“Caveworld” (2013) by Adam Gnade

BOOK: “Caveworld” (2013) by Adam Gnade

Having seen Adam Gnade perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in late 2013, Hamish was intrigued.  Adam Gnade had a band, possibly the Hot Earth All Stars themselves, who made a delightful racket while Adam sat on the floor reading from loose pages of lyrics/stories that he discarded over his shoulder one by one.  

Adam struck a compelling and intense figure and one that I thought HBG should investigate.  His concept of mixing novels and music also seemed to fit perfectly with our own cultural group’s wider interests.  He hasn’t made a film yet, but it can only be a matter of time.  And the crowdfunding element intrigued too. 

So with that in mind Hamish nominated “Caveworld” (2013) by Adam Gnade for our latest foray into the world of culture.

A “dark fucker” is how Adam described his book to Hamish, and he certainly covers some ground - alcohol, drugs, kids, Vietnam, marriage, work, God, America.  Its all there. 

Gnade’s eye for detail is intense.  The descriptions of views out of car windows towards desert, outlet malls and a cluster of gas stations were as evocative as the state of the post party sofas littered with cans and bottle tops. Adam is both precise and concise and Hamish really enjoyed his use of language and the perfect way he captures the essence of ordinary things.

The way in which major events (Merc and Channy's deaths) are frequently treated in the same low key way as a minor conversation on the beach was great.

Particular highlights for Hamish..

• Drunken visit to Tijuana ending with near arrest by Mexican cops
• Tom Boone (what a character! ) and his party generating antics, including the fantastic topless assault on the off licence. (I promise a similar drunken nudity story when we next meet)
• The simple and enjoyable pleasures of farm life for Merc and Channy

At times the book slowed a bit, sometime just after halfway the rounds of drunkeness seemed in need of editing. But the pace and intensity picked up again in the final section and overall Hamish really enjoyed it.

Perhaps a la "Midnight's Children", it is a book Hamish would have appreciated a little more time for - the Book Group deadline hangs heavy sometimes. But an honest, wide ranging, brutal and revealing portrait of modern America's flawed beauty nonetheless. Good work Mr Gnade.  8/10

Hamish receives an impressive package

Keith explained how he started to compose a written review and then flung down the pen as he realised it was pointless.  Gnade's patchwork was just all too similar and having read around 20% of the book Keith realised his heart was not in it and he finished the remaining 80% with a heavy heart and a simmering sense resentment.  3/10

Robin stated that if he had read it then he would have been irritated.  Fortunately he barely scratched the surface thereby avoiding any unwelcome irritation.  

Tristan quite enjoyed the sex, drugs and southern California although he felt the two tales did not interlock quite as well as he would have liked.  The various descriptions of the USA were ravishing  6.5/10

Nick thought there was a good book trying to get out and wondered if the crowd sourcing meant there was no editor to help Adam Gnade.  Would a 200 page version of this book have been better?  "Yes" we chorused as one.  Adam Gnade can write though however "Vernon God Little" and "Less Than Zero" pull of a similar trick better.  Just. Didn't. Go. Anywhere. 5/10

Nigel described it as a sprawling tale which interchanges between two separate storylines, one set in the late 1970s/early 1980s and the other in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Pondering the extent to which they might connect was intriguing.

The writing is great - echoes of Brett Easton Ellis and Doug Coupland (both big plusses for Nigel) - with convincingly flawed, interesting and memorable characters. Occasional moments of high drama intersperse with day-to-day ephemera, and the inner lives of some of the key characters are skilfully explored through a varied range of techniques. 

That said, Nigel's overriding emotion on finishing the book was relief. By the halfway point it was starting to outstay its welcome and become quite repetitive. One of the two storylines has seemingly endless, and rather wearing, descriptions of excess drinking and drugging, many during regular trips to Tijuana. Reining in some of these scenes, and the associated brooding over relationships, life's meaning etc., would have made for a better book.  6/10

"Caveworld" stimulated a great discussion.  Thanks Hamish - and thanks Adam Gnade.

MUSIC: “The Americans” (2013) by Adam Gnade & The Hot Earth All-Stars

Hamish chose some Adam Gnade music to accompany our book.  The tracks on this album are:

1) Hello America
2) The Whole Lonesome Thing
3) The Ballad of Tom Bluefeather
4) You Got Mean
5) Supper's Waiting on the Table
6) This is the End of Something (But It's Not the End of You)

This mix of storytelling and music went down very well for Hamish. Adam's voice on this is superb and matches the honesty and conviction of his novel writing. I thought the music added to the words and I look forward to hearing more.

"And what do you do when none of them speak for you?"

“Tom Bluefeather drops his gun”  Perfect ending to sum up fatherly love and the humanity, flawed as it is, in all Mr Gnade’s work. 

A very fine piece of music.  8/10

Nick said "Yes" to tracks 1 and 4.  5/10

It was not Tristan's thing. 4/10

Nigel enjoyed his five listens however never focussed sufficiently on the lyrics to tease out the linkages with the book 6/10

FILM:  Nick Cave’s "20,000 Days on Earth" (2014) - dir Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard

In the absence of cinematic choice from Hamish we decided to watch "20,000 days on Earth".  And why not?  

And, according to Hamish, a stylish and delightfully Brighton focussed piece it is too.  Beautifully shot and an exceptional concept.  Throw in some footage of the Bad Seeds recording (and demonstrating how tedious a lot of recording sessions must be!).  Its got to be great surely.  And indeed it is.  A wonderful, wonderful film.  Just not one that says very much at all about Nick Cave. Or at least not the interesting bits.

20,000 Days on Earth

Nick Cave strikes Hamish as a man who loves being famous, but also expects his privacy and for fame to be on his terms.  Is Kylie really one of the most important influences on his musical life?  Or rather just one of the most recognisable faces that he has worked with (for all of one song!) and a great distraction from revalations about Nick himself  And Ray Winstone.  Nick’s film career is not the most important part of his cultural output and I am not sure why Mr Winstone was given such a hefty role either.

Fortunately the coolest man in rock, Mr Warren Ellis was on hand to demonstrate his culinary expertise and fine choice in accommodation (if he really lived there of course!) while writing the new album. 

But really, and good as it is as a film, this did not reveal anything significant about Nick.  At best, a stylised portrait of the 21st Century Nick perhaps.

But sadly, despite sharing accommodation, guitars and probably heroin with Nick, there was not a mention of Grant.  Ah well.  8/10

Nigel explained the many levels of artifice revealed in the "making of" DVD extra and yet it seems to tell us more about the essence of Nick's art than any documentary could hope to (and despite what Hamish may assert)  9/10

Nick thought it was great 9.5/10

Keith loved it 9/10

Robin thought it was intense 7.5/10

Tristan revelled in it  7.5/10

ENDORSE IT

What we are endorsing this time round...

Keith: "Capital" by Thomas Piketty (book)

Robin: "Glass Animals" album (music)

Nick: Boyhood (film) + Whiplash (film)

Tristan: "The Man Whose Mind Exploded" (film)

Nigel: House of Fools (Vic n Bob TV series) + Toast of London (Matt Berry TV series)

And on that note, and with Keith's exciting selections for our next gathering, we bade each other farewell.

Ten ten til we do it again