On the face of it, the world beats words, hands down, every time. Our lives are so immersive, so intense that it seems anything less, no matter how powerful the art, simply cannot conjure up reality. This would seem to be doubly true for Las Vegas and the world of high-stakes poker. Yet, one paragraph into Colson Whitehead's 'The Noble Hustle,' you're reminded of just how powerful — and fun! — language can be.
Fun is the key word here, it's important, it matters, and not just because Whitehead keeps the reader entertained. It's important because Colson Whitehead's latest conjures up not just fun but serious fun. This is life and death stuff wrestled down the page with mere words. This is the triumph of the Lilliputians over Gulliver, this is hardcore wild-side writing. This is bright lights in black and white.
As the book begins, Whitehead is a reluctant participant in the process. His previous book was an apocalyptic zombie novel, 'Zone One,' and he's suffering a hangover. Plus, he's in the midst of a divorce when Grantland magazine proposes he write about sports. He doesn't like sports, but eventually agrees to write about poker when they offer to stake him ten grand for the World Series of Poker.
What follows is a surreal trip through memory, history, humor and Whitehead's attempt to make the most of his opportunity. He balances dropping off his daughter with gambling binges in Atlantic City. He takes on a mentor and a personal trainer. He makes himself the representative of the "Republic of Anhedonia." Every fiery step of the way, he writes sentences to amaze you, tells jokes that you remember, effortlessly performs a verbal incantation that transforms your world into his.
Along way expect to learn enough about poker to keep your mind afloat in the sea of shimmering illusion that surrounds Whitehead. The book is entrancing enough that you could easily read it in the very locations it takes place and ignore the world around you. 'The Noble Hustle' captures much more than the World Series of Poker. It's like a science fiction novel written in the 1970's about a glittering future world, full of despair, hope and wonder. Our world — now.
New to the Agony Column
09-18-15: Commentary : William T. Vollman Amidst 'The Dying Grass' : An Epic Exploration of Simultaneity
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with William T. Vollman : "...a lot of long words that in our language are sentences..."
09-05-15: Commentary : Susan Casey Listens to 'Voices in the Ocean' : Science, Empathy and Self
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Susan Casey : "...the reporting for this book was emotionally difficult at times..."
08-21-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report : Senator Claire McCaskill is 'Plenty Ladylike' : Internalizing Determination to Overcome Sexism [Incudes Time to Read EP 211: Claire McCaskill, Plenty Ladylike, plus A 2015 Interview with Senator Claire McCaskill]
Agony Column Podcast News Report : Emily Schultz Unleashes 'The Blondes' : A Cure by Color [Incudes Time to Read EP 210: Emily Schultz, The Blondes, plus A 2015 Interview with Emily Schultz]
07-05-15: Commentary : Dr. Michael Gazzaniga Tells Tales from Both Sides of the Brain : A Life in Neuroscience Reveals the Life of Science
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."
04-21-15: Commentary : Kazuo Ishiguro Unearths 'The Buried Giant' : The Mist of Myth and Memory
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro : ".... by the time I was writing this novel, the lines between what was fantasy and what was real had blurred for me..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Marc Goodman : "...every physical object around us is being transformed, one way or another, into an information technology..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It
