A Final Thought 2

Rather than repeat everything Frank said, I will simply concur.

I do have a couple of thoughts on the book before we begin the new month, though...

First, the title of the book- "Fortress of Solitude". I actually hadn't realized what that was until a friend of mine saw the book on my coffee table. "You're reading a book about Superman?" he asked. I had only purchased the book recently and wasn't more than a couple of pages in. Interestingly enough, the ONLY part of the book that even mentions Superman's "Fortress of Solitude" is on pg.65. Lethem is describing the devotion toward comic books held by Dylan and Mingus....

"Spiderman's girlfriend, Gwen, had been killed by the Goblin, it wasn't funny in the least. That's why Spider-Man was so depressed all the time...DC Comics, Marvel Comics' antithesis, presented a laughable, flattened reality--Superman and Batman were jokes, ruined by television. In truth, Superman in his Fortress of Solitude reminded you all too much of Abraham in his high studio, brooding over nothing."

...This comparison between Abraham and Superman is interesting, but the point I want to make has to do with the statement "...brooding over nothing." Dylan eventually assumes the role of a Superman--flying powers, fighting the crime of Brooklyn, constantly refusing to accept life, always "brooding" over something. And in the end, it was all for nothing. The "crime" he was fighting were kids Mingus knew, the depressing songs he connected with and wrote about were just that--depressing songs. Dylan was constantly trying to fix what wasn't broken. Real life was right in front of him--true friendship, a father who loved him, a girlfriend who loved him. It's a lesson we can all use. Don't neglect the small moments that are happening all the time! They are the things that will truly define us as human, they are what make our lives matter.

Second, I think the flying and invisibility was entirely contrived. A projection of Dylan's depression and attitude toward life. In the end, the ring may have actually had SOME power--in Dylan's mind it was the destruction of Robert Woodfolk. But I don't think any of the special powers ACTUALLY happened.

Last of all, I have a lot of ideas about Dylan's mom and the role she plays. Lethem inserts classic Oedipus complex ideas throughout the story. She also is interesting if viewed as a comic book character--at first the hero who beats up the bad guy, but the powers of evil overcome her, and she is unable to deal with the pressures of being a hero. She runs away.

Well, I know this post is entirely too long, but hopefully some of it makes sense. The book was great. I think I will pick up a few more Lethem titles in the future. If you enjoyed this, I would again strongly recommend "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", by Michael Chabon.

-Nick