Fortress of Solitude

Jonathan Lethem, in Fortress of Solitude, has created a tale of growing up in Brooklyn that is a love-hate relationship with the city. Coming on the heals of his previous novel, Motherless Brooklyn, Lethem delves deeper into his love of the city. Having been raised by a similar set of parents as those portrayed in the novel, one may speculate about how much of his own childhood experiences have been weaved into the story.

Fortress of Solitude is divided into two parts. The first follows the childhood of the story's main character, Dylan Ebdus as he navigates the world of Brooklyn in the mid-1970's. He chronicles both the creation of his meek (white) personage, and that of the confident, strong (black) character of his neighbor and best friend, Mingus Rude. The color of the two character's is an undercurrent of the novel. That distinction is one of the sole things that sets each on their paths.

Dylan is moved to Brooklyn by his hippie mother and artist father, Abraham. His mother is complex, explosive, brooding; essentially a manic-depressive woman. Abraham is a dedicated artist, always in his studio working on his art. The manic-depressive nature of the mother leaves the reader with a constant feeling of abandonment, eventually resulting in actual abandonment.

Rude is the envy of every kid on the block. He is at ease with anyone. Correctly respectful to those respect is due, and street savvy in the situations that require it. His connection with Dylan is based on their motherlessness. Dylan learns much of his street wisdom from Mingus, and in doing so, develops a boyish crush (for a lack of a better way of discribing it).

Each boy is being raised by an increasingly isolated father. Mingus' father, Barris Rude, Jr., is a jazz singer whose star was fading, isolates himself in a world of drugs and parties. Abraham isolates himself with his art. Both fathers, in their ways, still strive to provided for their sons. Abraham provides the means for good schools and a good life, even by sacrificing his art. Barris provides Mingus with with all the elements for partying: money, space, and drugs.

The first half is written in a vibrant style, with an almost stream-of-consciousness method. It gives the time frame of childhood the feeling of free flowing memory. It treats the events and happenings in the same fashion as one treats their own childhood memories. Lethem spends time on those events that are significant to the character: time spent tagging buildings, sessions of drug abuse, summers. Apart from the introduction of school's terror for Dylan, very little time is spent on his school experiences. For Dylan and Mingus, school is merely a holding pen, a prison, before release into the wilds of Brooklyn.

There is a wonderful divider, separating the two halves of the book. Written as liner notes for a boxed-set of Barris Rude, Jr., it is a fantastic way of relieving the suspense that is built up at the end of the first half. It creates a very real history of Rude's career in music that brings a new life to the character.

The second half takes place in the present. Dylan, living in California as a music journalist (the liner notes were "authored" by him), is still reeling from the effects of his childhood. His past has permeated his life through a severe, unacknowledged depression. It is now written in a first person perspective with a more journalistic style. The remainder of the book follows Dylan's attempts to reconcile with his own past. While this is well-written and well executed, it shadows the first half of the book, in terms of story.

Overall, Fortress of Solitude is a marvelous picture of growing up in a city that is at one of it's darkest points. The characters are deep and moving, the imagery is wonderful and the style of the text is great. Lethem excels in his style, as always.