Zeroville

By: Steve Erickson

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

On the same August day in 1969 that a crazed hippie "family" led by Charles Manson commits five savage murders in the canyons above Los Angeles, a young ex-communicated seminarian arrives with images of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift - "the two most beautiful people in the history of the movies" - tattooed on his head. At once childlike and violent, Vikar is not a cineaste but "cineautistic", sleeping at night in the Roosevelt Hotel where he's haunted by the ghost of D. W. Griffith. Vikar has stepped into the vortex of a culture in upheaval: strange drugs that frighten him, a strange sexuality that consumes him, a strange music he doesn't understand. Over the course of the 70s and into the 80s, he pursues his obsession with film from one screening to the next and through a series of cinema-besotted conversations and encounters with starlets, burglars, guerrillas, escorts, teenage punks, and veteran film editors, only to discover a secret whose clues lie in every film ever made.

©2013 Steve Erickson (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

It

I am not sure what to make of this. Might have been genius. It is something

I haven’t the words

I am so thankful I didn’t exit early. This is book can only be eclipsed by Infinite Jest( but it is close)

Wow, this book is amazing!

What did you love best about Zeroville?

The sneaky thematic ending that ties the entire book together. I had to go back and listen again once I got it. I won't spoil it though.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vikar, the main character, is really unique and weirdly lovable.

Any additional comments?

This is a book about movies, but that doesn't really give any information about what you're about to get yourself into. The prose in the book is truly sparse and beautiful. The characters are distinct and complicated. The plot is creative, unpredictable and very satisfying. The theme goes throughout the book, but I didn't catch on until the end. It's one of my top 10 favorite audiobooks ever. I liked the narrator, and because Vikar is so likable. I will probably follow Bronson Pinchot because I came to like his voice so much.

2nd book by Steve and I'll go for another!

You gotta pay attention. Subtle details really connect the chaos in his stories. I have found Steve Erikson to be a nice novelist type read during epic fantasy breaks. Not comparing to John Irving but both can really suck ya in good with interesting characters.

Mind-boggling and awesome!

This book is great! I think I'd have to read it again to really figure out what the ending means, but thematically the novel touches on the circularity of narrative, the complexity of reality, and the problem of evil. Really fantastic. Would recommend to anyone interested in a challenging read. Also, Bronson Pinchot as the narrator is fantastic. Best narrator I've listened to on Audible so far.

Audible, please add more books by Steve Erickson!

Love this book, but there are so many more great books by Erickson that could be added to Audible's library. Audible, please add more of his books!

Read this book.

I have no words, other than it's best described as it's entitled zeroville. This book is zeroville, and perhaps as this book ponders everything and everyone is too. This book is brilliant. It does require the ability to make absract thought concrete and vise versa. If this is a skill you lack i don't think this is the book for you.

Just marvelous

A wonderful story and first-rate narration. I just can't day enough good things about this.

if you love old movies this is for you.

I honestly gave up in this book. the main character was weird and I just couldn't connect with him. his personality just didn't make sense and if his back story came out at the end of book.... I guess I will never know and am okay with that.

Too Many Chapter Breaks!!

How asinine to have so many chapters. At one point he broke one sentence into 3 chapters.