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Still Life Las Vegas: A Novel
An astonishing literary debut about a young man who, in the search for clues into the disappearance of his mother twelve years earlier, discovers himself in the process.
Recent high school graduate and aspiring artist Walter Stahl lives with his ailing father in the dregs of Las Vegas, their lives overshadowed by the disappearance of Walter's mother, who drove off when he was five and never returned. Although Walter has never so much as seen a photograph of his mother, it doesn't stop him from keeping an eye out for her in the groups of tourists he caters to in his dead-end job along the Strip.
Then Walter meets Chrysto and Acacia, a brother and sister working as living statues at the Venetian Hotel, and his world cracks open. Spending less time caring for his father, and more time riding on the backs of Vespas and drawing, Walter finds life has more to offer than he could have imagined. But as his feelings for Chrysto deepen, and as clues behind his mother's disappearance start to reveal themselves, Walter is forced to face the truth about himself and his family history.
Threading through this coming-of-age story are beautiful and heart-wrenching graphic illustrations, depicting how Walter’s mother Emily, a Vietnamese-born accordion player, abandoned her family to chase a vision of Liberace across the country; and how Walter’s father went searching for her amongst the gondolas of the Venetian Hotel.
In Still Life Las Vegas, the magical collides with the mundane; memory, sexual awakening and familial ties all lead to a place where everything is illuminated, and nothing is real.
Recent high school graduate and aspiring artist Walter Stahl lives with his ailing father in the dregs of Las Vegas, their lives overshadowed by the disappearance of Walter's mother, who drove off when he was five and never returned. Although Walter has never so much as seen a photograph of his mother, it doesn't stop him from keeping an eye out for her in the groups of tourists he caters to in his dead-end job along the Strip.
Then Walter meets Chrysto and Acacia, a brother and sister working as living statues at the Venetian Hotel, and his world cracks open. Spending less time caring for his father, and more time riding on the backs of Vespas and drawing, Walter finds life has more to offer than he could have imagined. But as his feelings for Chrysto deepen, and as clues behind his mother's disappearance start to reveal themselves, Walter is forced to face the truth about himself and his family history.
Threading through this coming-of-age story are beautiful and heart-wrenching graphic illustrations, depicting how Walter’s mother Emily, a Vietnamese-born accordion player, abandoned her family to chase a vision of Liberace across the country; and how Walter’s father went searching for her amongst the gondolas of the Venetian Hotel.
In Still Life Las Vegas, the magical collides with the mundane; memory, sexual awakening and familial ties all lead to a place where everything is illuminated, and nothing is real.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2015
8 people are currently reading
1328 people want to read
About the author
James Sie
6 books57 followersJAMES SIE is the author of STILL LIFE LAS VEGAS (St. Martin’s Press, 2015), a Lambda Literary Award finalist for Best Gay Fiction, and the YA novel ALL KINDS OF OTHER (Quill Tree Books, 2021) He is an award-winning playwright of literary adaptations, receiving a Joseph Jefferson Citation for his adaptation of ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, and an After Dark Award for the original work THE ROAD TO GRACELAND. He has contributed essays for The Rumpus, Pen USA, FSG’s Book Keeping and The Advocate. In addition to writing, Sie can currently be heard as a voiceover artist in animation and audiobook narration.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 29, 2015
When Walter was five years old, his mother left their family, driving away in her blue Volvo, and he never saw her again. Now 17, living a monotonous existence away from the Las Vegas strip and taking care of his bedridden father, he has spent the last 12 years searching for her, hoping that she'll someday mysteriously reappear in her life as quickly as she left it.
Working a dead-end job at a museum on Fremont Street, he has his whole life ahead of him but feels he has not much to live for. And then one day he meets Chrysto and Acacia, siblings who work as living statues at The Venetian. Their beauty and passion awaken something in Walter, and he suddenly finds himself looking forward to the end of work days so he can spend time in their presence. He also finds that Chrysto is making him feel things he never expected to, but isn't sure if he should trust anyone not to leave him.
