Soon I Will Be Invincible
So I haven't written about a book I read for a while, but since I haven't written about much for a while this seemed like a good opportunity to break out ye olde typing skills.
Last night I finished a very intriguing book called Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman. The novel follows the story of a super villain, Dr. Impossible, as he attempts to implement his Doomsday plan. The chapters alternate from his point of view and that of Fatale, a cyborg woman who is the latest recruit to Earth's elite team of superheroes, The (New) Champions.
The thing about the book that is interesting to me is that Grossman attempts - to some degree - to play it straight. He's telling the story of these super enhanced people and while they are odd in their tights and helmets, he seems more interested in their humanity. He attempts to get inside their heads to reveal their foibles and insecurities while neatly dealing with problems like why a villain keeps up his villainy in the face of overwhelming failure.
I thought the book was very enjoyable - it's funny and thoughtful while becoming a brisk page turner near the end. I did have a few quibbles about plot getting a little repetitive - we're given the same piece of information, from the same character a couple of times.
My other issue was with Fatale; of all the characters in the book she is the least developed. I would argue many of the heroes are underdeveloped and there is an attempt near the end to lend a bit of pathos and gravitas to their stories. I didn't think it worked, but Dr. Impossible is such a richly conceived character that I'm willing to overlook the book's other shortcomings. And frankly, for all his failed plans, Dr. Impossible is clearly the most fascinating character in the book.
I would recommend the book - it is out in paperback and features a gorgeous cover by Chip Kidd. I think you can say something about how distinctly American this story is - it is about overcoming adversity, failure, and never giving up. It's just that, you know, the bad guy is doing it.
There