Review of The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

*Won Through a Goodreads Giveaway*


I'm honestly torn with this book. The Flamethrowers: A Novel is described as being a coming of age story for a girl named after the place of her birth, Reno. The year is 1977 and she is intent on making it in the art world she just doesn't know how. With her love of motorcycles and art, she convienently begins to date a man named Sandro Valero who's father is the king of the Valero tire and motorcycle empire. Reno is very wet behind the ears in all things life so the cast of this story are really the driving force and who make things happen.

There are a host of characters who bring moments in the book to life. They all seem to be artists, or wanna-be artists with such colorful personalities, that I almost forget that I have no idea who Reno is. I don't know for most of the novel what makes her tick, makes her happy, what her longterm ambitions are, or how she feels about the people she surrounded herself with.

I would love to say that I enjoyed every moment of this book, but it would be a complete fabrication. I actually loathed how boring it was... initially. Then I slowed down and read on and realized that the journey I'm taking with Reno should be savored and I need patience. I wanted her to take a stand once she was involved with a radical movement and to decided whether it was right or wrong. I wanted her to be angry that rape victims weren't considered victims if the rapist decided he would marry the woman. I willed her to believe in something... anything. Most of the time, I found her to just be "a girl on layaway". This is good when telling a story but not good when you expect the narrator to "come of age" eventually. Not only did I notice it, but a few of the characters noticed it too.

Rachel Kushner did a great job with the language and style of this book. The transitions between Reno's narration and Sandro's father were easy to maneuver. I only wish there was a little more background information regarding the times, but I understand that most of what I want can only be said if Reno knows it. Ultimately, this novel is well-written, although tedious at times to get through (for me at least). I may someday go back and read this book when I have more time to ponder the questions it has left me with before I move on to the next question. I recommend this book to fans of serious lit. I enjoyed this journey provided to me by Rachel Kushner.

Throwing The Flamethrowers Out the Window!

I am about 50% in this book The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner.  I have to admit that it is somewhat tedious. There are moments when I'm totally there with Reno, our heroine, and other times when I'm honestly bored out of my mind. Maybe it's because it is Monday that I may feel a little burned out, or it could be that the book is actually pretty boring. I concede that my usual reads are thrillers/mysteries that are full of shock and awe, but that in no way stops me from giving other novels a fair shake. I have read my fair share of literary novels that I cherish more than my usually macabre menu.

The story is being told through the eyes of Reno which is enjoyable because it should make whoever she is standout all the more. In this case, it does not. The groups of people she encounters are flamboyant and deminsional whereas she's just a wallflower for me. If she wasn't so interested in speed, motorcycles, skiing and going fast, I probably would have had no interest in her. The artists that she meets are so much more interesting and I want them to be telling the story. I guess I can appreciate that she doesn't have much going for her in the way of feelings or emotions. This lack of characteristics makes it easier to enjoy the moment she's in instead of worrying why she did or didn't react a certain way.

So far, The Flamethrowers is a well written book that I just can't seem to stay interested in for longer than a few minutes. This in no way is the authors' fault. I just need something more to draw me to Reno or a little more structure of the plot. I don't understand yet what all this has to do with anything. I guess I'll have to read on to find out where Reno is on the verge to.

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

I begin work today with The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner. It's detailed as being a coming of age story for a young woman named Reno and the year is 1977. I enjoy coming of age stories because they are usually character driven works. As a reader, I like to identify with the protagonist and find ways I can relate to their struggle. It's always envigorating to see the growth of a person through a novel. They become our buddies and we want to see them succeed. I hope this novel won't let me down. This is the first I've read by Rachel Kushner but she isn't new to the publishing world. I look forward to seeing what this novel has in store for me.

Synopsis: The year is 1977 and Reno—so-called because of the place of her birth—has come to New York intent on turning her fascination with motorcycles and speed into art. Her arrival coincides with an explosion of activity in the art world—artists have colonized a deserted and industrial Soho, are squatting in the East Village, and blurring the line between life and art. Reno falls in with group of dreamers and raconteurs who submit her to a sentimental education of sorts. She begins an affair with an artist named Sandro Valera, the semi-estranged scion of an Italian tire and motorcycle empire. When they visit Sandro’s family home in Italy, Reno falls in with members of the radical movement that overtook Italy in 1977. Betrayal sends her reeling into a clandestine undertow.


The Flamethrowers is a fearless novel, an intensely engaging exploration of the mystique of the feminine, the fake, the terrorist. In the center of it all is Kushner’s brilliantly realized protagonist, a young woman on the verge.