Illustration by Rex Bonomelli. Photographs: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images (Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson at the British premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn â€" Part 1″); Greg Gorman (Jackie Collins); Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press (George Clooney); Warner Brothers, via Associated Press (Jack Nicholson). This week in The New York Times Book Review, Jess Walter reviews “The Love Song of Jonny Valentine,†Teddy Wayne’s new novel about an 11-year-old singing heartthrob. Mr. Walter writes:
Wayne made his comic bones writing for The New Yorker and McSweeney’s, and his satirist’s eye is impeccable. As in “Kapitoil,†his first novel, “The Love Song of Jonny Valentine†also shows Wayne to be a gifted ventriloquist. In fact, so limpidly does Wayne imitate the voice of a preteen celebrity, he risks making it look easy.
It’s tricky enough writing a first-person novel with a character w! hose observations run along the lines of “Jane is like, Let the paparazzi take your photo but make it look like you’re not letting them take it†and “Me and Walter hit the executive hotel gym that was reserved for celebrities and superrich people.†But to create out of that entitled adolescent voice a being of true longing and depth, and then to make him such a devastating weapon of cultural criticism â€" these are feats of unlikely virtuosity, like covering Jimi Hendrix on a ukulele.
On this week’s podcast, Mr. Wayne talks about his novel; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Caryn James discusses “Gods Like Us,†Ty Burr’s new book about movie stardom; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
