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Saturday, May 4, 2013 2:00 PM UTC

Must do’s: What we like this week

In books, the Underground Man meets his counterpart. In TV, "The Good Wife" season finale sizzles

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Topics: Our Picks: Books, our picks: TV, Our Picks: Movies, Entertainment, TV, Television, literature, POTW, Movies, Film, cinema, Novels, Fiction, The Good Wife, Something in the Air, Not Fade Away, The Shelter Cycle, The Woman Upstairs, Claire Messud,

Must do's: What we like this week

BOOKS

Told through the self-aware but not entirely reliable voice of Nora Eldridge, Laura Miller calls Claire Messud’s main character in “The Woman Upstairs” the counterpart to Dostoyevsky’s Underground Man:

As Nora Eldridge, the narrator of Claire Messud’s claustrophobically hypnotic new novel would have it, we are all of us surrounded by reservoirs of invisible rage. “The Woman Upstairs” purports to be the story of one of the ragers, although Nora both does and doesn’t wish to be identified with the archetypal figure in the novel’s title. The counterpart to Dostoyevsky’s Underground Man, the Woman Upstairs, in Nora’s formulation, is a recessive, barely noticed neighbor, “whose trash is always tidy, who smiles brightly in the stairwell with a cheerful greeting, and who, from behind closed doors, never makes a sound.” Her “day’s great excitement is the arrival of the Garnet Hill catalog.” She strives not to cause any inconvenience and is resigned to always coming second (or third) in other people’s lives.

In audiobooks, Laura Miller recommends Amy Rubinate’s narration of Peter Rock’s “The Shelter Cycle,” a novel based closely on the history of the Church Universal and Triumphant cult. The story centers around old childhood friends, Colville and Francine, now grown up:

Amy Rubinate, who narrates the audiobook, is not a particularly flexible performer, but her voice — hushed and grainy, with the shivering tension of someone who is working herself up to telling you the most frightening thing that ever happened to her without ever quite getting there — is perfect for “The Shelter Cycle.” It’s the voice of a ruminating self, a person rolling over and over the events of a lifetime, trying to make sense of them, which is exactly what Colville and Francine are doing.

MOVIES

Coming-of-age tales of teenage anarchists have grabbed Andrew O’Hehir’s attention this week, with “Something in the Air,” set in France in the early 1970s, and “Not Fade Away,” about American rock ’n’ roll fanatics in the 1960s.

I’m officially splitting this week’s Pick of the Week between “Something in the Air” and David Chase’s drastically underappreciated 1960s rock ’n’ roll movie “Not Fade Away,” which is just out on home video. They’re strikingly similar stories in different settings and different registers about young men coming of age in the wake of a revolution that turns out to be somewhat less than advertised. Both directors are complete fanatics on the subject of pop music; I’d love to hear the conversation where they get together to discuss their favorite albums, except that it might devolve into bitter disputes about garage rock and psychedelic folk. Early in “Something in the Air,” Assayas’ stand-in, the mop-top wannabe artist and filmmaker Gilles (Clément Métayer), goes through his record collection, skipping over a bunch of better known albums by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull before picking one by Syd Barrett. That sums it all up right there.

TELEVISION

Willa Paskin explains what you missed out on Sunday night if you didn’t tune in for “The Good Wife” season four finale:

“The Good Wife” finished its fourth season last night, overshadowed as always by TV’s other blockbuster Sunday offerings, from “Homeland” to “Game of Thrones” to “Mad Men.” This season had a rocky start — Kalinda and her implausible, raunchy ex-husband, he of the perverse ice cream — but boy did it recover. The last two-thirds of the season have been fantastic, a sprawling, entertaining, tightly plotted, non-didactic (yes, that is a “Mad Men” dig), razor-sharp examination of power, ethics and corruption, as serious and seriously entertaining as anything on cable.

Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com. More Prachi Gupta.

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  • White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
    For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
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  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
    Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
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  • Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
    A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
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  • Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
    Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
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  • Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
    Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
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  • Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
    You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
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  • As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).


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