#pulitizer

For some reason I can't very well explain, I was  skeptical of this book. It's probably because I have often been disappointed by Pulitzer winners. Although "The Known World" and "Gilead," for example, were great books.  So maybe it's just a couple recent ones that have burned me (they shall remain anonymous). I was also perhaps somewhat taken aback when Goon Squad defeated Freedom in the Morning News' Tournament of Books. I doubted the worn/tired interconnected stories could be that good. After reading it, it just might be* better than Freedom: Good Squad exceeded my expectations. The stories are more connected than most of these types of short-story/novel hybrids: they pick up minor characters, fill in backstories, see old characters from new POVs, etc. etc., and what we're left with is a surprisingly complete, overarching plot, told in a much more compelling way than a traditional novel would have done (with this story, that is). Some sections work better than others, but Egan's writing, while not particularly beautiful/poetic/different, certainly never falters (there's nothing quotable about her voice/style, but it manages to convey strong pathos + seamless storytelling; I'd call it "serviceable," but that's not quite right -- it's a step above). Particularly good stories are the search, in Naples, for a lost teenager; the tragic second-person tale of a homosexual youth; and, my personal favorite, "Safari," which is exactly as it sounds, and is filled with flash-forwards. There's surprisingly very little detail about the music business, which supposedly connects all of these stories (besides the relationships of the characters connecting the stories), so I will say the book's only real fault is I never really felt like I was "immersed" in the business, or that the stage was really set and/or detailed adequately.  The music aspect of this, in other words, felt like a contrivance. I have to add, though, before I finish, about the much-commented PowerPoint chapter.  This didn't work as well as I wished it did. The story itself was great, and was heartbreaking, but it failed by its own rules (it didn't feel like an actual Powerpoint, and nor did it feel like a girl assembling it; much of the slides were just text repositioned, with no semblance of a reason why it was on a slide).  Quibbles aside, though, this book probably deserved all the prizes it won.