Maud on Levin

By

“Inevitably, given this debut novel’s range, energy, and sprawl, pre-publication quotes compare Adam Levin to David Foster Wallace.  And in its footnotes and asides, its thoroughgoing but wholly approachable intellectualism, and its relentless self-awareness, The Instructions really does recall Infinite Jest. Other forbears — Roth, Salinger, Cervantes, and The Book of Jonah (“the most deadpan comedy ever written”) — are explicitly evoked by Gurion himself.”

Maud Newton reviews this month’s book club selection, The Instructions.

Stephen Elliott is the author of seven books, including the memoir The Adderall Diaries and the novel Happy Baby. He is the founding editor of The Rumpus. His feature film debut, About Cherry, is being distributed by IFC and opens in theaters September 21, 2012. More from this author →