Anyone who knows me knows I am a die-hard JCO fan.

So, please bear this in mind when evaluating my review.

Here's a quick summary. "Them" presents a portrayal of the other side of post-WWII America. We're all familiar with the Donna Reed, Dick Van Dyke, "Father Knows Best" image of what life in our country was supposed to be like in the 50s and 60s. This book shows the flip side of that coin - the ugly side of city life for the (sometimes) working poor.

However, don't expect the main characters to be redeemed or to save themselves from their circumstances. Here's a small spoiler: they all take what they can get, without much concern for how. It's a survival mode. It's ugly. It's violent.

The story and setting aren't particularly unique. But it's written by JCO, and that makes all the difference. Oates is fearless. She delves into the twisted, bruised psyches of her characters like a cliff diver plunging for pearls. She jumps into that pool of water without a tether, no lifeline, no idea how deep the water is or if she'll make it back to the surface. And as she hurtles downward to the darkest, deepest regions, she has you, her reader, firmly in her grip. Can you hold your breath that long (and I truly think you almost hold your breath when reading some particularly intense passages)? Or do you have to look away from the page to come up for air?

There were a few things that bothered me. The actual dialogue seemed a bit off, perhaps uncomfortable, uneven, or maybe even unlikely. I'm not sure how to precisely describe it, but I definitely found it strange. And at times, motives and emotions were alluded to, and I felt I needed more to fully "get" it.

On a positive note, I learned something! I looked up the Detroit riots on Wikipedia. I'd heard of them before but had never really delved into them.

This started out very interesting indeed.

However, as it progressed, there was a gradual loss of steam. By the end, the whole final section felt rather rushed and lackluster.

Interestingly, this story did remind me a great deal of my own family. Realizing that was a rather bleak thing.

If you happen to be a descendant of working-class white people with poor mental health and impulse control, this might resonate with you on a deep level.

What's also rather strange is its reticence about race. The n-word is sprinkled throughout this work, and its climax occurs during a race riot. Yet, Oates seems to be only superficially touching on that theme.

Nonetheless, I did like the recurring theme of poor whites making disparaging remarks about poor Black people without any self-awareness, especially when it comes to welfare. I actually recall asking my mom once why my dad was so against welfare when he himself relied on unemployment benefits, and she basically told me never to bring that up to him again.

This is my first encounter with Oates, and I was kind of fascinated by her approach to the depiction of sex and sexual violence. But for now, I really don't have anything intelligent to say about it other than the fact that I found it rather bizarre how often she described women as having the physical qualities of a victim.

Overall, it's been an interesting read, with both its strengths and weaknesses.

Joyce Carol Oates is often regarded as the Tom Waits of highbrow pulp fiction.

My friend Jonathan Kotulski made this statement during a recent phone conversation, mostly in jest I believe.

We had been discussing Kafka, Musil, Borges, and David Foster Wallace. Then I mentioned that I was still passionately reading novels and short stories by Joyce Carol Oates, yet I didn't fully understand why. The comparison to Tom Waits stems from the fact that she has an extensive body of work and has managed to remain consistently challenging over several decades.

My most recent JCO book is actually one of her earlier works, titled Them. The title, as boldly illustrated in the picture above, doesn't really give you a clue about what you're about to read. Neither does the illustration, nor perhaps the first 400 pages. Over these pages, a quarrelsome and unlikable family endures two generations of rapes, murders, beatings, racism, domestic violence, abandonment, bereavement, rebellion, infidelity, alcoholism, obesity, and cancer.

In general, I found the book to be overly melodramatic, exaggerated, miserable, and demanding. However, there are two tricks that JCO employs. Although they initially seemed a bit cheap to me, in hindsight, they help to tie the story together and make the reading worthwhile.

The first trick she uses twice. In the introduction, she bills the story as "a work of history in fictional form." Later in the novel, she includes several letters written by one of the protagonists to herself, artfully pleading with readers to accept that "This is the only kind of fiction that is real."

The second trick, which is complicated by the first, is a bit of a deus ex machina, but in my opinion, it works. The history of the minor characters in the novel is suddenly linked to major historical events without much setup or warning, and everything changes. I guess this is how major historical events interact with the urban poor, hitting them without notice. Throughout the whole book, the characters seem like anonymous cogs in a big, crushing wheel, and then, without much warning or setup, the axle breaks.

So at the end of Them, readers are faced with a story that seems too bad to be true, with a twist that seems too big to be true, yet the author repeatedly claims that the badness and bigness are both historical facts.

As a reader, I love this kind of thing. It puts me on the edge. I'm cynical, but as P.T. Anderson reminds postmodern cynics in Magnolia, "These things happen."

