili e ingenue (capito,no?)
PS.
Will ,tutto ammaccato (fuori e dentro)ispira continuamente tenerezza e un senso di protezione,e Hand(che tipo!)ispira anche lui,sì...
quantomeno simpatiche domande:
ma che razza di passo è -si può sapere? - il Passo del carrello della spesa?!
PPS.E che viaggio mai sarebbe senza qualcuno a cui scrivere cartoline? Hahaha, eggia'...
le cartoline per le gemelline Mo e Thor sono assolutamente A-D-O-R-A-B-I-L-I !tipo questa:
Mo! Thor!
(Lo sapevate che in Scandinavia quando scrivono i saluti mettono sempre i punti esclamativi?Credo che sia vero,anche se è stato Hand a raccontarmelo. Vi ricordate di Hand?Quello che vi ha portato all'acquario e si è messo a litigare con la guida.)Ho un consiglio per voi due.Non è che voglio che lo seguiate veramente.Voglio semplicemente che lo ascoltiate,che lo conserviate anche a conti fatti,quando ormai non è piu' utile.
Non datemi retta.I consigli raggiungono talmente di rado le persone a cui sono rivolti. Sono un po' come la spada nella roccia:li si lascia lì, e magari un giorno qualcuno li troverà e saprà che farsene.[etc etc etc]
Ok.Ora posso concludere lasciando anch'io la mia piccola spada nella roccia ?
Ecco: Dave Eggers è da leggere!
(ma mica dovete darmi retta per forza,ci mancherebbe :D )
(#reperto acosiano 2011) -
I heart Dave Eggers. This book is awesome, especially if you enjoy traveling in obscure countries and dissecting ridiculous adventures for meaning. Eggers' style is very sticky and his humor is right in my wheelhouse. I liked this book significantly more than "A Heartbreaking Work..." (which was a fun read nonetheless). Something about the fact that it's a true novel and not quite as self-indulgent and autobiographical.
Anyway, I only feel slightly silly saying this is one of my favorite books. Admittedly, the reading experience was part of it -- I read it while lounging in Dutch coffeeshops during my final days of studying in Leiden, and world travel was a much-explored and romanticized theme for me -- but the characters are quirky and fascinating and the cameo appearances by random hilarious foreign fools in Senegal, Estonia and the like are not to be missed.
The illustrious Hand makes a later appearance in "How We Are Hungry," Eggers' book of short stories, in a story about surfing in Costa Rica where the horses have no symbolic significance. -
My favorable impression of this book is based partly on hearing Dave Eggers speak at the Newport Beach Library. I found his regular-guy persona to be very charismatic, his commitment to the work of the "826" tutoring centers to be inspiring, and his enthusiasm for the written word to be refreshing.
"Velocity" is funny and touching, and not what I expected (in a good way). The blurbs say this is a story about a couple of guys who travel around the world in order to give away $32,000 in one week. So my expectations centered around expecting them to be running toward something, when in reality they are doing nothing but running from.
The narrator is Will, who is traveling with his lifelong friend Hand. These two are emotionally adolescent and sometimes manic 27-year-olds who, for the first time in their adult lives, are confronted with mortality. Through a haze of airports and hotels and rental cars we learn of the defining events of their lives while seeing Africa and northeastern Europe.
The duo's backstory has to do with the death of their best friend, which also led obliquely to Will's getting beat up. Girlfriends and family play only marginal roles, but this is so much more than a "buddies hit the road" story.
Being "charitable" turns out to require much more effort than they planned, and the two are frequently accosted by touts and prostitutes. Their schemes to give away the money become wackier; at one point, they think that taping a pouch of cash to the side of a goat (so the money can be found by the goat's owner) is a workable idea. Like Will and Hand, I was left wondering what it means for Americans to come into a "poor" country and give away money.
The theme of mortality manifests as lost time. Will and Hand are constantly thwarted by airline schedules and visa requirements that prevent them from traveling where they want, when they want. They become frantic when forced to wait. For Will, being still means confronting the voices in his head.
