As we close in my top 5 books of 2023, we revisit my rock ‘n roll memoir category, and we read the latest book of a favorites author.
#6 – The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar (2023)
Thrity Umrigar knows how to write powerful upheavals in characters’ lives. In her latest novel, Remy returns to the city of Bombay where he grew up both to look into a possible adoption for he and his American wife, and also to check on his estranged mother, whose health, he discovers, has taken a turn for the worse. Already there are two issues that Remy must deal with rife with potential family drama, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Family secrets, a harsh look at both Indian and American social systems, misogyny, pride, religion… all of these and more play a part in one man’s sudden need to reevaluate his life and nearly everything he has believed.
Umrigar creates a plethora of memorable characters, some who only appear in one brief scene. These people are flawed, complex people, who make mistakes, even with the best of intentions. In fact, one might say that is the ultimate theme of this powerful, yet ultimately humanist tale.
#7 – Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon (2015)
As merely a casual fan of Sonic Youth (big fan of “Kool Thing” ever since it was included in the Hal Hartley film, Simple Men), Kim Gordon’s memoir was perfect for my recent reading list of female rockers’ memoirs that Tracey Thorn’s books steered me toward. While not the accomplished writer that Thorn is, Gordon’s insight’s and life experiences as an artist and musician, part of the New York art scene in the late 70’s and 80’s, and half of one of post-punk’s most notable couple made for fascinating a compelling reading. Her writing style was straight-forward and engaging, and despite a cool exterior, the moments when she opened up to her strong feelings or challenging emotional conflicts were powerful.