I rarely come across books that engage me in a struggle, that effectively prompt me to reframe or restate how I think about the world, its workings, and my connection to them. But Them is one such book. And that doesn't mean I like all the grand gestures, the melodramatic sexual drama, the barrage of tragedies, or the preoccupation with violence and tension. But like in all JCO books, these things fill a space worth exploring, even if they leave me feeling ambivalent and more than a little disturbed.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed and found myself completely enthralled in the first half of this book. Despite the fact that it is a novel filled with nothing but deplorable people, usually that would mean I would love it. However, something always felt a bit off with "Them".

During the first half, the disconnect was not so severe and I was able to laugh, enjoy, grow disgusted, and hate what I was reading in an enjoyable way. But, somewhere in the second half of the book, things grew less interesting and became stale. The characters that had seemed unique or challenging became bland and Oates used them up in bad, boring ways.

Some random thoughts:

- Oates is TERRIBLE at writing dialogue for a man when in conversation with or hitting on a woman. Jules says the same four lines to every woman he's attracted to and none of them are logical, smart, or even seem to fit the character we first were introduced to and watched grow up.

- Everything Jules does is essentially rape, which is disturbing to read in any format. But when it's simply brushed aside as the woman gives in and Jules doesn't even realize what he's doing is terrible, it makes it frustrating to read through time and time again. And I don't care if this is how men acted in the 1960's. It doesn't make it easier or less insane.

- Why is Betty a character at all? We never spend any time with her while her older siblings take up the majority of the book.

- The interesting and ultimately useless shift of perspectives to Jim Randolph with less than 100 pages to go. He adds absolutely nothing to the story and simply takes up unnecessary space.

- Loretta is a horrible character and not in any good or mesmerizing way like some horrible characters can be. She is a terrible person and a terrible mother.

3.5 stars.

It is a tragic, depressing, yet highly engaging novel that delves into the lives of a dysfunctional working class family residing in inner Detroit from 1937 to 1967.

The story is filled with numerous events, many of which are tragic and befall the main characters - Loretta and her children, Jules and Maureen. All three of them are rather odd characters, lacking in strong will and easily influenced by others. They unfortunately become entangled with people who have不良 behaviors.

This remarkable book was first published in 1969 and achieved great acclaim by winning the 1970 National Book Award. It offers a poignant and vivid portrayal of a family's struggles and the harsh realities of life in that particular time and place, leaving a lasting impact on the readers.

I truly don't understand it.

This is a book where every character is perpetually confused. Initially, I suspected that perhaps Ms Oates wasn't as empathetic an observer as she believes herself to be, and that she might simply think her impoverished characters are so because they're unintelligent. But no! The non-poor characters are equally muddled. I have no clue how they manage to get through their days. These individuals are constantly enveloped by a world that confounds them. They seem incapable of remembering basic things like where they were earlier in the day, who they're conversing with, or (comically) how to park a car (as we witness Jules "manage" to park a car a dozen or more times, each instance described with the verb "manage"). I have no idea how they survive the day. Can they recall to brush their teeth? Do they even remember that they have teeth?

This is the sort of book that contains passages (my own, fabricated) such as this: "She heard him speaking to her and struggled to listen, straining through the hazy forms she saw around him. 'What were you doing today?' he inquired. 'I don't remember,' she replied, dully. 'I don't remember anything.'"

If only a single character could remember what they'd been doing the previous day, or could simply summon the energy to grab a robust cup of coffee or a proper nap, we could have condensed the entire book into a short story.

This is the second book by Joyce Carol Oates that I have read. Both were DNF.

Early in this book, there were two well-developed characters, a brother and sister, who were having a discussion in their kitchen. The description was so detailed that it felt as if I was right there with them. The more I read, the more I disliked both characters, especially the brother. His actions and words were so off-putting that I couldn't help but cringe. I was impressed by the vividness of the characters, but, like an annoying person in real life, I wanted no more interaction with them.

It's a shame because I had high hopes for this book. I've heard great things about Joyce Carol Oates and her writing. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea. I'll have to try another one of her books in the future to see if it's any different. But for now, I'm moving on to something else.

Loretta is a teenager living in pre-World War II America. Her life is far from easy. She has an alcoholic father who often neglects his responsibilities. Her brother is unruly and makes it difficult for her to manage the household. Worst of all, she has no mother to guide her. Despite all these challenges, Loretta takes charge of running the house.

However, tragedy strikes, and Loretta's life changes forever. The details of this tragedy are not revealed, but it is clear that it will have a profound impact on her.