James Sie's Still Life Las Vegas is more than just the story of a young man living under the specter of loss and abandonment. It tells the story of Emily, Walter's mother, and what led her to abandon her family, as well as the story of Owen, Walter's father, how he lost control of his life and his love, and how he ekes out an existence without both. It's also the story of how we shape the truth to help us cope, not realizing the ramifications that our version of the truth might have on others around us.
As you might imagine from the plot, this is a very moving story. Walter is a character you feel for, although you want him to strive for more, feel more, and begin living his life for himself. The emotion of the story is both complemented and supplemented by some beautiful comics-like illustrations by Sungyoon Choi, and at times, key moments in the plot reveal themselves through these illustrations.
My challenge with this book is the way it was told. Chapters fluctuate between Walter in the present, Emily from childhood through the moments after she makes the decision to leave, and Owen's search for his wife, but there isn't any linear order to the chapters, so I felt the story revealed itself in fits and starts, and at times it dulled some of its emotion. But while some of the discoveries Walter makes may not surprise, they still touch your heart, and his story finds its way inside your mind.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Working a dead-end job at a museum on Fremont Street, he has his whole life ahead of him but feels he has not much to live for. And then one day he meets Chrysto and Acacia, siblings who work as living statues at The Venetian. Their beauty and passion awaken something in Walter, and he suddenly finds himself looking forward to the end of work days so he can spend time in their presence. He also finds that Chrysto is making him feel things he never expected to, but isn't sure if he should trust anyone not to leave him.
James Sie's Still Life Las Vegas is more than just the story of a young man living under the specter of loss and abandonment. It tells the story of Emily, Walter's mother, and what led her to abandon her family, as well as the story of Owen, Walter's father, how he lost control of his life and his love, and how he ekes out an existence without both. It's also the story of how we shape the truth to help us cope, not realizing the ramifications that our version of the truth might have on others around us.
As you might imagine from the plot, this is a very moving story. Walter is a character you feel for, although you want him to strive for more, feel more, and begin living his life for himself. The emotion of the story is both complemented and supplemented by some beautiful comics-like illustrations by Sungyoon Choi, and at times, key moments in the plot reveal themselves through these illustrations.
My challenge with this book is the way it was told. Chapters fluctuate between Walter in the present, Emily from childhood through the moments after she makes the decision to leave, and Owen's search for his wife, but there isn't any linear order to the chapters, so I felt the story revealed itself in fits and starts, and at times it dulled some of its emotion. But while some of the discoveries Walter makes may not surprise, they still touch your heart, and his story finds its way inside your mind.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
June 5, 2016
The 28th Lammy's PREPARATIONS: a finalist in the category GAY FICTION.
THAT WAS A DEBUT NOVEL?! WOW!
Beautiful, poetic, tragic, emotional, honest, thrilling, and...OPTIMISTIC!
Don't be afraid to read it, you'll be rewarded with a UNIQUE, UNUSUAL, FANTASTIC story of LOVE..the first love, the last love, the hidden love, the fake love, the true love...the lost love...
No, actually it is about LIFE.
An amazing debut.
Highly highly recommended!
Reading with my buddy Sofia. It is always a pleasure!
June 7, 2016
Fluid interaction between the written word and snippets in graphic art. I love the use of language and the pictures and how he played with time, fantasy and reality.
A tragedy of love, hope, pain, despair and from all this Walt rises like the phoenix after the fire. Beautifully told by Sie. His words create images, beautiful ones which are then further emphasized by Choi's art. He uses contrasts like feathers and stone - a feather is light able to float through a disaster whilst the strong stone can crack when it meets disasters head on. The imagery is then translated to the story and the characters themselves so we have Walt soaring like Icarus, Emmie cracking under the weight, Owen flattened but hanging on. The story is full of such images the softness of Walt - the hardness of Chrysto, Orpheus saving Eurydice and then looking back, the music - the silence and more and more. I can totally loose myself in it searching for hidden meanings and than marvelling when I see or find a thought.
Reading this I came to really care for Emmie, Owen and Walt, I feel for them, their tragedy and hoped so so much.
I recommend reading of the ebook in a device that will allow you to zoom in on the graphic part.
A lovely read with Lena
August 18, 2015
Wow! I loved it!