The book, particularly the ending, was bittersweet. I enjoyed it a lot, and recommend it! -
La primera novela de Eggers pone en situación de desespero a dos jóvenes norteamericanos que, luego de perder a su mejor amigo en un trágico accidente, deciden viajar por el mundo reglando dinero a pobres miserables que quizás han sufrido más que ellos. “Ahora sabréis lo que es correr” quisiera ser una novela sobre las incertidumbres desesperantes que sobrevienen cuando el dolor supera cualquier sentido común; de modo que su lectura exige un nivel de compasión rayana con el misticismo más vulgar que uno pueda imaginar: la limosna como cura espiritual. Así, un título menos poético y más transparente para una lectura moralista sería “Ahora sabréis lo que es evadir”…
En la ilusión de esa interpretación pareciera que Eggers se propuso ridiculizar el ánimo mesiánico norteamericano que vemos a diario en las noticias sobre las políticas internacionales de defensa de la libertad y la democracia a través de la inyección de dólares en economías de países devastados por la guerra (que usualmente ha sido promovida previamente por esas políticas). Pero lo que resulta es una sucesión de malentendidos y presupuestos culturales desgastados por predecibles, o sea, cínicas evasiones.
Descontando las redundancias, a cuentagotas se encuentran episodios conmovedores, saltos al pasado en forma de recuerdos que llevaron a los personajes a salvar el mundo con la repartición de su azarosa fortuna: el descubrimiento de la crueldad de la niñez, las fiestas de su adolescencia, la consolidación de su amistad, la muerte de su mejor amigo y sus planes para descubrir la conspiración del equipo médico y a familia para no salvarlo de la ineluctable realidad de la muerte.
Por lo demás, la novela no invita a una segunda lectura. Es más, tampoco supone una revisión al resto de la obra del autor, salvo que se haya empezado por “Qué es el qué” o, incluso, por “Los monstruos”; pues no deja de avivar la sensación de que Eggers explota en su obra la conmiseración artificial que disfraza una suerte de autocompasión. -
Remember those intoxicated days of the the early 2000's financial boom? Positive thinking? Anything was possible? There would always be more money round the corner? Somehow you'd always get by?
Or perhaps you weren't quite feeling it, and scoffed at this stuff like Billy Bragg dismissing a decade of glorious synthpop and silly clothes in one anti-Thatcher tirade. Though, on the basis of cosmic ordering infomercials featuring Noel Edmonds, and Kirsty and Phil's Pickfords porn, who could blame you?
You Shall Know Our Velocity isn't a tale of taking out a 120% mortgage to set up a personal shopping business with your very own branded Smart car, but it's nonetheless possessed by the spirit of that time, as Will and his mate Hand go on a short unplanned world tour to give away $40,000 he earned for unintentionally being featured in an advert.
Random nights out with insalubrious Russians, taping dollars to African donkeys, and other such madcap antics, interspersed with raw ponderings on the death of a friend and the aftermath of trauma almost can't help but sound when described in summary in 2012, like the InstaHipstaMatic polaroid cliche that launched a thousand blogs.
But actually, it's amazing because of the ten-years-ago-or-more unknowing innocence and because no-one can describe dark elated adventure quite like Eggers. There are good writers who can capture the feeling of a time and place in aspic. But Eggers does it in technicolour 3D hypervirtual reality and then adds a weird, yet brilliantly accurate metaphor that, as when the optician finds the perfect lens, makes you see it all differently again. -
There's something a little frustrating about Dave Eggers. I genuinely think that he is a wonderful, gifted writer. He captures certain moments so completely and beautifully that I'm astounded past the point of envy. But he doesn't know when to quit. This is a fault I'm finding in a lot of contemporary writers like Michael Chabon and David Foster Wallace; as gifted as they are, they seem to lose their focus in the enjoyment of hearing/reading themselves. Wallace is particularly bad at this (I don't care how many people loved, luffed, lurved Infinite Jest, that book and all its gratuitous endnotes makes me want to dent my desk with my forehead). There were some genuinely lovely parts of this book that make we waffle over the star rating--I really wanted to like Velocity--but overall I'm left pretty ambivalent.
-
A strange one for me. I was bored, then intrigued, then bored again, then excited, then disappointed. I didn't like the the narrator or his sidekick who were 27 but came across like 12 year old boys. The Boo Hoo factor was pretty forced. But I loved a few sections. So there. I do like how the 3 Eggers books I've read as of this moment have had very distinct vibes. He's definitely someone I'll keep reading.
-
The thing I remember most strongly about this book is just toodling along, minding my own business, and then boom! pow! meta! mmmmmmmetametametameta! META!. Did Dave Eggers invent meta? For me, he invented meta. And no one, before or after or since or whenever, will come close to giving me that gasping shocked awe. Fuck off, haters; I love him so so so.
