Book Review: "God Hates Us All"

When I first put this book down, I thought of how I'd approach it as a text. It's quite clear, by sheer fact of its existence, that it was intended to be seen as a piece of a whole. That is to say, that it was never meant to stand alone as a piece of literature. It was published in all its metafictive glory to be a "media-tie-in." Where most books might be labeled fiction, non-fiction, or memoir, that is exactly what this is stamped: Media-tie-in.

This makes it near impossible to review this work without referring to or at least mentioning the fact that it figures quite prominently in the first season of Showtime's "Californication." When you get to the title page, you will notice that there is, under Hank Moody's name, another. One Mr. Jonathan Grotenstein. I assume Mr. Grotenstein is the genius behind this particular piece of fiction, and while I do not mean that in a derisive or dismissive way, I'm not sure if I'd want my name attached to it if it was my work.

I think that part of asking your audience to "suspend its disbelief" is asking them to understand/accept that within the context of the show, this is a piece of literature. A piece of literature that made a man a hit in the literary world. So when I picked it up and saw that, I thought, "why didn't this guy ghost?" Maybe there is a specific reason, and if there is, I won't argue any further. But that is my impression.

The synopsis on the back sleeve of the book calls it a "wry literary masterpiece," which I find funny because if you flip through it randomly it seems more like something you'd find browsing in a YA fiction section. Less than 200 pages, large text (as opposed to the scene in which Hank goes into the book store and skims through it, seemingly reveling in his own youthful genius; it is larger and the text is smaller) and an ad for the 3rd season on the final page.

Of course, I was still able to suspend that disbelief I wrote of a couple of paragraphs earlier. I wanted to. I'd been waiting to read the thing since I knew it really existed.

So, is it a "wry literary masterpiece?" No. Not by any stretch. Is it good? Yes. Readable? Infinitely. In fact, it's a quick read. Hank Moody is definitely not a postmodern trickster. He uses conventional linear narration and doesn't bog the story down with big ideas (not a bad thing either way). I could definitely see how it could be turned into the sappy chick flick "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love," and I hope they never get the idea to actually film it.

Our protagonist is a college drop-out in his late teens. He meets a slightly older girl who shows him what happens when you start fucking the first crazy bitch who comes round. But he's not the first man who's had one of those relationships that is solely based on wild sex and recreational drug usage. Far from it. This is a page out of Bukowski. Except, he doesn't turn down her advances because he's too drunk to get a hard on. No. She's fucked it raw. And when he "rejects" her is the downward spiral that sends his young life into upheaval.

There are smatterings of great dialogue and insights here and there throughout the novel, but a lot of it is pedestrian. You do find out why the novel is titled as it is, but even then, the creative way of putting it forth doesn't alleviate that "so what?" feeling. But maybe that's the point. Moody's protagonist doesn't know what he wants. He hasn't any aspirations unless you call landing a model girlfriend an aspiration. It's certainly not one to define one's life with.

The one thing that's certain is that the Moody on Californication only comes out subtly. Mainly in mannerism and witty dialogue. This is supposed to be the manifestation of a younger Moody's creation, and it can certainly be passed off as such. The one thing that never changes is hope. Moody's protagonist has hope despite his failings with women, and Moody himself, on the show, retains that childlike quality all while floating his liver and courting STDs, pissing women off in the process.

"I love women, I have all their albums."--  Hank Moody

I would recommend this book mainly to fans of the show. And really, only to the fans who like to read. It's a nice little companion piece that might offer a sliver of insight into the character that Duchovny portrays on the show. But within a real-world context, I don't see it as being a best-seller, nor do I see it having a huge following outside of the cult aspect. I see it as being a start. A work by a writer who might one day churn out his opus.

2010.
 
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