Has anyone read Josh Ritter's novel?

[ForeverAutumn]

Did anyone even know he wrote a novel?

I came across this in the bookstore a few weeks ago but didn't buy it because it's way cheaper to order it on-line. I'll probably place an order from Amazon next week. Just wondering if anyone else has come across this and, possibly, read it.

[Stone]

No, nor have I read Joe Pernice's novel, but I did purchase a copy on the cheap recently.

[nobody]

No, but I read a horror novel written by Greg Kihn once.

[Swish]

No, but I read a horror novel written by Greg Kihn once.

killing his next of kihn?

[ForeverAutumn]

killing his next of kihn?

That was actually very funny! You made me laugh.

[Swish]

That was actually very funny! You made me laugh.

Well, perhaps more clever than you think. Greg Kihn named one of his records 'Next of Kihn'. See how I did that?

[ForeverAutumn]

Oh. And here I was thinking that you came up with that all by yourself.

I should have known better.

[Davey]

Haven't read the book but I did read Stephen King's review of it in the NY Times. Sounds fun, but he makes it sound like Josh should probably keep the main gig (for now) ...

These and frequent lapses into unbelievability (Henry’s mother attempting to bury her sister in frozen ground while her young son holds a rifle on the evil Colonel; hotel porters continuing to ticket luggage as a raging wildfire bears down on the hotel where fleeing refugees have taken shelter) mar what might have been, in more experienced hands, a little sweetheart of a book. I’ve asked myself several times if I would have recommended publishing “Bright’s Passage” were I the editor on whose desk it landed and were its author not known, and beloved, in a sister field of the arts. It’s a question I’m glad I never had to answer. Certainly the decision to publish was made easier by Ritter’s proven track record as a songwriter.

Whichever way I decided, I would have advised Ritter to start work on another book immediately, building on what he learned in the writing of “Bright’s Passage.” This is the work of a gifted novelist, but the size of that gift has yet to be determined. One thing that is sure: Ritter has not, as yet, fully unwrapped it.


On another Josh Ritter note, was just listening to the early version of Monster Ballads which was released on ther Girl in the War EP, and also on the more recent Animal Years Deluxe, and it's a very cool take on a JR favorite ... http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22278349/Jos...y Version).mp3 ... right click->save link as ...

Did anyone else see clips with the Boston Pops when he played some of these songs a couple years ago? Wish there was some high res available from that show. Pretty cool stuff

[Rae]

I haven't read it either but I read Willy Vlautin (of Richmond Fontaine)'s book The Motel Life, probably after someone mentioned it here. It was okay. At first I thought it was kind of a derivative story about a couple of doomed beautiful losers but it won me over a little by the end with its structure, which is almost perversely episodic-- a trait which seemed frustrating at the outset but sort of served to create the effect of an oscillating light as the book went on, only occasionally illuminating a pattern of bad luck and worse decisions.

Steve Earle also has some decent stuff out, thematically similar but maybe a little deeper and more mature. Doghouse Roses is worth a read.

I guess that's the extent of my experience with the writing of Americana singer-songwriters, unless Italo Calvino put out an alt-country album that I don't know about.

~Rae

[Stone]

Noisetrade has a Josh Ritter sampler for free download.