-
I’ve been reading You Shall Know Our Velocity (currently re-titled to Sacrament) for over a month. Usually, when school is out, and it is, I average about a week to a week and a half on any given book. I haven’t finished it and I must tell you, the problem isn’t me. For once.
I’m half-way through the book and thus far, aside from traveling to a few countries and trying to tape money on goats (I’m pretty sure it was goats), nothing has happened. I know that the main character’s face is severely messed up and bruised from some fight. His best friend is named Hand. And the main character doesn’t really like his mother or want a shit load of free money. Aside from this, I know nothing else.
Now, I have heard great things about Dave Eggers so it is truly tragic that the first time I give him a chance I am disappointed sorely by his book. (A friend who runs his own site told me to try Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius instead, but we shall see). You Shall Know Our Velocity is going nowhere as far as I can see and I’m having the hardest time talking myself into reading it.
In fact, I’ve started a different book in the meantime that is very engaging and brilliantly written (the review to that will come soon). The incentives to finish You Shall Know Our Velocity simply are not there.
I think I’m going to give up on it. -
DNF. I just do not like this author's writing, at all. It's very juvenile, lots of grammatical errors and just really uninteresting. blah. Not for me.
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I read the book, read the reviews, found out that I completely missed what I think was a major plot point. That couldn't be, because I read it from cover to cover and enjoyed it immensely. I then realized that the version of the book I read was later revised, with an additional segment, with the major plot point. Duh. Thanks Eggers, quirky author you. I'm all for gimmicks, but honestly.
I'm not sure I understood what Will and Hand stood for, since not much of their actions have a background, not much explanation, except for the one the major plot point overturns. They're both losers, they want to travel the world, but only have 7 days, and most days they're just waiting around for the connecting planes. They want to go to a number of places, go nowhere close; they want to give out money, but find it surprisingly difficult and in some cases enabling something they didn't want to. There's sex on offer in several places, they take none. None of it implied anything to me that I can explain. But I still loved the book, for some reason. It was refreshing and fun, even if loss featured in almost every page and every action. I also adored Will and Hand. Maybe I just like gimmicks. -
I'm a very patient person, and people say I have some sense of humor, so I've resisted more than sixty pages, before quiting a much overrated book. Nothing important(excepting planning a trip and going to Senegal) not to say memorable, happens, if there are any traces of humour I'm not able to detect it, so good bye and good riddance. One more author I shall gladly avoid...
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Though this book is compared to
On The Road, the similarities stop at both books being about travelling. While Kerouac describes, with compassion and care, his fellow human beings, Eggers draws broad sketches of the people he meets.
The main character, Will, doesn't change. The most worthwhile conversations he has are in his own mind, in which he makes up responses for the people he is talking to. This does absolutely nothing to further the plot.
There are some truly beautiful moments in the book, and if the reader has ever lost someone close to them suddenly, can certainly relate.
But (and this is my personal belief) when I read a book, when I have finished I ask myself the question "What was the point?" What was the point of the story, what point does the author want to make. And I am just not personally interested in books where the point made is "Life's a bitch and then you die," or when there is no point at all. Velocity seems to be a mixture of the two.
Though I think this is still an important book to read because I think Eggers really is documenting this generation, and the problem isn't in his writing, it's in society. -
The follow up to Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius falls short because it is much too dark, and the wit of random depressed thoughts by the main character do not feel genuine but contrived. The book talks about two friends who have inherited money and are determined to visit some of the world’s poorest countries like Senegal and Morocco to give it away in person. The reasoning for this trip which is blamed on a recent loss of a friend falls flat and seems too farfetched though the adventures are continually entertaining. The book takes the expected Egger twist in the end when the story's other character Hand steps in with a chapter about how Will basically made everything up including the friend that had died. The prolonged inners thoughts of Will are meant to explain his strange motivations, but leave the reader guessing what is really wrong with the guy. While the book is easy enough to get through it left me feeling like I hadn’t really gained anything from reading it.
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Me cae bien Dave Eggers. Diría que muy bien. Es de esos escritores que sabes que son una personalidad (a veces más conocidos por ser una personalidad más que por sus libros). La revista que fundó, McSweeney’s, goza de buena reputación editorial. Es un escritor que cuida mucho, mucho más de lo normal, el aspecto de sus ediciones. Tiene una vena muy lúdica del libro como objeto. Y además me gustó mucho El Círculo: una novela un tanto criticable con una adaptación increíblemente mediocre.
