Ned Randle

Losers' Laments

a review by Michael Casey

Baxter's friends are miserable and morose. Unremittingly. Baxter himself is nobody you would want to hang out with. When the characters are vacuous and give over what little energy they have to a prolonged piss and moan about their purposeless lives, the narrative needs a dramatic plot to hold the story together. This novel has no such engine. Two thirds of the book are spent voicing a losers lament that bemoans frustrating marriages, juvenile lust, and unsatisfying jobs. When some action kicks in it pivots on a desire to commit crime for the thrill of the transgression. It ends in destruction for the hapless trio.
The writing in the narrative is functional but too often marred by odd "sophisticated" diction that hails from a different register than these characters would speak or sound. "Carmative, anility, simulacrum [a favorite of the author], phrenic, punition, and sacrifant" are examples of bons mots that are pearls before swine.
I suppose it's possible that we were supposed to find humor in the parade of hapless males. But humor requires wit, and these dudes are woeful and witless.… (altro)

It’s hard to escape from the ones you are supposed to love, especially when they are supposed to love you back. Baxter, his friends, and (don't forget) their family and friends love and love back, lash out and lash back.

An amazing achievement is Baxter’s Friends. Ned Randle helps us readers live what it’s like to be making and doing, or being made to do and being done to.

This book told me a lot of things, and I’ll tell you two of them. You, reader, should struggle to read this book as you would read people: What is being said without anyone speaking? You, reader, should struggle to read this book as you would read people: What is being done, even when no one lifts a finger?… (altro)