How rare—something new, a genuinely novel novel. This is a sexy, hilarious, heartbreaking funhouse ride through sequined American culture—Vegas, Liberace, anti-depressants, accordions. I couldn’t put it down. I read the last third in one sitting, and, after I wiped my eyes, I was sorry to leave this dreamlike and dream-filled world. The graphic chapters are delightful, like treats in a fruitcake—delicious surprises that deepen and enrich.
James Sie is a genuine old-world tale-spinner, and this is a fabulous yarn, full of surprises, with the senseless sense of a dream, or life, or great art: part Neil Gaiman, part John Irving, part (honest to God) Mark Twain and Homer.
Don’t miss it.
How rare—something new, a genuinely novel novel. This is a sexy, hilarious, heartbreaking funhouse ride through sequined American culture—Vegas, Liberace, anti-depressants, accordions. I couldn’t put it down. I read the last third in one sitting, and, after I wiped my eyes, I was sorry to leave this dreamlike and dream-filled world. The graphic chapters are delightful, like treats in a fruitcake—delicious surprises that deepen and enrich.
James Sie is a genuine old-world tale-spinner, and this is a fabulous yarn, full of surprises, with the senseless sense of a dream, or life, or great art: part Neil Gaiman, part John Irving, part (honest to God) Mark Twain and Homer.
Don’t miss it.
June 1, 2016
I cannot say enough good things about this book! I loved it. It will stay with me for a long time. I recommend that if you enjoy a good story you give this your attention.
I could not put it down! I read it in one day.
Wonderfully written, amazingly put together. When I found out the lie I cried. I couldn't believe how much I cared about Walter, Emily and Owen.
Caution, look at the wonderful art work as you read along. If you look through it ahead of time it will spoil the story for you.
I could not put it down! I read it in one day.
Wonderfully written, amazingly put together. When I found out the lie I cried. I couldn't believe how much I cared about Walter, Emily and Owen.
Caution, look at the wonderful art work as you read along. If you look through it ahead of time it will spoil the story for you.
October 2, 2019
I loved this book! I never knew what to expect at any point. Like Las Vegas, this story dazzled and was magical, but was pushed along by an undercurrent of sadness and helplessness.
August 18, 2015
What do you do when the power is out? Write a review, of course. I’m sitting here, writing up this review with only the light from my laptop screen, and a candle that smells like lemon Pez, to guide me.
It’s oddly fitting for a review of Still Life Las Vegas by James Sie.
You see, Walt, out main character, has been in the dark about the whereabouts of his mother his entire life. With a father that is suffering from major mental illness over several tragedies in his life, you Walt is left to take care of him — and their run down apartment in a not-so-glitzy part of Las Vegas.
Walt is trapped. He feels an obligation to take care of his father that pulls at him so strongly, he’s even resigned the idea of going to college. He has no plans for his future, nothing that doesn’t involve the daily care of his ailing father.
That is until he meets Chrysto, one of the living statues at Venice Venice.
I’m going to come right out and say this: This book is a bit of a downer. There are hardly moments of happiness, and there’s a lot of pain being experienced by every character in the book in their own way. It may not be the same pain, but it’s there. But I have to say that this just felt perfectly right. The further I foraged into this book the clearer it became that wrapping it all up in a pretty bow and sending it off on its way was not a possibility. I probably would’ve felt cheated if that had happened. This book was meant to be gritty, raw, and in your face, but it never veers too far into melodrama territory, and I appreciated that.
With the way the story is told, it’s very easy to latch on to all of these characters for their own reasons. Owen (Walt’s father), for his demons and regrets, Emily (Walt’s mother) for her insurmountable grief, Walt, for everything he has lost before he even really knew he had it, Chrysto and Acacia, the brother and sister living statues, and even in ways frigid ol’ Vee. Each of them has a pain and a story that keeps you reading.
It also makes you question a lot of the events of the book the further you go along. I won’t post spoilers, but there is a certain point in the book where I had to stop reading, think over what I had already read, and try and decide what was true. There are so many layers to this book that it’s impossible to feel bored.
