Lookout Cartridge by Joseph McElroy Review

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LookoutCartridge

byJosephMcElroy

With"LookoutCartridge,"JosephMcElroyestablishedareputationasoneofcontemporaryfiction'sforemostinnovatorsanddeftobserversintothefissuresofmodernsociety.Itisanovelofdazzlingintricacy,absorbingsuspense,andthehighestambition:toredeemthegreatclaimofparanoiaontheAmericanpsyche.Intryingtofigureoutjustwhoissothreatenedbya...more

Paperback,531pagesPublishedNovember25th2003byOverlookBooks(firstpublished1974)

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JosephMcElroyisanAmericannovelist,shortstorywriter,andessayist.

McElroygrewupinBrooklynHeights,NY,aneighborhoodthatfeaturesprominentlyinmuchofhisfiction.HereceivedhisB.A.fromWilliamsCollegein1951andhisM.A.fromColumbiaUniversityin1952.HeservedintheCoastGuardfrom19524,andthenreturnedtoColumbiatocompletehisPh.D.in1961.AsanEnglishinstru...more

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JonathanrateditShelves:favorites

Thisisamasterpiece,asshouldbeclearfrombothmystatusupdatesandthelengthandramblingnatureofthisreview(itisonlythebestbooks,Ithink,whichsetourmindsrushingoffinallsortsofdirections).Itisathriller,thoughseldomthrilling.Itisamystery,thoughisnevertrulysolved.WemovefromAtoBtoCbydancingbackandforthbetweenB1.1,A2.3,B.4.7.3,C3.1etc.Dotmatrixstorytelling.Slowlyanimageemerges.McElroyasksforyourtrust,andyourpatience.I...more

28likesLikeseereview

JonfaithrateditRecommendedtoJonfaithby:Jonathan

LookoutCartridgeresistsanalysis.Itdoesn'tlenditselftoobjectivemodels.Itlacksacoreandperiphery.Thereislittledistinctionbetweenitsexteriorandtheinsular.Hell,asthepagesturn,thenarrativegathersmatter,butnotreallyforce.

Wherewouldthiskinesisgo?Wemeasureintermsofplotdevelopment.Withinthesepagesthatactivityremainssuspect.

Aspagesareread,certaindetailaccumulate.

Couldwebemorespecific?

Okay,themyriadprojectofrepresentingrealityrepe...more

11likesLikeseereview

Jratedit reviewofanotheredition

Cartwright,thefilmhehelpedshootdestroyed*andhispersonthreatened,ispushedtoengageforcesandindividualsbefore(ifever)hecanfullyconnectthemtohimselforeachother.Likewise,I'mpushedtoreviewthenovelfeelingtwostepsbehindCartwright'sprogress,dizzyin"thegreatmultiplefieldofimpinginginformations".ReadingLookoutCartridgemeansenduringanearconstantbarrageofinformation,withfewmomentsofcalmbeforetheconnectionsonemakesduringthesunnyrespi...more

10likesLikeseereview

JamesrateditShelves:2012read,100mccaffery

Sodense,complex,andfragmentedthataspacedout,letitsinkinapproachtoreadingitseems,initially,tomakethemostsense.However,fullappreciationofwhatMcElroyachievesissobeholdentothedevelopmentandrecollectionofobscuredetailsthatanargumentcouldbemadejustaswellfordevouringitasquicklyaspossible.ItsnotthatMcElroysproseitselfishardertoparsethananyofhismorereveredpostmodernbrethren(particularlyGassathisdensest),butitshismanip...more

9likesLikeseereview

JamesDykerateditShelves:theamericanmeganovel

ThishighlyoriginalnovelwasmyfirstMcElroy.Itreadslikeafilminitself,McElroyadoptsahighlyelusive,labyrinthinestylewhichpresentsmorselsofinformation

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IhaveinmyheadthingsImaynothaveexactlyseen,justasyouwhoreadthishaveme.5likes

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QuotesfromLookoutCartridge

(thousandsandthousandsofmorsels)whichthereaderhastoattempttoconnecttogetherinordertocomprehendwhatexactlyhasgoneon.Unfortunately,themaincharacterisessentiallydoingthesamething.Anauraofparanoiaandeverythingisconnectednesspervadesasthereaderthemselvespiecestogethercorrectlyorincor...more

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ericratedit

It'ssortofhardtoknowhowtoratethisone.I'vefalsestartedseveraltimesoverthepastfewyears.Itjustnevergrabbedme.SoItookitbackpackingandtentconfinementduetomosquitoesallowed/forcedmetogetintoit.Thereisastoryhere(bizarrebutsomehowobfuscatedintoblandness),butyouhavetobedeterminedtoseekitout.Thissituationisfinebymeinmanycases,butIspentafairportionofthisbookstrugglingmorethanIreallywantedto.Thingsjumprapidlyandunex...more

1likeLikeseereview

Maxratedit reviewofanotheredition

"Ifno,keeploopingifyes,proceed."

