Sam Lipsyte, The Ask ***

Lipsyte is a very funny writer who smuggles insights into his caustic descriptions. I loved the first chapter of The Ask, whose main character works in the fundraising department of a small arts university. ("Mr Ramadathan had mortgaged his electronics store so his son could craft affecting screenplays about an emotionally distant, workaholic immigrant's quest for the American dream.") But alas, the story was weak and many of the characters too quirky by half. It was especially disappointing given the strength of the writing on a paragraph-by-paragraph level. I'm sure I'll check out Lipsyte's other books after adjusting my expectations accordingly.