This novel is a masterful work of literature. The author has created a relentlessly grim world, but has done so with wonderful writing. The characters are fully realised, and the reader can't help but feel empathy for them. The attention to detail regarding the time and place is meticulous, making the story feel incredibly real. Overall, this is a novel that is sure to stay with the reader long after they have finished it.

This novel is definitely not a leisurely stroll.

America, Detroit, deep poverty and hopelessness. Maureen is the only one who has the opportunity to break free from a toxic family environment. She loves to read and yearns for knowledge, peace, and tranquility. Poverty forces her into prostitution, but the money she earns gradually becomes enough for her to leave Detroit, to leave her violent father and spineless mother. However, they find her accumulated money, and her father beats her so brutally that Maureen is left as a speechless, strange-looking, drooling wreck. She tried so hard to break free through so many difficulties, and perhaps she had the opportunity to rise up and build an honest civilian life away from the horrors of her childhood, from Detroit, from her family, and from her perverse clients.

It is a tragic story that shows the harsh reality and the struggles of those living in the margins of society. Maureen's fate is a reminder of the importance of social support and the need to address the root causes of poverty and violence.

This was my very first encounter with a novel by Joyce Carol Oates, and it truly left an indelible mark on me.

The story was so engaging, filled with complex characters and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

Oates' writing style is simply captivating. She has this amazing ability to bring the characters to life and make the reader feel as if they are right there in the story, experiencing everything along with them.

After reading this novel, I have developed a newfound appreciation for Oates' work, and I am determined to explore some of her other novels in the future.

I am excited to see what other masterpieces she has in store for her readers. I have a feeling that each one will be just as精彩 and thought-provoking as this first one.

I highly recommend Joyce Carol Oates to anyone who loves a good novel that will keep them entertained and engaged.

I'm truly sad. This book had the potential to be an absolute masterpiece, and in many respects, it really was. The story was incredibly gripping, never feeling flat for a single moment. JCO's writing in 1969 was as spectacular as it is 50 years later in 2019. There was so much that I adored about this book, and overall, I still loved it. However, it should have been one of my new all-time favorites. So, what held it back?

The characters.

The characters were all unlikable in their own unique ways. I'm aware that I might sound like a massive hypocrite since "The Secret History," a book known for its despicable characters, is my all-time favorite. But there are different types of unlikable characters in the world of literature. "Them" just happens to have the kind that I usually can't get behind at all. Don't misunderstand me; they were very well-written and complex. However, there's a clear distinction between being good characters and liking a cast of characters.

I could understand and even appreciate someone like Henry Winter being a diabolical mastermind in the guise of a classics student. But I couldn't get behind Loretta talking badly about everyone in an attempt (somehow) to restore faith in her family (it doesn't make much sense to me either). I could empathize with Holden Caulfield in "The Catcher in the Rye" being as angsty as possible and maintaining that angsty behavior. But I couldn't do the same with Jules making a complete one-eighty in the last 100 pages. I could understand the boys in "Lord of the Flies" dictating and controlling one another like a pack of wild animals. But I couldn't get behind Maureen being lost until a nearly fatal incident. These characters were either despicable without end or, in Maureen's case, just punching bags for the despicable characters.

I know this review has mainly focused on this book's one big flaw. But let it be known that I still love this book. The story is easily the best one I've read in 2019 so far. The writing is the usual JCO greatness. However, this book was written in the early part of her career. In fact, at the time of publication, it was only her fourth novel. This really resonated with me and made me realize how great this book truly is. Not even an insanely flawed cast of characters could prevent me from loving what I did love about this book.

In general, "Them" is still a masterpiece, albeit a flawed one. Even though the characters lack the necessary connection for this book to be an absolute masterpiece, everything else hits the mark with every move. JCO is still my favorite author, aside from Donna Tartt (and that can even be debated now), and "Them" is just a testament to that. It would take a full 5-star rating to displace this book as my favorite so far in 2019. I still highly recommend this one!

I'm giving this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Oates is indeed a highly gifted writer, far surpassing her contemporaries in many aspects. Her literary talent is truly remarkable.

However, this particular work of hers is extremely depressing. It presents a rather bleak picture that makes one almost want to shy away from her. "Them" delves into the lives of a dysfunctional family of losers in the equally dysfunctional city of Detroit.

Throughout the story, there is not even a glimmer of redemption. Hope seems to be completely nonexistent, and cruelty pervades every page. It is a work that leaves the reader with a sense of profound sadness and despair.

Given all these factors, I simply cannot recommend this book. It may be a testament to Oates' writing ability, but it is just too overwhelming and depressing to be truly enjoyable.