A Visit from the Goon Squad Discussion #5

One part of the definition of "goon" is:

A bully or thug, esp. one hired to terrorize or do away with opposition.  How does that fit with this book?  How successful was Egan in expressing this concept?

In "A to B", Bosco says, "You don't look good anymore twenty years later, especially when you've had half your guts removed. Time's a goon, right?  Isn't that the expression?"

In "Pure Language", Bennie and Scotty are talking about what has happened to their lives.  " 'Time's a goon, right? You gonna let that goon push you around?' "  Scotty shook his head. " 'The goon won.' "


What are your thoughts about the passage of time?  What is your life story?  Is time a goon?

On November 1, we will begin discussing Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close.

Discussion #3: Lou

Lou is in three consecutive stories:  "Ask me if I care", "Safari", and "You (Plural)". 

"Ask me if I care" is about Bennie and Scotty, Jocelyn and Rhea and Alice who are in high school in 1979.  Jocelyn has met Lou, a record producer from LA, who picked Jocelyn up hitchiking.    "... I'm waiting for Bennie. But Bennie is waiting for Alice, who's waiting for Scotty, who's waiting for Jocelyn . . . Jocelyn loves Scotty back, but she isn't in love with him. Jocelyn is waiting for Lou ...." (p.39 in my edition) Does this scenario seem familiar?  Do you think Jocelyn could run away to Lou's house in LA today without the police being called?  What kind of man is Lou?

In "Safari", Rolph and Charlie, Lou's oldest children, are on safari with Lou, his current girlfriend Mindy, and various hangers-on.  These events take place before the events in "Ask me if I care".  Why do you think the author has arranged her chapters in this order?  Does it add anything to the impact of the narrative?

In several stories, the narrator steps back and gives a quick summary of the rest of a character's life.  In "Safari", it is the 19-yr-old Samburu warrior who is part of the entertainment one night.  "The warrior smiles at Charlie.  ... Thirty-five years from now, in 2008, this warrior will be caught in the tribal violence between the Kikuyu and the Luo and will die in a fire. ..."  What does this information add to the narrative?  Did you find it disruptive or interesting?

Discussion #2: Bennie Salazar

Bennie Salazar is introduced at the beginning of "The Gold Cure" as being awash in "shame memories".  As the day goes on, he begins a list of these memories as a way of eradicating them.  Do you think this is a positive way to deal with the memories?  What does Bennie think the gold will do for him? 

On another note, do you agree with Bennie's opinion that digitization has ruined music?

 Bennie feels that music is "Too clear, too clean.  The problem was precision, perfection; the problem was digitization, which sucked the life out of everything that got smeared through its microscopic mest." (p. 24 in my version)