So, the ever so hunky James Franco wrote a book. If you've been living in a cave, you might not know that James Franco is an Actor, a really good one too. It turns out that James Franco is also a painter, director, and writer (he has an MFA from Brooklyn College).
So, a couple of weeks ago I went to Davis for just a couple of days. I was walking around town and decided to sit in the park and read, but I didn't have a book. So I went to a bookstore, I think it was called Avid Reader, and bought Palo Alto. A friend of mine has a copy and has often said that she'll lend it to me when she finishes reading it, but she still hasn't; I don't even know if she has started it! So, I bought a copy, and started reading it, first in the park, then by the pool, then at home.
Palo Alto is a collection of short stories about teens in Palo Alto, where James Franco grew up. Some people have said that the book, is not very good, I believe the word "underwhelming" was used. I, however, disagree. The book is very reminiscent of In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway. In Our Time is a collection of short stories written about the war. The are all separate stories but connected. Many of the characters are reoccurring throughout the book, and the tone is quiet and subdued. Short sentences. And the stories don't necessarily say much, not much happens, but even so, they are beautiful, meaningful, profound. This is all the same in Palo Alto. It is gritty and realistic. James Franco's writing style is very similar to that of the great writer of the 1920's, such as Ernest Hemmingway (as mentioned before), F. Scott Fitzgerald, and William Faulkner.
Palo Alto is a great book. Not a happy book, but truly worth reading. You should check it out.
