Better

June 15, 2009
The newest novel from Leaving Las Vegas
author O'Brien (1960–1994) imagines a Los Angeles house full of shut-ins, alcoholics, prostitutes and quasi-philosophers. Like the other residents in his atypical household, narrator William pays no rent, buys no groceries and has no knowledge of how Double Felix, the group's benefactor, pays for their indulgent lifestyle. Unconcerned with the mystery, William spends his days focusing on his attraction to Double Felix and newcomer Laurie, as well as drinking excessively, watching The Love Boat
and sleeping with his sometimes-girlfriend Zipper. As both William and Double Felix vie for Laurie's affection, the plot begins clicking with a wild rivalry and jealous domestic partners. Unfortunately, the dustup comes too little, too late; the deed, when it's finally done, with Laurie, does curiously little to affect anyone. A predictable climax answers some questions, but isn't the jaw-dropper it's set up to be. Though basket-case William is an entertaining narrator, this third posthumous work from O'Brien is largely unsatisfying, leaving readers to wonder what a final revision from the late author could have produced.

July 1, 2009
OBrien wrote four novels, including Leaving Las Vegas (1990), before taking his own life. Better is the last of the four to see print. A man known only as Double Felix lives in a mansion overlooking the Pacific, where he plays generous host to houseguests who may stay months, or in the case of William, years. Each day at five a.m., Double Felix and William meet for Morning Vodka and have elliptical discussions of the circumspect interpersonal dynamics involving Zipper, a Latina hooker on hiatus; Maggie, a statuesque but crass redhead; and Laurie, the newest arrival, who seems to have altered the atmosphere of the house. They also analyze the homoerotic tension between themselves. When Morning Vodka concludes at six a.m., William switches to gin. We learn most about William, the books primary narrator. He is bright, introverted, and, within the limits of his alcohol intake, perceptive. But although Better is wonderfully nuanced and written with remarkable precision, many readers may conclude that the atmosphere of sustained indolence and portentous ennui becomes a bit overbearing eventually. Recommend this to Charles Bukowski fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)