Write your own review!
Sandra H. (St. Cloud, MN)
Searching for "Who I Am"
"Still Life Las Vegas," has to be one of the saddest coming of age stories I have ever read. Walter Valentine Stahl, a 17-year-old has lost his mother, his sister, and cares for his father, a weak, depressed man who cannot face lpife. The story is appropriately set in Las Vegas, a city filled with casinos that offer fake worlds to replace reality that is often too painful for those who flock to them.
Sie uses Greek mythological figures,once popular entertainers (Liberace) and shady characters along with young Walter's drawings to show us his desperate longing for stability and love, for discovering who he is
I'm
…more not sure how I feel about the book. There is much to recommend it and just as much to demand it be reread. I want desperately to talk to another reader which suggests its potential as a book group choice. (less)This book is better than good, but I only give 5's to books I think everyone should read. That being said, Still Life Las Vegas is a great read for those who are willing to read something out-of-the ordinary. The most noteworthy feature of this book are the periodic graphic novel inserts. I found myself looking forward to the next installment. I was surprised to learn that this is the author's first novel because of both the polished language and the emotional depth. I cared about the characters and loved the quirky details. Despite some of the crazy plot situations, I found the book believable and enjoyable.
Carol F. (Lake Linden, MI)
Refreshingly different
It is the slow unfolding of this story that draws you in and keeps you searching for the truth along with Walter. The small graphic chapters are truly engaging and lend a touching perspective to the story. The quirky characters are developed in a way that makes them believable and likable at the same time. An unusual but beautifully written book.
Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
Very different
I can't believe this is James Sie's first book! I have never been interested in reading a graphic novel, but how else could he describe the death of his sister or his dad's version of reconnecting with his wife Emily. I had to put the book down several times simply because I was overwhelmed by what was happening to the characters. I did enjoy it. My only criticism is that there was so much going on - depression, Liberace, mythology, homosexuality - it was a lot to absorb.
Rebecca R. (western USA)
The Unglamorous Side of Vegas
As someone who has owned rental property in the city of Las Vegas, the title of this book caught my eye. (And once again I enjoyed finding something new and different on Book Browse.) This book is definitely not the typical story of the supposed glitz and glamour surrounding life in a famous tourist destination, and I enjoyed the first person realistic, if not slightly depressing at times, narration of a struggling life.The last three sentences of chapter one (a mother removing the back seat of her car since it has imprints of a life left behind) captures the unrealistic expectations of many people who move to
…more cities like Las Vegas or Hollywood, thinking that their problems will be over, maybe they'll be "discovered," or at the very least any job they find will be fun and invigorating. There are surprisingly touching scenes as the main character interacts with an aging father and grapples with his search for peace of mind. I liked this book and enjoyed the drawings and felt pathos when I read the caption on page 291 about the father's story being "largely a fabrication." I rated it a 4 instead of a 5 after much deliberation only because I did not find myself saying to others, "You HAVE to read this." (less)James Sie is a writer who takes risks, something I always look for in a novel. I was not disappointed. He has a fine tuned sense of how to change points of view, and to also move a story along with the lovely addition of a few pages in graphic novel format, expertly drawn by Sungyoon Choi. Of course I turned to the illustrated pages first so one important plot point was revealed before the storyteller, but knowing only added to the emotional drive of the characters. Others added suspense and much depth when both the written story and the illustrated story came together. Beware the unreliable narrator, though and
…more just rest assured that someone as good as Walter will become a force in his world no matter what obstacles the gods push at him. (less)This was listed as a "coming-of-age" story and tho I usually avoid them, decided to see if this one would be different. And I was pleasantly rewarded. Mr. Sie is such a lovely writer, short to the point, no unnecessary embellishments. I would prefer listing this story as finding the truth, accepting it, and having the resilience to go on to the future. I found that the jumping from one time period to another without too much of a clue where exactly we were, disconcerting. The drawings, to my surprise, added much to the narrative. The Greek references were mostly lost on me, but I knew enough to get by. A more
…more than worthy debut novel. (less)Still Life Las Vegas is the quirky dark story of Walter Stahl, a soon-to-be high school graduate living with his mentally ill father among the under class of Las Vegas, Walter's dysfunctional family and his relationship with his first love being a young Greek man, who in quintessential Las Vegas style, makes his living as a human sculpture within the ceiling art at a Strip mega-resort. The book stands out from the typical coming-of-age novel not because it is better than most but because of its original plot and characters. The narrative is at once real and surreal, and the characters, although possessing
…more familiar and believable human qualities, seem to float above the ordinary in a dreamscape that comes in and out of focus.
The stage for Walter's bleak and empty life was set in his youth when a family tragedy sent Walter's parents into a downward spiral from which they never recovered. The response of the family members to the tragedy is the core of the story.
The book's most compelling quality is its structure. In a most creative way the author, through much of the novel, changes the focus from character to character and develops their respective stories in non-linear fits and starts. With a less capable writer the movement of the narrative could have detracted from the story, but not so with author Sie whose use of form adds interest and vibrance to the novel.
Notwithstanding its attributes, however, the book is far from a "must read". Some of the prose is elegant, but much is ordinary and even trite.The plot twists are unpredictable, but frequently in a silly kind of way. All in all the book is a worthy effort but misses. (less)
.png)