tom leclair has a mixed review of THE EASY CHAIN in the newest BOOKFORUM. revealing also that aurora is indeed dara and partners (as well as the fact that dara’s had publishing troubles–which, go figure, but still)… i’m halfway through the novel and also feel a little mixed about this definitely political (like gaddis is political) work. a novel of ideas not exactly as consistently executed as THE LOST SCRAPBOOK, THE EASY CHAIN better covers some of the same ground as victor pelevin’s HOMO ZAPIENS trippy take on our age of consumption and advertising. still, a ferocious accomplishment. the bigger-than-the-sum-of-its-parts aggregating wallop that, for instance, WAKING LIFE, achieves with its serial undergraduate philosophizing–THE EASY CHAIN also manages. a thought experiment perpetual motion machine… maybe i’ll try to say that better when i finish… much admired in the meantime is the “self assertion” of Dara to do it his/her own way.
