Some time ago, I read The Marzipan Pig with my 6yo, and absolutely LOVED it. I read it over and over, and read passages out loud to my partner, and when I posted about my love for it on facebook, and my intention to track down all of his other books,* people mentioned that he had also written some novels for adults. So I checked out a few of those, too, and this is the first one I’ve finished (yes, I have Riddley Walker in the queue, don’t worry). It was quirky and pleasant, but not especially remarkable. I wonder if Charlie Kaufman has read it, because one could easily imagine it being the seed of inspiration for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — there’s a certain resemblance between Hoban and Kaufman’s sensibility more generally, I think. I was going to add that Hoban has a more British style, but then I looked him up and it turns out he was actually American, but an expat who lived in London. To indulge in silly essentialism, this tracks with the slightly off-kilter quality — it’s very much a post-war British humor, but not exactly; there’s an added brashness and panache. Or something. I dunno.
Anyways, Her Name was Lola was nonetheless an interesting reading experience, precisely because it’s so middling while also being highly inventive and not firmly tethered to the laws of reality, without yet being sci-fi. A so-so book is far more likely to keep you chugging along when it has the occasional postmodern flourish, or there’s a chance that something utterly unexpected can happen, like a small mythical creature unexpectedly leaping into your arms. I think this kind of book is what people consider a beach read — something not especially taxing, but just interesting enough. For me though, a so-so book often feels a lot more effortful, precisely because I’m not enjoying it as much. But I’m not giving up on Hoban yet.
* A project I’ve been pursuing (one of my themes for 2024 reading, maybe?); when we read an especially spectacular children’s book, we hunt down all of the author’s other works at the library (and via inter-library loan). I think The Marzipan Pig is still my favorite Hoban book for children, but Dinner at Alberta’s is also pretty delightful. Other authors we’ve been working our way through are Shinsuke Yoshitake (who is probably the best of all; absolutely genius books), Claude Ponti, and Janice Harrington.
Kasia Reads 