How The Mistakes Were Made: A Novel (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
McMahon, why are you so f-ing funny? I just shared the first three pages of this novel with my advanced fiction class. My students loved it. They loved the voice, the scenic qualities, the sounds. I love the humor, the sense that this is a wild ride and if you get off you'll miss laughing until you pee yourself. My students have a new saying now: Start with the elk heart. If they remember nothing else, they are taking that elk heart in para #3 to their graves. A soap opera esque story, told from the perspective of the female drummer, Laura, of the rise and fall of a punk rock band in the early nineties known as the Mistakes. This is all foreshadowed by the earlier rise and horrible fall of Laura’s earlier band, for which she was the bass player behind her brother, Anthony. What happens to them is a horrible tragedy which is only slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel as we follow the rise of the Mistakes. I burned through this in three days, which I believe says something about its entertainment value. Some of this was a little cheesy. As it drove closer and closer to its conclusion, I found myself desperate to know the fate of these characters, then, upon discovering that fate, found it to be a fairly predictable one involving fame and jealousy and betrayal and Rock and Roll. Which is not to say that this wasn’t any less enjoyable for that--only to say that the story reads like one or two I might have read before. Maybe it’s because the story is an archetype, one that can be retold over and over because it is a story that resonates with the reader because it is relatable and something that anyone who has ever played music can recognize. Or maybe there just isn’t a new story in the 90’s nostalgia genre and this is the only one we’ve got. It’s not a perfect novel, but I enjoyed it, and I never look a fun read “gift horse” in the mouth. My minor misgivings are the only reason it didn’t earn a perfect score, but maybe you should read it anyway.
What do You think about How The Mistakes Were Made: A Novel (2011)?
Great fictional tale of the rise and fall of an indie rock band who unexpectedly crosses over.
—Mztweetz001
heartbreakingly lovely (fictional) portrait of a grunge band that made it -- and then didn't.
—Hungerfan
If I hadn't known it was fiction I would have thought it was a real memoir. Great book.
—Hershel69
Fun read about the origins of punk music and punk scene.
—mel
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads.Loved it!
—brianallenwilliams95
