Very Recent History: An Entirely Factual Account of a Year (c. AD 2009) in a Large City

Summary (from the publisher): From the longtime editor of Gawker and cofounder of The Awl comes an idiosyncratic and elegant true story, set in New York City in the aftermath of the 2008 Wall Street crash, that follows a handful of young men as they navigate through the ruins of money and power in search of love and connection.

Choire Sicha's brilliant, enigmatic first book is a nonfiction account that reads like a novel. A voice from the future is piecing together a record of life in a "massive" city on the eastern coast of this country and follows John, a sexually profligate reporter with a weekly newspaper, and his circle of friends, as they navigate the expensive, dark world around them. It is a fable of money, sex, and politics, featuring an imperious Mayor (the richest man in town) who is campaigning for an unprecedented third term; a Blind Governor, elevated to office in the wake of a prostitution scandal, who is trying to overcome scandals of his own; and Beyonce.

Told in Choire Sicha's distinctive style, Very Recent History is a work of detailed reportage and an Internet-era historical pastiche that seamlessly weaves together first-person interviews and current events, presenting a surreal and sublime portrait of New York City circa 2009: an island of isolation, ambition, sublimation, and attraction.

Review: I received an Advance Reader Copy from HarperCollins.

Very Recent History is a non-fiction account that follows the lives and adventures of John, a recent college graduate living in New York City in the economic downturn of 2008, and his large group of male friends. I found the book jacket summary of this book very misleading. It does not adequately describe the unusual writing style, nor does it reveal that John and all of the men mentioned are gay. There's a lot of gay sex and reference to gay relationships in this book, which is fine, but was unexpected. I thought the book would be looking at a broader and more diverse segment of individuals from New York; instead the vast majority of people referenced are white, gay males, making it difficult for me to distinguish between individuals.

The writing style of this book is truly unique, as it is written like an anthropological study of New York Life, as if from a distant observer to be read by individuals from a foreign culture. The city is not named, nor is the mayor, although its clear what the author is referring to.  In addition, Sicha goes out of his way to define terms and concepts that are generally accepted as known by most readers; "This was called credit, and in modern times, what these men invented was called a charge card. The card was a signifier that one held money; the holder of the car would pay the issuer of the card at the end of the month; the issuer of the card would pay the stores at which the person had received goods or services" (74).

While this unique style of writing and distance from the subject matter forces the reader to look at New York culture in a new light, however what Sicha illuminates is a sad tale. John and his companions are all miserable. They work in cubicles at unsatisfying and underpaying jobs, are constantly broke, are deeply in debt thanks to college loans, and the culture of casual sex and infidelity is prevalent.  Simcha is strictly reporting their movements and actions though, so no conclusions or allusions to their fates following the end of this book are hinted at. It is up to the reader to analyze John and his peers, and, in turn, take a more objective look at the choices made in our modern world.

I was really disappointed in this book. I found its contents depressing, and its writing style ultimately very grating. Although I think there is some merit in writing in an anthropological style, I did not find this an enjoyable or particularly valuable read.

Stars: 2