So let's just say

So let's just say that there is no such thing as paradise on earth. And let's just say that the best we can hope for is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. And let's just say that it's an ongoing project, and although we're not perfect, at least we're moving in the right direction, and our task is to keep moving in that direction. And let's just say that the goal isn't to become super rich or super smart or super famous or super powerful or super influential or super holy but to create a society in which the most defenseless, most vulnerable, most disadvantaged among us have the opportunity to live dignified, meaningful and productive lives. And let's just say that evil is taking advantage, harming and exploiting the most vulnerable and defenseless, and not caring.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

There is no doubt that Jennifer Egan is a talented writer with a gift for observation and a clever turn of phrase. Which makes it all the more regrettable that she decided it was necessary to experiment with structure in this novel qua short fiction collection that doesn't quite know what it wants to be and forfeits the power of storytelling in the process. Each chapter is told by a different character and time periods shoot back and forth which disrupts flow and makes it difficult to care for any particular character. The result is less than the sum of its parts and forgettable. Warning: If you're reading on an ereader the Powerpoint section is difficult to read, it was unscalable on my Kobo.


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