Take THAT, Reviewapalooza!
“Pop Art”
Contained in 20th Century Ghosts
By Joe Hill; Read by David Ledoux
12 Hours, 14 Mins – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: 2007
Themes: / Fantasy / School / Mortality /
My best friend when I was twelve was inflatable.
This is a wonderful story. If I describe it you, it sounds absurd, and I guess it is. But through the absurdity, Joe Hill tells a poignant story. Arthur Roth is inflatable. Being inflatable means almost dying a dozen times by age 12. It means staying away from sharp things, including pens and pencils. Best to stick with crayons. Being inflatable also means that you are going to be picked on at school, because the bullies enjoy tossing you in the air like a balloon. None of this keeps Art from thinking big thoughts.
But then Art meets a friend who shares his bizarre life, and he lives fairly normally, except that death is always one puncture away.
Often science fiction uses aliens as a way to shine a spotlight on some aspect of humanity that the author wants to examine. This is fantasy, certainly, but the inflatable boy does the same sort of thing. He’s more vulnerable than the rest of us, but lives in the same cruel world. That the way he’s treated rings true lets us look at humanity from a slightly different angle than we would if the characters were all human. His finding a good friend rings just as true, and is perhaps the best thing the story gives us.
“Pop Art” stands out in a very good collection called 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. It’s read by David Ledoux. You can buy the whole collection at Audible, or you can buy just this story.
This was made into a short film. I found it |HERE| but I’m getting the old “not available in your area” block. Anyone know where I could watch that?
Posted by Scott D. Danielson
You probably know this by now, since your post is over 2 yrs old by now, but the “Pop Art” film is available on YouTube at this address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSSDFZCHgTI
Note: it’s in 2 parts, and there are Spanish subs added to it. But it’s all there.
I would have preferred to read the story before seeing the film. The story goes into much greater depth, IMHO.
A very strange story, yet somehow captures one’s feelings one way or another.
Thanks PeterMac! I did not know about that link. I agree with you that the story goes into much greater depth, but what an interesting subject for a short film.