Downtown Owl
By A.H. Goldstein, Special to the Rocky
Published October 2, 2008 at 7 p.m.
* Fiction. By Chuck Klosterman. Scribner, $24. Grade: B
Plot in a nutshell: In Klosterman's first foray into fiction, the author of sardonic, jaded explorations of heavy metal music and pop culture turns his biting wit on a more rural target.
In Downtown Owl, the setting is an insular North Dakota outpost where everyone knows everyone else's secrets and any departure from a narrow definition of "normal" is grounds for suspicion and scorn. It's an ambience straight out of Orwell, a dystopia that draws on more modern cues and motifs.
The novel is set across the waning months of 1983 and the beginning of 1984, but Klosterman does not describe a futuristic society in which the thought police run rampant. Instead, his main characters operate in a setting where there is little deviation from a rigid and unchanging way of life.
Against this backdrop, Klosterman follows the inner struggles and everyday conflicts of three main characters - a lifelong Owl resident in his 70s, a native high schooler trying to prove his grit, and a recent transplant from a bigger city. With well- honed, deadpan humor and microscopic attention to character development, the author explores the debilitating effects of a sheltered existence.
Sample of prose: Klosterman uses a high school student's reading of George Orwell's seminal text as a springboard for comparison to the effects of living in Owl. "More than anything else, the point that 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' kept ramming home was that Big Brother knew everything about everyone, and everyone just accepted this as part of being alive. . . . How was this remotely different from reality?. . . Very often, he knew the stories without having ever met the people they were about."
Pros: Klosterman has a skill for characterization and bringing his humor to bear on his narration.
Cons: The novel's structure, which bounces between different Owl residents' perspectives, sometimes becomes tangled and confused.
Final word: A dyspeptic and derisive character study set on a stage of small-town Americana.
Featured
-
Boulder Wildfire
See photos from the Boulder County fire.
-
Legislature Blog
The Rocky's Lynn Bartels and Ed Sealover provide live updates from the Capitol.
-
Rocky multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Who's next?
Complete coverage of the Broncos' search for a new coach.
-
Weekend plans?
Figure out things to do this weekend with the help of our entertainment calendar.
-
Winter Escapes
Your insider’s guide to the copious joys of the coolest season.
-
Sam Adams' Open Mic
Open Mic: Two-man advantage with Avs
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's rant on what's next for the Broncos.
-
Live updates
Sign up for mobile alerts and breaking news e-mails to keep up with the latest news.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.