Indecision

A generation that previously had to rely on Eggers and Safran Foer for their voice has found a much more satisfying option in Benjamin Kunkel. His not-so-recent novel, "Indecision", just found its way into my reading stack, and it satisfyingly captures, without any ostentatious gimmicks, that nagging voice in my post postmodern head.

I suppose it could be called a post 9/11 novel, but the event serves merely as a canvas upon which Kunkel paints witticisms and colorful, real language that captures the "plight" of the well-fed young American. This is our coming-of-age novel, people! A little depressing, considering the main character is/thinks he is doped up on drugs prescribed for an eternal malady: indecision. What to do when faced with a wide open world?

Dwight Wilmerding, the main character, is taken out of his soggy existence in New York City and immersed in the vivid Ecuadorian jungle. His resultant trip is half Heart of Darkness, half White Noise, and wholly entertaining. This is a must-read for twenty somethings who are, well, indecisive, and need a) a good laugh and b) a pause button for their ever-expanding reality. I leave you with my favorite quote:
"In my experience, when a person doesn't know what to do with himself, he will check his e-mail."