Gates of Eden

Damn was this book a lot better when I figured out that it wasn't a novel! That's what I get for not paying close enough attention, although it was an interesting trick to play on my brain. Ethan Coen has that remarkable ability to write in other people's voices in a place and time so specific to them, combining historocity and dramatic character interplay that is so Coen. Some of the stories are semi-autobiographical while others are pure fantasy, but the characters he creates have a tendency toward interesting and ironic. The highlight was a detective story written like an old-time radio drama script, feeling like 1940s New York (door creaks, foot steps). I read some of it alound just for fun, and the script was so genuine that it was show more easy to find those old movie voices coming through. Extremely enjoyable. show less

With this book, Ethan Coen proved himself a true wordsmith. His prose is witty, starkly realistic, and often beautiful. His plots, on the other hand, are quite lacking. This is more a matter of personal taste, but I prefer stories in which something actually happens. Too many of the stories merely stopped after assorted description, rather than providing an actual ending or at least a feeling of purpose to the story (often I was left thinking, "So why did he think that story was worth retelling?" or "Where was he going with that?"). I also got tired of feeling like I was hearing everything secondhand. Even the stories that were not in first person left me feeling like somebody was telling me the story, rather than truly experiencing the show more events or connecting at all with the characters. I'm glad I read this, but I think I'll stick to Coen films from now on. show less

Damn. This was just all kinds of fun.

I can't see how the hard copy could compare to Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, John Turturro, Liev Shrieber, Ben Stiller and a few others reading these. These guys totally owned each story.

Damn. All kinds of fun.

The most interesting of these short pieces read like ideas for rejected Coen Brothers' screenplays in miniature. The least interesting tend towards trying too hard (the one with the British secret agents) or not trying hard enough. Some of them (Hector Berlioz, Private Investigator -- where the most original and interesting premise is the title) somehow manage to be both at once.

Overall, stick with Ethan Coen's screen-works and avoid this unless you absolutely need to read everything he's written.

I doubt very much this would have got published if Ethan Coen wasn't who he is.