Anybody else getting a little weary of Tom Wolfe?

[Paladin]

I've read and enjoyed Wolfe's books for decades, and I was happy to get his latest novel---"Back To Blood"---at the library yesterday. I figured that if any city in the country was worthy of a Tom Wolfe treatment, it was Miami.

So...I'm a little over 40 pages into it, and I'm already getting tired. Wolfe's relentless insertion of sound effect words is really out of hand, here---hey, Tom: we know that a fast-moving boat makes a "SMACK" noise as it hits the water, so there's no need to bust up the narrative on a single freaking page with the use of the word "SMACK" 20 freaking times. And as long as I'm dispensing helpful literary hints: Mr. Wolfe, the whole Dirty Old Man thing is now just cringe-inducing to the point of being pitiable---and the use of clinical terms such as "mons veneris" doesn't make it better, it makes it worse.

OK, end of rant. I'm not going to toss out my autographed copy of "The Right Stuff" over these irritating matters. But my desire to plow through this latest novel is questionable at this early point.....

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. Yes, I am very weary of Tom Wolfe

he needs to get over himself

[LWolf]

2. I've never read him.

Your description doesn't lead me in his direction, either, lol.

[Paladin]

3. I went ahead and finished the novel.

It's not without some incisive points about how the various communities in Miami fail to get along---particularly the Cuban power elite vs. the African Americans. But above all else, Wolfe seems to want to irritate the reader; WAY too much usage of the word "Loins" in this book, i.e., "loamy loins." Sheeesh......

[argyl]

4. I thought "Back to Blood" was just awful. It made "I Am Charlotte Simmons:A Novel" seem brilliant

in comparison,and it wasn't too good either. I doubt Wolfe has another "The Electric Kool -Aid Acid Test" in him.

[Paladin]

5. I won't be reading any more of his work. (nt)

[SheilaT]

6. While I haven't been a reader of Tom Wolfe's books,

I long ago noticed that many writers burn out or something after too many novels. The exact number that makes too many will vary from writer to writer, but it's often there.

Not being much of an insider to publishing, I suspect a lot of what happens is that established, best-selling authors get far less editing that the new ones. And almost everyone needs editing.

[pscot]

7. I read a few of the pieces he did for Esquire

a long time ago, which was more than enough Tom Wolfe.

[Paladin]

8. He was good, back in the day.

His affectations have gotten more pronounced over the years; time to move on.....