Although not usually something discussed in reference to novels, the pace of Hard Core Logo is immensely quick. Generally each page reanges from a few lines to a few paragraphs. Many of the pages are set up as poems or punk rock lyrics. Michael Turner writes the novel this way to encapsulate the feeling of the punk rock world he writes about. Punk rock songs are notoriously quick paced and over quickly, like Turner's novel. The lives of punk rock bands generally follow this same formula, popping up on the scene, blasting out their quick-paced music, and come to a quick end. Also, by writing his novel this way, Turner attracts the attention of punk rockers and their fans.
One of the main reason I enjoy this novel is because Turner doesn't glorify the music industry at all. Despite being 'the populist' band, a few years after breaking up the bandmembers show no evidence of being a successful band. I have a friend who is a musician, and he seems to live by the adage "there is no life after music." The beginning of this novel totally echoes this belief. Without the band, Joe Dick, Billy, Pipefitter, and John fall into a rut and seem to stay the same as the world changes around them. It isn't until the band comes back together that the guys go through their own changes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
That is so true, Dave! The idea that "there is no life after the music" is beautifully apt, especially for these characters in the novel.
ReplyDelete