Soooo…. Nicholson Baker. A national treasure? Maybe not. A really, REALLY solid contemporary author...absolutely. This guys body of work is as good as it gets for a guy still kicking around. “Vox” and “The Fermatta” knocked me out 20 years ago and he has published good work since those. He is a maturing guy who after those books had the elbow room to write what he wants. The books range from Presidential assassination fantasies to diatribes questioning the politically correct narratives of World War II. All of it cogently written in a particular voice. That voice also lent itself to storytelling in “The Everlasting Story of Nori”. If you want an overview of a diverse writers life, check his Wiki page:
“The Traveling Sprinker” brings us back poet/anthologist Paul Chowder (from his prior book “The Anthologist” who is struggling to write poems but instead forays into popular songwriting, dance music, electronica and beats. It is a classic middle aged man’s take on his own mid-life crisis as he deals with:
Not knowing what to do with his life
Failed relationships that are not quite dead yet
Health issues
Cigars
Drinking
Childlessness…
and the like. He uses the title subject as a nice metaphor for...everything. It is one of those things I refer to as a "tractor" sprinkler but it follows the course of the hose that feeds it as it goes on whatever path is set for it and waters and... lets just say there are a lot of metaphorical opportunities there.
But it is an endearing book and an easy read as he learns about modern music and listens to it and creates his own amidst what appears to be the abundant debris of his life.
He cannot keep his liberal politics out of it but throws off shattering statistics regarding deaths related to drone warfare while remembering his passion for the bassoon as he smokes cigars and tries to write, primarily in his car. The portrait is one of a talented guy who is occasionally brilliant as he wanders, literally through his life and… other than the brilliant part, I could certainly relate.
The lead character is also a Quaker and I know nothing about Quakers so found that interesting. The idea of going to a “meeting” and sitting in silence and contemplation for an hour or so seems… very healthy. I tend to only go to “meetings” where people are fighting about money or opening by saying, “Hi, my name is Mike and I am an…”. I guess this is what I like about Baker as an author. He takes me outside my realm of experience and really outside my normal way of thinking about things and there is something liberating about that in a book, but here is a comfortableness and reality to his characters that ring true.
Wives should read this to have a better handle on what a mess their husbands are. Younger men should read it so they can see what they will become (and that is assuming everything works out) and middle aged men should read it so you can go, “that seems about right”.
It is a nice read from a nice author.
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