Matthew Salesses

I've come across dozens of novels about young American men floundering for identity in Prague, and when I read them it's with deep reservations. These are the very people I avoided at all cost in their bookstore and bagel shop, with their trust funds and Lit degrees, treating a whole nation like the backdrop for their personal success story. Of course there's the draw, the backstory of someone I gave directions to, bought a book from, carefully shepherded out of a bar they were too drunk to show more realize they weren't welcome in.

This particular book is so amazingly typical with every trope of this specific genre, but it's also something else. The story is centered in Tee's inner life, and could really take place anywhere. That aspect is interesting, sometimes well-written, and kept me reading. The story of Prague feels like an overlay of every expat, and frankly I'd rather hear stories from the very real people of Karlín who lost so much, or the people who suffered in the floods of '97 and '99, or the astounding tale of the evacuated zoo, or the scientists and activists working to revitalize the Vltava and restore the floodplain to stop these ever-increasing "100-year floods."

Where does that leave me? I know, there's no zealot like a convert, but I still feel protective of Czechs' opportunities to tell their own stories. So as a 20-something American man's coming of age, this is quite good; as a book of Prague, it's depressingly familiar. show less

I had high hopes for this book because it was blurbed by Roxane Gay, and indeed, it's written beautifully. Salesses knows his way around a sentence. Unfortunately, this book is all MFA workshop and no substance. Salesses knows how to say things but has nothing to say, placing this book squarely in the category of entitled male MFA mostly-autobiographical literary fiction (see for instance Eric Fassnacht, the 2015 incarnation of 2016 Salesses). I'd read more from this author if he had show more something new to say. show less

Wow.

This book is eye-opening. I run a writer's group that until now I did not even realize, is loosely based on the Iowa Writer's Workshop model. I have run or been a part of the leadership for several writer's groups over the last 15 years. I am also a cis, straight, white male who comes to pursuing writing a little late in life. I am saying that I come to the avocation with a certain point of view on craft. I like to believe I am open-minded and believe in social justice for everyone. show more This book opened my eyes to assumptions built into the writing (and learning to write) process that I have never considered. That probably seems obvious to some of the people who read this, but not all.

I have given this book a thorough read through. However, this book is going to be a touchstone and a reference for a long time. I am keeping it close and I am already looking at ways to incorporate the syllabus and exercises into our group's process.

The only other thing to add here is a hearty thank you to Mathew Salesses for writing this book. show less

I teetered between three and four stars on this one. I had a few issues with it, but upon some reflection and good-faith granting, I think most of those issues are more mine and that I'm not really the intended reader Salesses had in mind. For a book that doesn't pull its punches in the condemnation of racism (not surprising if you're familiar with Salesses), it's easy and enjoyable to read. The narrative is interesting with some characters that are insightful and forthcoming with their show more thoughts and emotions and others that are more mysterious and closed off to you. I really wish Salesses had cut the final couple of lines, but if I'm being fair, that might be my only criticism of it that I'd go to bat for. I can't really fault a novel for stumbling at the end after doing a lot of other interesting stuff. It's a solid book that investigates an aspect of race in America we don't talk enough about, and it doesn't neglect to tell a good story. show less