The Flamethrowers

Last updated
The Flamethrowers
TheFlamethrowersKushner.jpg
First edition hardcover
Author Rachel Kushner
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreNovel
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
April 2, 2013
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages400 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN 1-439-14200-9 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC 800031609
813.6
LC Class PS3611.U7386F57 2013
Preceded by Telex from Cuba  
Followed by The Strange Case of Rachel K  

The Flamethrowers is a 2013 novel by American author Rachel Kushner. [1] [2] The book was released on April 2, 2013 through Scribner.

Contents

The Flamethrowers follows a female artist in the 1970s. While writing the book, Kushner drew on personal experiences during and after college, as well as her interests in "motorcycles, art, revolution and radical politics." [3] The book was selected as one of the "10 Best Books of 2013" by the editors of the New York Times Book Review . [4] It was the subject of a literary spat between the coasts summarized in The New Republic , with the Los Angeles Review of Books attacking the New York Review of Books's review as sexist and unfair.

Plot

In 1975, a young art school graduate from Reno moves to New York City hoping to become a successful artist. She meets an older, more established artist, Sandro Valera, the heir of Moto Valera, an Italian tire and motorcycle company. He and his friends nickname her Reno. In 1976, with the reluctant approval of Sandro, she takes one of the Moto Valera prototype motorcycles to the Bonneville Salt Flats where she intends to race and then photograph her tracks as part of an art project. Reno crashes the bike but is adopted by the Moto Valera crew who help her set a record to become the woman with the fastest racing record in the world.

The following year the Valera crew ask Reno to join them on a promotional tour in Italy. Sandro reluctantly decides to accompany Reno and the two spend two weeks with Sandro's family in their villa in Lake Como before the promotional tour is due to begin. However plans for the tour are put on hold when the star of the promotional tour, a professional racer, is kidnapped. Reno also finds Sandro kissing his cousin, Talia, and runs away to Rome with the Valera family mechanic, Gianni, who introduces her to a group of young radicals. Reno is swept up in part of the Movement of 1977 and participates in riots. She later helps Gianni illegally cross the border into France.

Back in New York Reno moves out of Sandro's apartment and concentrates on her art. She learns that Sandro's older brother has been kidnapped by revolutionaries and tries to contact him but realizes he is already seeing someone new. After his brother's murder Sandro finally returns to Italy where he will succeed his brother as the head of the Valera empire.

Cultural references

Reno mentions watching Wanda , directed by Barbara Loden, as well as Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles , directed by Chantal Akerman.

Reno also makes several references to Spiral Jetty, an artwork created by Robert Smithson.

The Motherfuckers and the Red Brigades feature in the narrative.

Reception

Critical reception for The Flamethrowers has been mostly positive. [5] [6] [7] [8] The New Yorker's James Wood praised the book as "scintillatingly alive" and commented that it "[succeeded] because it is so full of vibrantly different stories and histories, all of them particular, all of them brilliantly alive." [9] The Guardian commented upon the book and its polarized reviews, remarking that while some reviewers such as Wood and novelist Jonathan Franzen have been vocal in their praise, other reviewers such as Adam Kirsch commented that the book was "macho," which explained "why it has been received so enthusiastically by the critics." [10] However, Kirsch's overall review also contained praise: he wrote that Kushner had "a real gift for grasping the prose-poetry of ideologies." [11]

The Flamethrowers was listed as one of the top 10 books of 2013 by the New York Times. [12]

The New York Review of Books published a predominantly negative review by Frederick Seidel, which criticized elements of the book as unconvincing. The review remarked that the book was "tiresome, histrionic, hysterically overwritten" and was "desperate to show how brilliant it is". [13] The review provoked a response from the Huffington Post's Nicholas Miriello, who published it through the Los Angeles Review of Books . [14] Miriello remarked that Seidel's review was more interested in Seidel than the book itself and that it was "gallingly condescending" and "often inadequate." [15] The New Republic in turn commented upon Miriello's response, suggesting that Seidel's opinions might have been more based upon differences in cultures between New York and the west coast. [14]

The Flamethrowers was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award. [16]

Film adaptation

A 2014 article by The Guardian reported that Jane Campion was on the verge of closing a deal with producer Scott Rudin to shoot a film adaptation of The Flamethrowers. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Sendak</span> American illustrator and writer of childrens books

Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak also wrote works such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and illustrated many works by other authors including the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik.

The New York Review of Books is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of important books is an indispensable literary activity. Esquire called it "the premier literary-intellectual magazine in the English language." In 1970, writer Tom Wolfe described it as "the chief theoretical organ of Radical Chic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Kushner</span> American playwright and screenwriter (born 1956)

Anthony Robert Kushner is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage, he is most known for his seminal work Angels in America, which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, as well as its subsequent acclaimed HBO miniseries of the same name. At the turn of the 21st Century, he became known for his numerous film collaborations with Steven Spielberg. He received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013. Kushner is among the few playwrights in history nominated for an: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Campion</span> New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer

Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021), for which she has received two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Campion was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM) in the 2016 New Year Honours, for services to film.

