First Novels: Mysteries of Pittsburgh, by Michael Chabon

Talk about incredible first novels. The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh is up there on my top “best first novels” of all time. And Chabon, even with his “I have way more awesome sex with my super-hot sexy famous husband than any other Mommy in the Play-Date Group” wife, has gone on to MORE than fulfill the promise he showed in that first book. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (with bonus content): A Novel is a great American novel. Written recently.

But his gift was already clearly apparent in his wonderfully written first novel (he was 22 when he wrote it – but he already knew how to tap into bittersweet nostalgia … It’s not a put-on, or a pose. It seems truly generated.)

The book seems made to be turned into a film. This is compared to Chabon’s other book Wonder Boys: A Novel – which – when I heard they were making a movie out of it, I thought – HOW? It mostly takes place inside people’s heads … and it’s about a WRITER and movies about writers are notoriously difficult to make … how do you make it interesting? And of course – that film is fantastic – I was so happy about that. Ridiculous I know, but I felt invested in that film’s success because of my regard for Michael Chabon. His work is really important to me.) But anyway – Mysteries of Pittsburgh doesn’t re-invent the wheel – it’s a regular old story about a kid who lives in Pittsburgh – and he’s bumming around the summer after he graduates college. It’s a coming-of-age story. There’s a love-triangle. There are parental issues. There’s a lot of partying, and basic hanging around. But people are growing up, hurting each other, moving on, etc. Chabon wrote about what he knew. And damn, that boy can write. The characters made indelible marks in my mind. Phlox. Who could forget Phlox? I mean, with a name like Phlox, first of all … I remember one section where he describes the left-over smudge of glittery makeup on her cheek, from a night out partying. But it’s like the next afternoon. So that one detail – that she hasn’t washed her face – means a lot. Tells you a lot.

My personal 2 favorite characters were the biker named Cleveland – I LOVE Cleveland – he’s legendary. He’s just one of those guys who is completely famous in the city. Awesome character. And I love Jane. Her breezy nonchalance. There’s a raging party going on, with loud music, and many drugs, and people having sex in the bathtub, and wasted morons cavorting like satyrs on the roof, and drunken people falling into the flowerbeds … and out on the quiet lawn, far off from the house, Jane stands … practicing her golf swing. Over and over and over. All by herself. She is completely wrapped up in her swing, in what she is doing. It’s been a while since I read the book – but those two characters – Cleveland and Jane really stick with me.

All of this is just to say that they’re finally making this one into a film. It’s really early yet, they haven’t cast it yet – although Sienna Miller appears to be bandied about for Phlox – which is kind of perfect, just in terms of sensibility. Both are cute and stylish party girls – who also just give you the impression that they might be a little bit … uhm … dirty? I don’t mean “dirty” in a sexual way, I mean dirty like – she doesn’t wash her damn face every day. She goes to bed with her makeup on. She smokes a cigarette first thing when she wakes up and then doesn’t brush her teeth. Etc. But she’s so cute and she’s only 21 so you don’t really notice. Not yet anyway.

I wonder who will be Cleveland and Jane. A 21 year old Julianne Moore would have been perfect for Jane. Jane has to be a breed apart. Not a snob, not really. But kind of casually beautiful – but not even that: she’s not like anybody else and she’s not trying to be different – she just is. People give her a wide berth, throwing admiring and yet kind of confused glances in her direction. She’s like a character out of Gatsby, plopped down in the middle of Pittsburgh. Great character.

It’s also good to hear that they have permission to film in Pittsburgh. It’s hard to do stuff like that nowadays – when Toronto can pretty much stand in for any American city (but you can tell the blandness – the place-lessness of some American movies now – because – duh – it’s all filmed in Toronto!) – and Pittsburgh has its own feel, its own look … So this, so far, is very good news. Chabon is pleased about that too. I liked his quote: “Look, it’s in the title, right? I really hope and pray and wish that it can be worked out.”

I’ll be very interested to watch this whole project develop. Need to re-read the book as well.