TimHeideckergotreallymadatTheAVClubwhenareviewergaveTheComedyanAbutthensaidthatthevastmajorityofpeoplewouldn'tenjoyit.Iseewherehe'scomingfrombutlike,Idon'tknow,Ithinkthere'sagreatdegreeofvalueinhavingasupremelypositivereviewthatalsoacknowledges,hey,asanartworkorwhateverit'samazingbutasaconsumerproductit'sacompletefailure.

Whichiswhatthisbookis.Ikeptthinking"ohman,thisisra...more

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NicolerateditShelves:dispobustendhal,seriousbooksforgradstudentboys,unfinished

MypostInfiniteJesthighhasledmevariousplaces,includingthisone,thathaveturnedupdisappointing.(Tobefair,alsoplacesIfoundfoundgreatlyrewarding.)IfindthatmanypostmodernprojectsaretryingtosolveaproblemIdon'thave.ThebooksIlovefromthiscategoryhavesomethingmore,dosomethingfurther,somethingwhichasyetIcanonlydescribeinanIknowitwhenIseeitmode,butwhichhastodowithsincerityorhumanityorempathyorevensomethinglikejoyorplay...more

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Willratedit

"Itwasallmeant.Noquestionthere.

Alignmentseast,westandfromwhatI'dheardaboutmoonsetseenfromhereoverMountClishamIcouldnowjustmakeoutitsslopesastheweakeninglightandthedimlydissolvingcloudleftthepeakanissue,onestoneofthetoplimbofthecrosswasleaningeastbutthestoneswereremarkablyupright.

Meant,however,bywhoknewwhatinterlappingdesires?TheconstellationwhoserisetheredhairedwomanhadsaidshewouldwaitforIguessedmightbetheP...more

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Bobratedit

AfterenjoyingASmuggler'sBiblesomuch,andbeingpleasedI'dfinallyIgottenintoMcElroy,Iplungedintothisshortlyafter,andtooksixweeksfinishingititpracticallyruinedreadingformeasIstubbornlycarriedon.PerhapsnotMcElroy'sfaultofcourseIneededtobeontopofamountain,notcaughtupinoneofthebusiestperiodsofmylife.ButMcElroydoesn'tmakethisoneeasyalongramblingparanoidtale,reminiscentofPynchonexceptalmostnothingactuallyhappens,inw...more

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Reidratedit

Whoo,boy...well,thisisoneofthosebooksIamgladIreadbecauseitwasextremelywellwritten,butamalsogladtohaveoverwithbecauseitissointricatelyandconfusinglyplotted.Itiswritteninastreamofconsciousnessstylethatobscuresas

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muchasitrevealsandrequiresthememoryofanelephanttokeepalloftheplayersandplotstringsinplace.DoIrecommendthisbook?Well,ifyouhavethetimeandenergytotakeiton,itisafascinatingbook,andalmost(butnotquite)...more

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Corvidratedit reviewofanotheredition

Cartwright,middleagedbusinessmanofquestionablerepute,andhisfriendDagger,bothAmericanslivinginLondon,decidedtomakeafilmtogether.Theyshotabout10scenesofthefilmandCartwrightkeptawrittendiaryoftheshooting.Butbeforethefilmcouldbeprocessed,someonebrokeintoDaggersflatanddestroyedmostofit.Thisisthebasicpremise,orwhatweknowupfront.WhatfollowsisaneverwideninggyreofCartwrightsinvestigationintothecircumstancessurroundingthef...more

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AlohamarkeditastobuyShelves:20whenencyclopedic,zmcelroyjoseph

HoldingoffonthisuntilmaybeaneBookcomesout.Ihaveenoughhardbacksofencyclopedicnovelstokeepmepreoccupiedforalongtime.TomLeClairconsidersthisMcElroy'sbestnovel.I'mimpressedwithWomenandMenmyself.

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JimLeckbandratedit

TheaudienceforthisbookperhapsconsistsofthesetofallauthorsnamedJosephMcElroy.Evenwithinthatset,thenumberofsatisfiedreaderscouldwellbetheemptyset.

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WomenandMen:LookoutCartridge1974 22 37 Jun16,201404:52AM

WomenandMen:LookoutCartridgeReadingNotes 44 37 Apr15,201306:45AM

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