S.F.W. by Andrew Wellman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book came highly recommended by my buddy, David Atkinson. It definitely didn’t disappoint. What I perhaps liked most about this (unfinished) novel [longish novella?] was Wellman’s excellent use of vernacular; the voice truly pops! The pace is fast and keeps the reader engaged, not to mention that the narrator, Cliff Spab, is witty as hell!
Despite being written in 1990, the book doesn’t feel dated at all. Once I finished the book, I sat back and thought to myself how I couldn’t believe that it was written by a 22-year-old. Wellman’s absurdist social commentary is fantastic and feels like that of a writer twice his age. SFW reminds me a lot of a brighter Bret Easton Ellis novel, not quite as bleak and gritty, but with all of the hip energy and power of voice.
Interesting comparisson, Joe. It seems like in this book that Wellmann is somehow hopeful despite having nothing to be hopeful about.