A Visit From The Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan

The Goon Squad being time, as we see the effects of the winged chariot on a group of characters from their 1970s rock’n’roll heyday through assorted crises (drugs, prison, kleptomania) towards various degrees of middle-aged acceptance.

Each chapter tells its own tale, and adopts its own narrative strategy including such unlikely formats as a second person section and even a powerpoint demonstration. The risk is that the novel will become incoherent, but Egan knows exactly what she is doing and instead the emotional affect is cumulative and powerful.