Jennifer Egan’s new (kinda, sort of) novel, ‘A Visit From the Goon Squad’

The World

If you’ve read any of Jennifer Egan’s previous work, you know that her writing style is rarely predictable. In her new book, ?A Visit from the Goon Squad,? she takes that unpredictability to a whole new level.

There are 13 chapters, each one dramatically different from the one before in style, tone and narrator.

There’s Sasha, a kleptomaniac, who works for Bennie, a big-shot music executive who sprinkles flakes of gold in his coffee … there’s Bennie’s ex-wife Stephanie, and her brother Jules, a celebrity journalist? there’s Bennie’s mentor Lou, and Jocelyn, one of the many girls he seduces … and there’s Scotty, Bennie’s old friend and bandmate who was head-over-heels for Jocelyn …

The stories jump back and forth in time, which is ultimately what the book is all about: the passage of time and how we experience it. Jennifer Egan joins us to talk about her new book.

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