Cosmopolis, a BAD novel by Don DeLillo

Have been traveling allot lately (thus the light postings). I was in Portland three weeks ago and met my brother for coffee at [Powells](http://www.powells.com). Powells is literally a candy store for the book owner. Sprawling now over more than one square city block, you are handed a map to the sections when you walk in. Just on my way through the technical section to the coffee shop, I picked up five books. Unfortunately I should have figured out from the $5.98 sales price on Cosmopolis (regularly $13.00) that something was fishy. Even though it was in the "staff recommendations" section. I keep forgetting that many times what the staff of a bookstore like Powells likes is somewhat like what indie film fanatics like in movies. Quirky, off beat tomes that appeal to a very limited audience.

That is Cosmopolis in spades. I don’t know the person who recommended it, but I bet he/she only wears black, lives in shared housing with other tortured souls and fancies themselves “alternative”. I like many alternative things. Many times the best ideas come from the fringes. In Cosmopolis’s case though, only dull insipid self serving slop is served up though. I made it to page 89 before giving up for a total lack of interest. Completely uninteresting characters, poor structure, and no obvious point. By half way through a “novel” (a stretch at 200 pages paperback) you should at least CARE what the hell happens to the characters. The depth of my apathy was so deep that I almost left the book in the hotel this morning. But then I thought the world deserved to know how pathetic this drivel was. If my sacrifice of a couple hours can save even one soul the torture (and lost money) of this waste of natural resources then I might get back some of the karma this thing sucked away.

The Martin Tobias rating of 1-5, this gets a ZERO. Run away.