Frederick Seidel is an American poet.

Cynthia Ozick is an American short story writer, novelist, and essayist.

Rachel Cusk is a British novelist and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deborah Eisenberg</span> American short story writer

Deborah Eisenberg is an American short story writer, actress and teacher. She is a professor of writing at Columbia University.

Adam Kirsch is an American poet and literary critic. He is on the seminar faculty of Columbia University's Center for American Studies, and has taught at YIVO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandro Cortese</span> German motorcycle racer (born 1990)

Alessandro "Sandro" Cortese is a former German motorcycle racer, who last competed in 2020 World Superbike Championship for Team Pedercini. Cortese won his first world title in the Moto3 class, in 2012., and his second in the Supersport World Championship, in 2018. He lives in Berkheim, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Kushner</span> American writer

Rachel Kushner is an American writer, known for her novels Telex from Cuba (2008), The Flamethrowers (2013), and The Mars Room (2018).

<i>The Jewel of Medina</i> Historical novel

The Jewel of Medina is a historical novel by Sherry Jones that recounts the life of Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives, from the age of six, when she was betrothed to Muhammad, to her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Harris (journalist)</span> American journalist and author (born 1963)

Mark Harris is an American journalist and author. He began his career at Entertainment Weekly, where he started as a columnist and eventually became the magazine's executive editor. His writing has also appeared at Slate and New York magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Mason</span> American artist

Rachel Mason is an American filmmaker whose work includes performance art, music, films and multimedia projects.

<i>The Hebrew Bible</i> (Alter) English translation by Robert Alter

The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary is an English translation of the Hebrew Bible completed by Robert Alter in 2018. It was written over the course of two decades.

<i>The Mars Room</i> 2018 novel by Rachel Kushner

The Mars Room is a 2018 novel by American author Rachel Kushner. The book was released on May 1, 2018 through Scribner. It was shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize. On November 5, 2018, it received the 2018 Prix Médicis Étranger. The title also received a Gold Medal for Fiction from the California Book Awards.

<i>The Strange Case of Rachel K</i> Short story collection by Rachel Kushner

The Strange Case of Rachel K is a 2015 short story collection by American author Rachel Kushner.

<i>From Archie to Zack</i> 2020 childrens picture book by Vincent Kirsch

From Archie to Zack is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch. It tells the story of two boys who have a crush on each other but don't have the courage to admit it. The book was published on December 29, 2020, by Abrams Books and received positive reviews, but some of its aspects were criticized. From Archie to Zack was a finalist on the 2021 Lambda Literary Award, in the Children's and Young Adult category.

References

  1. ↑ Garcia, Christina (April 26, 2013). "Revolutions Per Minute". NY Times. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  2. ↑ Newton, Maud. "Racing From Art To Revolution And Back Again In 'The Flamethrowers'". NPR. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  3. ↑ Russo, Maria (May 6, 2013). "Knowingly Navigating the Unknown". NY Times. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  4. ↑ New York Times (2013). "The 10 Best Books of 2013" . Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Book Marks reviews of The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner". Book Marks. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  6. ↑ Garner, Dwight (April 16, 2013). "Speed Demons and the Velocity of Words". NY Times. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  7. ↑ White, Duncan (19 Jul 2013). "The Flamethrowers, by Rachel Kushner, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Ulin, David (April 12, 2013). "Rachel Kushner lights a fire in 'The Flamethrowers'". LA Times. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  9. ↑ Wood, James (April 8, 2013). "Youth in Revolt". New Yorker. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Higgins, Charlotte (23 August 2013). "The Flamethrowers: the Great American Novel for the 21st century?". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  11. ↑ Kirsch, Adam (May 29, 2013). "The Mythmakers". Tablet Mag. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  12. ↑ "The 10 Best Books of 2013". New York Times. December 4, 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Seidel, Frederick (July 11, 2013). "'This Book Has Heat'". New York Review of Books. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  14. 1 2 Tracy, Marc. "The L.A. Review of Books Declares War on the N.Y. Review of Books". The New Republic. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  15. ↑ Miriello, Nicholas. "What Is This Review Interested In?: On Frederick Seidel's Review of Rachel Kushner's "The Flamethrowers". LA Review of Books. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  16. ↑ National Book Awards - 2013. National Book Foundation. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  17. ↑ Zarum, Lara. "'Jane Campion May Direct an Adaptation of The Flamethrowers. This is Great News.'". slate.com. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.