Then I realized that this isn't that kind of book. I'm drawn to books that I can sink into, whose world I can live in while I'm reading them. I liked it, it was good, but it just felt somewhat. This is definitely the kind of novel you can chew on for a good long time and yet another testament to Whitehead's literary talent, although it's not as easily digestable as his more recent novels.moreĪt first, I couldn't decide whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. I also found it interesting that in this town there doesn't seem to be much in the way of racial tension, but race still plays a large roll in the history and naming. Most specifically, the theme of the importance of a name, how what we call ourselves says about us (or our product) to the wider world. This novel is pretty short on plot, but long on character and theme. In Apex, a small midwestern town hires a naming consultant to decide among three new names - a decision that has divided the town between the original Black settlers, the old white barbed wire manufacturing company, and the glossy new software development firm that has recently taken up residence there. I don't think I would have appreciated the subtle humor in this one if I hadn't read some of his other work or seen interviews with the author. In Apex, a small midwestern town hires a naming consultant to decide among three new names - a decision that has divided the town between the original Black settlers, the old white barbed wire manufacturing company, and the glossy new software development firm that has Apex Hides the Hurt is my fourth novel by the author and I am glad it wasn't my first. Which name will he choose? Or perhaps he will devise his own? And what’s with his limp, anyway?Īpex Hides the Hurt brilliantly and wryly satirizes our contemporary culture, where memory and history are subsumed by the tides of marketing.moreĪpex Hides the Hurt is my fourth novel by the author and I am glad it wasn't my first. Our expert must decide the outcome, with all its implications for the town’s future. Regina Goode, the mayor, is a descendent of the black settlers who founded the town, and has her own secret agenda for what the name should be. Who could argue with that? Albie Winthrop, beloved son of the town’s aristocracy, thinks Winthrop is a perfectly good name, and can’t imagine what the fuss is about. Lucky Aberdeen, the millionaire software pioneer and hometown-boy-made-good, wants the name changed to something that will reflect the town’s capitalist aspirations, attracting new businesses and revitalizing the community. Once there, he meets the town council, who will try to sway his opinion over the coming days. “Flesh-colored” be damned-no matter what your skin tone is-Apex will match it, or your money back.Īfter leaving his job (following a mysterious misfortune), his expertise is called upon by the town of Winthrop. Apex is his crowning achievement, the multicultural bandage that has revolutionized the adhesive bandage industry. And of course, whenever you take a fall, reach for Apex, because Apex Hides the Hurt. Always the wallflower at social gatherings? Try Loquacia. Wardrobe lack pizzazz? Come to the Outfit Outlet. If you want just the right name for your new product, whether it be automobile or antidepressant, sneaker or spoon, he’s the man to get the job done. The protagonist of Apex Hides the Hurt is a nomenclature consultant. When the citizens of Winthrop needed a new name for their town, they did what anyone would do-they hired a consultant. The protagonist of Apex Hides the Hurt is a nomenclature consultant From the MacArthur and Whiting Award–winning author of John Henry Days and The Intuitionist comes a new, brisk, comic tour de force about identity,history, and the adhesive bandage industry From the MacArthur and Whiting Award–winning author of John Henry Days and The Intuitionist comes a new, brisk, comic tour de force about identity,history, and the adhesive bandage industry When the citizens of Winthrop needed a new name for their town, they did what anyone would do-they hired a consultant.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |