Chris Poirier's Review of Estimated Time of Arrival, Vol III
Last updated: September 29, 2008
At times, it’s great . . .
I’ve read the first 16 chapters of Estimated Time of Arrival, and either I don’t understand it, or it’s rather uneven. There are a good number of chapters when the writing is vibrant and funny and insightful and revealing — when I love its warmth, its honesty, its gentle, laid-back rhythm. And then there is a bunch of boring, frat-boy, stoned drunkeness in between.
Estimated Time of Arrival is the (slightly?) fictionalized memoir of Sol Mann, a self-described drug-addict who hops a plane from Canada to Costa Rica for the vacation of a lifetime. He’s got $8000 in cash, no schedule to speak of, and a plan to experience life like never before. We follow his exploits in love, sex, drinking, and mechanical-bull-riding.
ETA is at its best when Sol is out in the world by himself, exploring new places and a new culture, meeting new people. The chapters with Dawna, a young American woman he meets, are electric and wonderful. His trip up the coast is also a great read. Unfortunately, the story does not stay in those moments. Eventually, Sol meets up with an old friend from Canada, and he spends a good long while hanging out at the beach with a bunch of tourist surfer types. And — for me, at least — that’s where the writing falls apart: the story becomes little more than a play-by-play of drinking binges and pointless drugs. The dialogue grows mundane and banal. With a few exceptions, these chapters seem written more for those drinking buddies — as war stories — than for new readers, and it seems likely the only people who will find them interesting are the people who were there, and who remember everything with the soft-focus of a chemical haze. These chapters provide no real insight, no depth — no real fun, even — and they aren’t a very rewarding read, as a result.
There are 20 chapters currently posted, and unusually for me, I’ve decided to stop reading at 16. For the last 8 chapters, I’ve been hoping it would get better — back to the way it was. And, every once in a while, it would — but not for long.
It’s odd — when Sol leaves Dawna to visit old friends, I found myself wanting to scream, "No! She’s the best thing that ever happened to you! Why are you leaving?" And now I have to wonder — if it’s true for the story, too.
I think the first 7 chapters of Estimated Time of Arrival are solid, and very much worth your time. After that, who knows — maybe you’ll get it, where I didn’t.
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