It is with great trepidation that I approach any book advertised as a "comic masterpiece," and that goes double for "rediscovered" novels. There is nothing more painful than comedy that doesn't land. I was convinced to read My Search for Warren Harding by its deadpan title, the backstory of its author, and the solid design of the New Directions paperback. But I remained apprehensive.
I was mildly amused. The humor comes from the narrator's voice, from the ironic distance between his observations and reality, rather than from "hilarious" situations. I am assuredly more susceptible to wordplay and sarcasm than to exaggerated ridiculous plot points.
The plot of My Search for Warren Harding comes directly from Henry James' The Aspern Papers: an academic biographer tries to gain access to his subject's love letters by seducing an old lover's young relative. The story takes place in 1980s Los Angeles, allowing Plunket to satire the Hollywood lifestyle as well.
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