Pero su primera novela me trajo dando bandazos. En un sube y baja. Como en una montaña rusa. Llegando de forma extática a altas cumbres, y luego dándome un bajón por alguna decisión creativa o la ejecución de la trama.
De lo que no hay duda es de la maestría técnica de Eggers. La escritura experimental, los monólogos interiores, incluso el metatexto que aparece a veces. Todo tiene su razón de ser. El problema es que cuenta una historia que da bandazos con personajes que llegan a fastidiar.
Porque ésta es una novela típica de la generación X: narrando las vidas disociadas de gente que ha crecido sin mucho sentido. En su momento yo era un declarado fan de este tipo de novelas, pero eso fue antes de que mi propia generación madurara. Si bien el groupthink actual millenial descarga su ira contra los boomers, se olvida de sus hermanos y primos y tíos de la generación X. Y cuando uno regresa ya empapado (estando de acuerdo o no) de su propio clima cultural, siente que debe resoplar al ver las cosas que preocupaban a los X. NUESTROS PROBLEMAS SON MÁS ACUCIANTES!!! Parece ser el grito de guerra. En mi caso, temo que no voy a volver a ver igual una novela de éstas.
El protagonista, Will, sufre de un obvio caso de PTSD después de perder a uno de sus mejores amigos en un accidente. En esto recuerda a Holden Caulfield, pero en más fastidioso. Aquí cabe decir que Will y su amigo Hand actúan de una forma muy inmadura, que no se puede adscribir al estrés postraumático. Tienen 27 años!!!! Y se comportan como dudes de universidad muy bien intencionados, pero culturalmente insensibles, imprudentes y tontos.
En suma, en su debut Eggers escribió una novela briosa, arriesgada y taimada. Pero es tan irregular y los personajes tan fuera de lo normal que no le puedo dar más estrellas. -
Yazarla ilk tanışmam.. yer yer keyif aldığım yer yer sıkıldığım orta halli bir romandi. Yakın bir arkadaşlarını kaybetmiş iki arkadaş ellerine geçen parayı harcamak ve insanlarla paylaşmak için uçağa atlayip bir haftalık bir yolculuga çıkarlar ve olaylar gelişir :)
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I usually don’t blog books I don’t like, but You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers deserves special treatment because it proved such a disappointment. The opening sentence is one of the best I’ve ever seen (The caps are from the text itself.)
EVERYTHING WITHIN TAKES PLACE AFTER JACK DIED AND BEFORE MY MOM AND I DROWNED IN A BURNING FERRY IN THE COOL TANNIN-TINTED GUAVIARE RIVER, IN EAST-CENTRAL COLOMBIA, WITH FORTY-TWO LOCALS WE HADN'T YET MET. IT WAS A CLEAR AND EYEBLUE DAY, THAT DAY, AS WAS THE FIRST DAY OF THIS STORY, A FEW YEARS AGO IN JANUARY, ON CHICAGO'S NORTH SIDE, IN THE OPULENT SHADOW OF WRIGLEY AND WITH THE WIND COMING LOW AND SEARCHING OFF THE JAGGED HALF-FROZEN LAKE. I WAS INSIDE, VERY WARM, WALKING FROM DOOR TO DOOR.
Makes you want to get in there, right? And the first few pages carry the same momentum. Two twenty-something buddies are trying to arrange to fly around the world in a week and give away $32, 000 in the process. Never mind why. At this point, you’re too caught up in figuring out routes and time zones and datelines to care about anything but the rush of phone calls and other arrangements. Eggers provides hints of the why’s of course, vague foreshadowings, and this makes the urgency of the situation all the more compelling.
Once the journey begins, however, the book degenerates into a mishmash of psuedointellectual psuedophilosophy and painfully lame attempts at humor. Many of the pair’s adventures seem like outtakes from a Dumb and Dumber movie (We’re now driving with our tongues. What a gas!!!) and the TV series Jackass (jumping from a moving car onto a moving donkey cart).
The protagonist is in a lot of physical and emotional pain and had my sympathy, though it seemed it was about time the got over it, until the interpolation of a commentary about halfway through the book from his partner, who said that the beating he said he received never happened and that his tragically dead friend never existed. I guess the friend was supposed to represent some good and innocent part of himself over which he would grieve endlessly, but I lost the little interest I had left in his plight right then. The rest of the book was a combination of skim and a trudge for me.
