387 pages
English language
Published Oct. 30, 2013 by Scribner.
The year is 1975 and Reno--so-called because of the place of her birth--has come to New York intent on turning her fascination with motorcycles and speed into art. Her arrival coincides with an explosion of activity in the art world--artists have colonized a deserted and industrial SoHo, are staging actions in the East Village, and are blurring the line between life and art. Reno meets a group of dreamers and raconteurs who submit her to a sentimental education of sorts. Ardent, vulnerable, and bold, she begins an affair with an artist named Sandro Valera, the semi-estranged scion of an Italian tire and motorcycle empire. When they visit Sandro's family home in Italy, Reno falls in with members of the radical movement that overtook Italy in the seventies. Betrayal sends her reeling into a clandestine undertow. - from cover p. [2]
Loved this book. Great writing, set in a gritty New York City amongst artists and activists. One of the best novels I've read in a long time.
Rachel Kushner 's writing is awesome. This is a long novel, and even if I didn't always know where it was going, it held my attention. The characters and situations are intriguing in this memorable novel about a young woman coming into her own during an interesting time.
First off, as a whippet owner, I have to make clear there's no such thing as a "miniature whippet." The author means an Italian Greyhound. Anyway, I'd give this novel 3.5 stars if I could -- the first 3/4 is a bit of a slog, but it's worth it for the remaining 1/4. The character development of what's initially an irritatingly young and naive ingenue is well-written and believable, and it presents interesting questions about what constitutes art and/or a meaningful life. The secondary characters are colorful and carefully drawn. The story, although slow to develop, ultimately ties all its threads together in an interesting way, and I found the ending very satisfying.
Beautifully written; dull characters; not enough plot. Wanted to like it but did not.
