December 17th, 2009 / 9:14 pm
Uncategorized

Book-o-the-Day: Chump Change by Dan Fante

smashglass10I like to read a book a day, except for on Fri/Sat, when I read ½ book a day (I binge drink on Friday, complete the book, forget every word in a poisonous fog, wake, reread it on Saturday—do the math.)

Today’s book was Chump Change, by Dan Fante.

Dan Fante writes like Charles Bukowski who writes like John Fante (Dan’s dad, Buk’s muse). All three believe they descend from Jack Hemingway, the love child of Ernest and London.

They do not.

J Fante has the best book of the three (Ask the Dust). Bukowksi writes the most agreeable characters (usually through their self deprecation—one technique of developing sympathetic characters.)

I like the play of words: Chump Change. This book is product placement for Mogen David 20/20 (Aka Mad Dog). The best sentence is on pp. 155: “I decided to beat off with her, move for move, so I set my food aside.” Before heading off to L.A. to purse your glittering halos of need, I suggest you read this book. It will take you one hour, fourteen minutes to finish.

That is all.

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31 Comments

  1. Blake Butler

      Everybody please welcome Sean Lovelace to the fold!

  2. Blake Butler

      Everybody please welcome Sean Lovelace to the fold!

  3. alec niedenthal

      weird. for some reason I assume Sean was already in it.

  4. alec niedenthal

      er, assumed

  5. alec niedenthal

      weird. for some reason I assume Sean was already in it.

  6. alec niedenthal

      er, assumed

  7. ZZZZZZIP

      zzzip can’t read a book with at least 155 pages in one hour and fourteen minutes, sean. even with the power of photons.

  8. ZZZZZZIP

      zzzip can’t read a book with at least 155 pages in one hour and fourteen minutes, sean. even with the power of photons.

  9. ZZZZZZIP

      ZZZZIP LIKES THIS IDEA THOUGH KEEP GOING

  10. alexisorgera

      But, seriously, you read one book a day? I’m flummoxed.

  11. ZZZZZZIP

      ZZZZIP LIKES THIS IDEA THOUGH KEEP GOING

  12. alexisorgera

      But, seriously, you read one book a day? I’m flummoxed.

  13. bl pawelek

      John Fante was one hard MF-er and the man in LA – Buk said Fante was his hero.

      Wait Until Spring Bandini – I think that was the best, but the guy got “rich” on writing screenplays before his health started to fail miserably.

  14. bl pawelek

      John Fante was one hard MF-er and the man in LA – Buk said Fante was his hero.

      Wait Until Spring Bandini – I think that was the best, but the guy got “rich” on writing screenplays before his health started to fail miserably.

  15. reynard

      me too, that’s cray cray

  16. reynard

      me too, that’s cray cray

  17. Sean

      I “like” to. Sometimes life is a curd of wrenches. And two days are 1/2.

  18. Ryan Call

      welcome sean. will there be many drunk posts?

  19. Ryan Call

      welcome sean. will there be many drunk posts?

  20. Sockie P

      Do the math. That is all. Mad Dog.

      This is hardcore tough guy, this post. Love the male energy here. Will investigate more.

  21. Sockie P

      Do the math. That is all. Mad Dog.

      This is hardcore tough guy, this post. Love the male energy here. Will investigate more.

  22. Sean

      You bet your ass there will be drunk posts

  23. bruiser brody

      drunken shenanigans and broken platefuls of nachos and yet somehow you churn out marathon after marathon

      good on ya

  24. bruiser brody

      drunken shenanigans and broken platefuls of nachos and yet somehow you churn out marathon after marathon

      good on ya

  25. bruiser brody

      how do you procure them all? many/some from library?

      i mean i know i’m cheap and mortgaged to hilt but…

  26. bruiser brody

      how do you procure them all? many/some from library?

      i mean i know i’m cheap and mortgaged to hilt but…

  27. Tony O'Neill

      So wait, did you like it? I’m a little unclear here.

      My 2 cents – Dan Fante is one of the best living writers we have in the US right now. I think that his prose has an emotional depth that by surpasses Bukowski. I think that Dan’s stuff is actually more related to his fathers stuff, but he has dragged his fathers themes into today and added great swathes of self loathing, black comedy, hard narcotics and cheap liquor.

      And yeah, this boo is totally one you can read in a day. Like a nice his of crack, once you start… you cant stop.

  28. Tony O'Neill

      So wait, did you like it? I’m a little unclear here.

      My 2 cents – Dan Fante is one of the best living writers we have in the US right now. I think that his prose has an emotional depth that by surpasses Bukowski. I think that Dan’s stuff is actually more related to his fathers stuff, but he has dragged his fathers themes into today and added great swathes of self loathing, black comedy, hard narcotics and cheap liquor.

      And yeah, this boo is totally one you can read in a day. Like a nice his of crack, once you start… you cant stop.

  29. Sean

      I didn’t like it then I liked it. It grew on me, mostly the dark humor. The treatment of the dog really made the character for me, too. The dog exposed him for what he was–actually kind, at heart. I’ll read another, I guess I am saying.

  30. Tony O'Neill

      All of the novels are really good. “Mooch” is great, “Spitting Off Tall Buildings” is a little different from the others in that its set in NY instead of sleazy LA, and the new one, 86’d it probably the least ‘dark’ of all of them…. but when I say least dark, that’s not to say its a bed of roses. Any book where the hero wakes up with his dick superglued to his belly by a vengeful lover ain’t a romantic comedy, you know?

      Fante was totally my inspiration to get into writing. Always makes me happy to see his stuff getting some love. I read with him in LA, and it was easily my favorite reading – brutal shit. I have never seen someones poems have such a visceral, almost physical effect on an audience before.

  31. Tony O'Neill

      All of the novels are really good. “Mooch” is great, “Spitting Off Tall Buildings” is a little different from the others in that its set in NY instead of sleazy LA, and the new one, 86’d it probably the least ‘dark’ of all of them…. but when I say least dark, that’s not to say its a bed of roses. Any book where the hero wakes up with his dick superglued to his belly by a vengeful lover ain’t a romantic comedy, you know?

      Fante was totally my inspiration to get into writing. Always makes me happy to see his stuff getting some love. I read with him in LA, and it was easily my favorite reading – brutal shit. I have never seen someones poems have such a visceral, almost physical effect on an audience before.