Eggers has made significant contributions to the American literary scene as the founder of McSweeney’s, and his first published work, a memoir entitled A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius was a finalist for a non-fiction Pulitzer, so he’s no slouch as an editor and a literary force. I hate to dis someone of his caliber, but YSKOV just did not find the right audience when it fell into my hands. -
Fairly early in this novel, I encountered a line that started me laughing for ten minutes (much to the irritation of the rest of the family). That raised expectations that it was going to be more enjoyable than it subsequently turned out to be. The going later became so tedious, in fact, that I considered not finishing.
The first problem was that the two main characters continually behave in a way that defies common sense so drastically that I felt physically uncomfortable. For example, having taken a plane to a random destination (Senegal, as it happens) with no purpose other than to touch down briefly, hand out money to random strangers, and then move on, they find themselves doing stuff like sneaking into a stranger's house to leave flowers (and hopefully not be shot in the process) and trying to tape an envelope full of money to a belligerent goat in the middle of the night.
It may be that I place too much value on money, and rational behavior, so that what they do violates my core principles. But whatever the reason, I want to identify with characters more closely than I could this case.
Extrapolating from what the principal narrator tells us, their undertaking may have been motivated in part by the double trauma of recently losing their mutual best friend in a gruesome highway accident and then being brutally attacked by strangers while clearing out the friend's storage locker. Throughout the narrative he describes the shocked reactions of people when they see his still-battered face, and quite clearly the lingering emotional pain is worse yet.
But when the other main character later steps in to add his perspective, he tells us there WAS no third friend, and no beating. He suggests these elements could simply be efforts "to thicken the plot a bit, to give it some kind of pseudo-emotional gravitas." He complains about the addition of these fictions and the omission of important things that did occur. The effect of this news on me was similar to that of
The Life of Pi: namely, confusion, a vague sense of betrayal, and a what-the-hell attitude driven by a feeling that the author has cut me loose to believe or not as I see fit.
Because of its experimental nature, I'd put this book on the same shelf with
The Raw Shark Texts. But my sense is that it's by and for a generation other than mine, and so three stars for it is a stretch. -
To start off with, this is one of my favourite book titles in recent memory. It's commanding without being threatening and I find its implications very poetic. Sadly, but also luckily, I suspect there will be few, if any, times in my life where it is appropriate to announce "You shall know our velocity."
But onto the book. Given the inevitability of this review going viral, I'll insert my **Spoiler Alert!** here.
I didn't start out loving this book, for a few reasons. Firstly the premise (two young guys flying around the world and arbitrarily giving out money they arbitrarily acquired) irritated me. I know it was supposed to. I know the author wasn't trying to advocate for misguided and self-serving efforts at poverty alleviation, but I found that my disinterested dismissal of their plan affected my ability to get into the narrative. Secondly, I did not relate well to the two main characters (though there is only really one main character). This isn't to say that they weren't relatable, just that they represented a demographic (young, aggressive, rage-fueled, distraught, grieving young men) that is pretty detached from my experience. For me, it was their anger that distanced me.
However, maybe this was all part of the plan. I kept on reading, regardless of a clear connection with the story, and all of a sudden I found myself in the head of someone who was going through tragic, confusing, genuine, multi-faceted emotions. And all of a sudden, I was on the same page as him and the fact that it surprised me made it all the more profound.
I think I am going to end this here. And I suppose that means my spoiler alert was all for naught. Michelle Reviews Books 2.0 coming soon with an upgrade in accuracy and insight (hopefully). -
Dave Eggers writes beautifully, yet his novel never seems to inspire any connection between the reader and the characters. The plot line seemed familiar, two young men, without plans traveling the world. The impetus for the trip seems to be the death of a childhood friend. The two remaining friends, the main Character who hasn't done much with his life and Hand, a good looking, risk taking, non motivated individual decide to give away a large sum of cash that the main character has acquired. They choose to do this overseas without any set goal or plans. Of course, interesting situations arise and the book keeps the reader entertained. However, through out the book, one wonders, what is the point? Why should I care? Neither of the places visited or the people met or the characters makes the reader care too much about any of it. It isn't a horrible book, it is readable, but does not leave one feeling as if they have learned anything worth while.
