Ask the Dust

It’s Friday! Meaning, it is spring break! Meaning, I am super excited to go home and see my friends and family. Now I know you’re thinking wait a minute, this blog is about reading, what is she talking about? Well just hold on a second, let me celebrate. Alright so yay Friday, and now on to the main event. I am going to be reviewing a book I read for my history class because, well, I haven’t had time to read anything else. It’s an actual novel, not like a text book or anything, so I feel it will suffice for my blogging purposes. It is called Ask the Dust by John Fante . I am not really a big fan of historical books, but this one was pretty good. It is essentially about a man living in LA in the Great Depression era around the 1930’s. He is a writer and is completely insane and struggles with his life, having high points and low points. This book reveals a lot about boosterism in LA at the time and race relations. It’s a good book to look at the historical implications of time, and what it was like to migrate to LA during the depression. But, at the same time, it was still really interesting. The main character is basically manic depressive, and can spend money and lose money like there is no tomorrow. He has what I would call a bipolar relationship with a woman that is interesting to watch unfold throughout the novel. The story’s ending is pretty dramatic, and says something powerful about that time period. I would recommend this book to someone who likes history at least a little, and to someone who enjoys analyzing stories. I give this book a 7.5 out of 10 rating. I know there’s a movie about it, I’ll link the trailer, I have not seen it, but I heard it’s pretty much nothing like the novel…

-J.