Analysis Of Jonathan Lethem's A Visit From The Goonbush

The novels A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, Eunoia by Christian Bok, and Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem all use unconventional narrative form and/or genre. Whether it be the unconventional fact that it does not take place in chronological order; which is featured in A Visit From the Goon Squad. Or that all the words featured in the poems of Eunoia are narrative and only feature one type of chosen vowel(s). And that the main character, Lionel has Tourette’s Syndrome and seems to be smarter than everybody else and what the other characters give her credit for in Motherless Brooklyn. In A Visit From the Goon Squad all the characters are connected in one way or another, which is typically not seen in most novels at

Motherless Brooklyn is about Lionel Essrog, who just happens to have Tourette’s Syndrome. The book is written in such a way that narrates Lionel’s innermost thoughts and shows the reader that he is smarter than anyone else featured in the novel. This includes the detective that Lionel runs into, which completely ignores the possibility that Lionel has Tourette’s Syndrome. And believe that he is stupider than what they credit him for — which, if he were a real person most people would think the same thing. While telling the story, Motherless Brooklyn also offers a rare glimpse into the mind of someone with Tourette’s Syndrome. “Lionel, my name. Frank and the Minna Men pronounced it to rhyme with vinyl. Lionel Essrog. Line-all. Liable Guesscog. Final Escrow. Ironic Pissclam. And so on. My own name was the original verbal taffy.” (Lethem, Jonathan. “Motherless Brooklyn” A Division of Random Book House. 2000. Book.) While the other characters cannot solve Frank Minna’s murder, Lionel does. This is because he uses his Tourette’s Syndrome to his advantage and does not let go of the hint that Frank Minna gave to him before he died, Irving. And while other authors might have painted Lionel as not the sharpest tool of the shed because of his Tourette’s or even him being taken care by someone he is not. Lionel is depicted more human, even though he is naïve to the fact that Frank Minna had associates in the mob but eventually learns of this and grows from it. He now knows that Frank Minna was not the type of person that he thought he was; and instead of reacting in a negative way the person that he thought he was and instead of reacting in a negative way he knows better for next