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There are currently 23 member reviews
for Still Life Las Vegas
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Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO)
Growing
This was listed as a "coming-of-age" story and tho I usually avoid them, decided to see if this one would be different. And I was pleasantly rewarded. Mr. Sie is such a lovely writer, short to the point, no unnecessary embellishments. I would prefer listing this story as finding the truth, accepting it, and having the resilience to go on to the future. I found that the jumping from one time period to another without too much of a clue where exactly we were, disconcerting. The drawings, to my surprise, added much to the narrative. The Greek references were mostly lost on me, but I knew enough to get by. A more than worthy debut novel.
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Robert S. (Henderson, NV)
A Quirky Dark Tale
Still Life Las Vegas is the quirky dark story of Walter Stahl, a soon-to-be high school graduate living with his mentally ill father among the under class of Las Vegas, Walter's dysfunctional family and his relationship with his first love being a young Greek man, who in quintessential Las Vegas style, makes his living as a human sculpture within the ceiling art at a Strip mega-resort. The book stands out from the typical coming-of-age novel not because it is better than most but because of its original plot and characters. The narrative is at once real and surreal, and the characters, although possessing familiar and believable human qualities, seem to float above the ordinary in a dreamscape that comes in and out of focus.
The stage for Walter's bleak and empty life was set in his youth when a family tragedy sent Walter's parents into a downward spiral from which they never recovered. The response of the family members to the tragedy is the core of the story.
The book's most compelling quality is its structure. In a most creative way the author, through much of the novel, changes the focus from character to character and develops their respective stories in non-linear fits and starts. With a less capable writer the movement of the narrative could have detracted from the story, but not so with author Sie whose use of form adds interest and vibrance to the novel.
Notwithstanding its attributes, however, the book is far from a "must read". Some of the prose is elegant, but much is ordinary and even trite.The plot twists are unpredictable, but frequently in a silly kind of way. All in all the book is a worthy effort but misses.
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Kelli R. (Birmingham, AL)
Quirky, Strange, Sometimes-Confusing Debut Novel
This quirky, strange, sometimes-confusing debut novel doesn't seem to know what it wants to be when it grows up. I agree with others that the writing is good and the reading experience was definitely interesting, but I ultimately found the book to be quite dark and sad with little resolution for the characters or the reader. James Sie stuffed way too many concepts, themes, and plots into this one novel between the family curse, issues of race, adoption, competitive accordion playing, Liberace, mythology, coming of age as a homosexual, mental health issues, immigration, Las Vegas, and Greek culture. Because of this breadth, the depth was missing and I was disappointed that characters who seemed quite intriguing were left relatively undeveloped. I suspect that this novel could have been excellent with a bit more focus. The pages here and there in graphic novel format further added to the chaos. Maybe if the entire book had been written as a graphic novel with the wonderful illustrations of Sungyoon Choi, the unbelievability and expansive nature of the story would have seemed at home.
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Elaine S. (Boynton Beach, FL)
Not a favorite of mine.
I was overwhelmed by the sadness surrounding Walt, the main character, throughout this book. He is a 17-year-old dealing with the tragic death of his younger sister, the disappearance of his mother and the deep depression of his father, which makes Walt the dispenser of meds and the breadwinner. He is a talented, gay artist who left high school early to avoid the bullying he received.
With plenty of spare time he discovers and is entranced by the living statues at Venice Venice, formerly the Venetian. He is there every day sketching them and falling in love. When he finally meets Chrysto, they spend their making love or with Chrysto posing naked for Walt. This is the best time of his life, but it all goes wrong.
When he discovers other devastating truths about his past, he rides out of Vegas on the scooter Chrysto left behind to build a new life.
The writing is very good and you will be amazed by the illustrations. If you can handle the depressing tone, it is a very different read that others may appreciate.
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Jill F. (Blackwood, NJ)
Pretty depressing
I found the book to be rather depressing. It was hard to follow at first with each chapter being written from a different point of view but it became easier as I got further into the story. Definitely explored the seedy side of Vegas and the selfishness of human nature. if you're looking for a light beach read this isn't it
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Diane D. (Blairstown, NJ)
Confusing
The book was somewhat interesting, but it kept me confused each time it changed people, locations & time frames. Hopping, from one to another, made me forget who was doing what.
I found the story pretty sad, for the most part, and was disappointed at the way things turned out.
I'm sure there is an audience for this book, as there are several interesting things in it. It just wasn't my "thing".
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Rory A. (Henderson, NV)
Las Vegas partly as I know it
As a resident of Henderson, Nevada, close enough to Las Vegas that I always end up there somewhere, either in errands or occasionally on the Strip, I can say that James Sie's "Still Life Las Vegas" is partly accurate with its puzzling structure. This story of Walter Stahl inadvertently finding himself while searching for his missing mother could very well happen here, and certainly the statues at the Venetian in Chrysto and Acacia do occasionally appear there, but it would have worked better if it had kept to the "realistic" Las Vegas instead of overdramatically destroying part of the Venetian and it being rebuilt as Venice Venice. There's enough stories to be found in Las Vegas every minute, weird enough on their own, that Walter could have fit in very well without such embellishments.
Overall, Sie has a potentially good thing going, once you find the pieces of it outside the flashbacks and Greek myth noise.
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