A Sweet and Sour Look at Our Digital Future
You know that feeling when you finish a great book and wish you could dive back into its world? Well, Jennifer Egan must’ve read our minds, because “The Candy House” is the follow-up to “A Visit from the Goon Squad” that we didn’t know we needed.
I’ll be honest – I was a bit skeptical at first. Sequels can be tricky, especially when the original was such a knockout. But Egan pulls it off with style, serving up a story that’s both familiar and utterly new. It’s like running into an old friend who’s had some wild adventures since you last met.
Welcome to the Memory Economy
At the heart of “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan is a tantalizing idea: what if you could access and share all your memories? Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, maybe not so fast. Egan takes this premise and runs with it, showing us a world where memories are currency and privacy is a luxury.
The story revolves around Bix Bouton, a tech mogul who creates “Own Your Unconscious” – a way to externalize and share memories. It’s like Facebook on steroids, and it sets off a chain reaction that touches lives across decades. We meet a whole cast of characters, some familiar from “Goon Squad,” others brand new:
- There’s Gregory, Bix’s son, trying to figure out who he is in his father’s shadow
- Lulu, a spy using cutting-edge tech for her missions (her chapters read like a high-tech thriller)
- Molly, a teenager navigating a world where everyone’s memories are up for grabs
- Alfred, an artist pushing the boundaries of what’s real and what’s performance
Egan weaves their stories together like she’s conducting an orchestra. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming – I had to flip back a few times to keep track of who was who – but when it all comes together, it’s pretty magical.
A Buffet of Narrative Styles
One thing I love about Egan’s writing is how she plays with form. “The Candy House” is like a literary sampler platter. You’ve got your standard third-person narration, but then she’ll throw in a chapter that’s all tweets, or one told through text messages. There’s even a section that reads like a fever dream of data points and human desires. It shouldn’t work, but somehow, it does.
My favorite might be the chapter told from the perspective of a “cultural cartographer” – it’s like peering into the collective unconscious of society. Trippy stuff, but in a good way.
The Dark Side of Total Recall
As cool as the memory-sharing tech sounds, Egan doesn’t shy away from the downsides. There are people who embrace it wholeheartedly, sure, but there are also “eluders” who reject the whole system. It got me thinking about how much of myself I share online, and whether I’d want people rooting around in my memories.
Egan doesn’t preach, though. She just presents different perspectives and lets us draw our own conclusions. It’s like she’s holding up a funhouse mirror to our social media-obsessed world, showing us where we might be headed if we’re not careful.
Goon Squad Redux
If you loved “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” you’re in for a treat. Characters who were barely mentioned before take center stage here, while some of the main players from “Goon Squad” fade into the background. It’s a neat trick that rewards longtime fans without leaving newbies in the dust.
All the big themes from “Goon Squad” – time, memory, how technology shapes our relationships – get expanded here. It’s like Egan planted some seeds in the first book and now we’re seeing the full garden in bloom.
Egan’s Literary Gymnastics
Can we talk about Egan’s writing for a second? The woman is a wizard with words. She nails the vibe of different eras, from grungy 80s San Francisco to a near-future New York that feels just a step away from our own world. Her dialogue crackles, and she can make you laugh on one page and break your heart on the next.
There’s this one chapter told entirely through text messages between a father and daughter that just floored me. It’s amazing how much emotion and history she packs into those little blue bubbles.
Not All Sugar and Spice
Now, I’ll admit, “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan isn’t always an easy read. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and the constant style shifts might give you whiplash if you’re not prepared. A few times I found myself wishing for a character map or a “previously on…” recap.
And while I loved most of the futuristic elements, some of it felt a little too on-the-nose. Like, we get it – social media can be bad. But these are minor gripes in what’s otherwise a fantastic book.
Food for Thought
What I love most about “The Candy House” is how it sticks with you. I finished it weeks ago, and I’m still mulling over the questions it raises. How much of ourselves should we share online? What would we gain – or lose – if we could access all our memories? It’s the kind of book that makes you side-eye your smartphone and wonder what you’d do if offered a bite of that candy house.
The Final Verdict
“The Candy House” is a rollercoaster of ideas, emotions, and “what ifs.” It’s not always an easy ride, but it’s one heck of an experience. Whether you’re a “Goon Squad” fan or new to Egan’s work, there’s plenty here to sink your teeth into.
Fair warning, though: once you take a bite, you might find it hard to stop. And who knows? You might end up revisiting some memories of your own along the way.
If You Dug “The Candy House,” Check Out:
- “Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell (another mind-bender that plays with time and connection)
- “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel (for more literary sci-fi goodness)
- “Black Mirror” (the TV show, for more tech-gone-wrong scenarios)
So, what do you think? Ready to unwrap “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan and see what’s inside?
