Carolyn Walsh 's Reviews > Katerina

This was a difficult book to rate. I did enjoy his writing style which was gritty and propulsive. Abandoning rules of grammar and punctuation, quotation marks, apostrophes, and short dynamic sentences (often consisting of 1 word) I found compelling. The narration reads like a stream of unfiltered consciousness, His style kept me riveted to the page, although uncomfortably. I rate his ability as writer based on this book 5 Stars.
But the content I found sickening. If one believes this is partly autobiographical, I found the author to be self indulgent. I certainly did not wish to know every detail of Jay’s sexual encounters (avatar for Frey?) I was unsure whether I was reading a memoir, a work of fiction or porn. Also his drinking, throwing up, feeling sick with more drinking to feel better or to send his mind into oblivion and darkness was upsetting. . Sniffing cocaine before, during or after or instead of drinking was very unpleasant and disturbing. Ever so often he got away from his pursuit of sex, drugs and alcohol to mention books he was reading or works of fine art to impress us with his culture. I give the book’s content 1 Star as can’t go any lower on the rating scale. Averaging style and content leaves me with a reluctant 3 Star rating.

The story is set in Paris in 1992 when he was leading a dissolute life style and falling in love. The love affair ended badly. It moves between Paris and present day Los Angeles where he has a loving wife and family and is writing as a business. He is not content now that he is living a traditional lifestyle which he once rejected in his youth. Jay describes a book he wrote and how he embellished and added fictional sections to what was sold as a memoir. He makes excuses and has regrets. Think ‘A Million Little Pieces’.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review.