With Occasional Music (Harvest Book), Gun

If you're going to write hard-boiled detective noir, you'd better be Raymond Chandler. Unless you're Jonathen Lethem. I was suspicious of the review tagging this book as a combination of Phillip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler--how can anybody make that joke stretch for a book? But Lethem plays it straight, and the noir prose is his own, not a pastiche.

This book is quite simply, terrible. It is an incomplete narrative which takes place in a dystopian world that leaves the reader asking "What's the point?". The author might have a well conceived vision for this book, but if so completely fails to bring it to light for the reader to understand. Add to this incomprehensible number of punctuation errors and the reader is left with the impression of a novel that was slapped together under the influence of one of the many drugs that are featured so prominently in the book.

Loved the babyheads. Loved this book, actually. Nonstop made-up fun. The plot's great, the characters are great, the writing is great, the author's imagination blows me away. This is such a good book. I'll read everything he writes.

A truly bizarre yet highly entertaining take on the noir genre. The novel takes you places you never imagined, with weird pseudo-animals and strange drugs. Don't let the title put you off - Gun, with Occasional Music is a treat. Pick it up if you're a detective novel fan or a sci fi aficionado. Highly recommended.

Jonathan Lethem had a strong start with this whitty, subtle and clever first novel. His character, Conrad Metcalf, is not afraid to admit he has an addiction and that he is less than savvy when it comes to romance. He is an imperfect protagonist in a world that is perfectly twisted and corrupt. Lethem keeps the tension strong throughout, providing the right amount of plot-twisting exactly when it's needed. This book is a recipe for an enjoyable read, for either the mystery or the SF fan.

Jonathan Lethem is the only modern author who comes close to the style of Philp K. Dick. Lethem has the remarkable ability to write about the most unusual worlds, yet make them believable, just as Dick did. Gun, With Occasional Music will astound you with its inventiveness.

What a fascinating read. Lethem tosses off fantastic and compelling ideas like dirty socks. Each concept (Babyheads, legalized -no...forced- drug use, talking animals, the illegalization of the news) could be the focus of the novel but Lethem just uses these ideas as background for a pretty interesting detective story. What an incredible imagination and a knack for dialogue! One of the best books I have ever read.

I started reading Jonathan Lethem with _As She Climbed Across the Table_ which I thought was funny, sharp, tho small . I've sense read ALL Jonathan Lethem books in hopes to finding an equal or better book. I found nothing but acid trip/opiate dream garbage/drivel. All overly detailed and quite boring, lacking in story. Stupid stuff. The only book of Jonathan Lethems I'd recommend is _As She Climbed Across the Table.

Midway through reading Motherless Brooklyn, I decided that Lethem was something of a genius and ordered Gun, with Occasional Music without even investigating the plot (I loved the title). When the book arrived, I read the jacket and felt a bit put off by the seemingly preposterous storyline, but decided to give it a shot anyhow. I was rewarded.

If you are considering reading the book and have doubts, read Motherless Brooklyn and Fortress of Solitude first. I think you will then conclude that Lethem is a writer whose books are worth reading.

This is my first book by Jonathan Lethem. The writing is witty and the future he has imagined seems oddly possible even though it's completely outrageous. I found myself almost immediately accepting evolved animals walking around the city without question. A great read for Sci-Fi fans and mystery readers.