Rather than slowness, this is obviously Kushner’s control of the plot and a systematic release of intensity. However, it seems Kushner is calculatingly pacing herself. The narrative’s pace is slow and at times verging on sluggishness. Nor does Kushner attempt to inflate the moments of flatness with superficial affect. Thus, patience and fortitude are required to really enjoy Kushner’s work. Yet the story itself is aimless and prolonged. More so, her descriptions of the Bonneville Salt Lines, the feel of a luxury car, or the motivations of radical leftist organizations are masterful and poignant. Kushner’s prose deftly conveys sentiment and attitude. The settings oscillate between Nevada, New York, and Italy but all serve their purpose in illuminating Reno’s motives. She falls in with a group of artists whose identities range from a disillusioned Warhol Factory girl to a zealous revolutionary, all punctuated by a handful of imperious artists. Once in New York, Reno struggles to find her center, her barren apartment “was about as blank and empty as new life” (44). Set in the mid ’70s, Reno arrives in New York seeking to develop and crisscross her art and love for speed – motorcycle speed. The novel centers on a young woman nicknamed Reno - after her origin city. Rachel Kushner’s The Flamethrowers, is a brazenly complex, and at times both scathing and complacent sketch of society.
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