#183. "The Moviegoer" by Walker Percy

There ain't no city quite like New Orleans. Few authors knew that as well as Walker Percy. In his novel "The Moviegoer," he turns acts as simple as walking down the street into a colorful collage of figures who are trying to make the most of their own eccentric situations. Compared to most novels, the plot is sparse and at times meandering. However, the slice of life nature allows for a deeper introspection that allows for humor to clash with dread in a way that subverts expectations. In the Big Easy, it's fun to see someone who looks to be having a good time but somewhere deep inside is missing an element that could make him more satisfied. 

The greatest achievement of "The Moviegoer" is something that cannot be derived from the title. While the protagonist has an obsession with film that reflects his own disconnect from reality, Percy is someone whose understanding of geography allows for every chapter to feel like another ethnographic study of the city. No matter how meandering the exchange is, some characters have their own complicated lives. Soon, the reader will have an understanding of what attracts people to the port city and why it becomes a point of pride. It's a unique place to live, and the individuality is what makes the community stronger. 

Something to consider is that Percy was a scholar of New Orleans culture in his fiction and thus became essential to at least consider for regional literature. With that said, the meandering nature can cause everything to feel a bit dull at point. At the same time, Percy was one of the champions of John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces," which in a lot of ways turned a similar tale into something more colorful and memorable. Both texts are deserving of their place in the canon, though Percy's work in some ways feels more antiquated. To that, one can argue that he reflects an even earlier period of New Orleans in the 20th century. It may not be as fun, but his ability to deconstruct a street and its residents is unmatched. One doesn't have to visit the city to appreciate what he brings to the culture. If anything, it enhances everything into a place just as mythic as the movies referenced throughout the text.