Finally, the friendship turned relationship between Walt and Chrysto. It’s really what got me to read this book in the first place, and I was not disappointed. There was chemistry between these two from the word go, and it was built up perfectly with each scene between them. It made the scene where things finally do culminate and the boys begin engaging in a sexual relationship that much better.
The bottom line here is that I came for the romance and stayed for the amazing plot progression, storytelling, and graphic novel visual that were brilliantly done and woven in by Sungyoon Choi. Still Life Las Vegas is a true gem.
*Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a ARC of Still Life Las Vegas in exchange for an honest review*
It’s oddly fitting for a review of Still Life Las Vegas by James Sie.
You see, Walt, out main character, has been in the dark about the whereabouts of his mother his entire life. With a father that is suffering from major mental illness over several tragedies in his life, you Walt is left to take care of him — and their run down apartment in a not-so-glitzy part of Las Vegas.
Walt is trapped. He feels an obligation to take care of his father that pulls at him so strongly, he’s even resigned the idea of going to college. He has no plans for his future, nothing that doesn’t involve the daily care of his ailing father.
That is until he meets Chrysto, one of the living statues at Venice Venice.
I’m going to come right out and say this: This book is a bit of a downer. There are hardly moments of happiness, and there’s a lot of pain being experienced by every character in the book in their own way. It may not be the same pain, but it’s there. But I have to say that this just felt perfectly right. The further I foraged into this book the clearer it became that wrapping it all up in a pretty bow and sending it off on its way was not a possibility. I probably would’ve felt cheated if that had happened. This book was meant to be gritty, raw, and in your face, but it never veers too far into melodrama territory, and I appreciated that.
With the way the story is told, it’s very easy to latch on to all of these characters for their own reasons. Owen (Walt’s father), for his demons and regrets, Emily (Walt’s mother) for her insurmountable grief, Walt, for everything he has lost before he even really knew he had it, Chrysto and Acacia, the brother and sister living statues, and even in ways frigid ol’ Vee. Each of them has a pain and a story that keeps you reading.
It also makes you question a lot of the events of the book the further you go along. I won’t post spoilers, but there is a certain point in the book where I had to stop reading, think over what I had already read, and try and decide what was true. There are so many layers to this book that it’s impossible to feel bored.
Finally, the friendship turned relationship between Walt and Chrysto. It’s really what got me to read this book in the first place, and I was not disappointed. There was chemistry between these two from the word go, and it was built up perfectly with each scene between them. It made the scene where things finally do culminate and the boys begin engaging in a sexual relationship that much better.
The bottom line here is that I came for the romance and stayed for the amazing plot progression, storytelling, and graphic novel visual that were brilliantly done and woven in by Sungyoon Choi. Still Life Las Vegas is a true gem.
*Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a ARC of Still Life Las Vegas in exchange for an honest review*
May 22, 2015
Still life Las Vegas by James Sie
Everyone at some time or other has been too busy to take note of what needs immediate attention. Mind a million miles away until a tragic incident forces all focus on the present moment. A small family attempting to navigate the permanent consequences of distraction is the idea upon which James Sie’s book is built. Still Life Las Vegas is about the slender thread upon which we balance ourselves and what happens when it is stretched, frayed and finally broken. Teenager Walter Stahl lives with his father, a former professor of Greek mythology, now spending his days abed in a drugged stupor. They have moved west looking for Walter’s mother who ran away sometime “earlier.” Against the plastic backdrop that is Las Vegas, including Liberace and the gondolas of the Venetian, Walter navigates toward adulthood searching for the Vietnamese woman that was his mother. Enroute, he learns more than he wants to know about his family’s past and the world in general. Sie expertly creates believable characters in unbelievable yet plausible situations, especially considering the Las Vegas environment. The mixture of prose and graphic novel styles works mostly, especially in the beginning. Recommended for those who like their contemporary fiction thoughtful and a little bit crazy.
Everyone at some time or other has been too busy to take note of what needs immediate attention. Mind a million miles away until a tragic incident forces all focus on the present moment. A small family attempting to navigate the permanent consequences of distraction is the idea upon which James Sie’s book is built. Still Life Las Vegas is about the slender thread upon which we balance ourselves and what happens when it is stretched, frayed and finally broken. Teenager Walter Stahl lives with his father, a former professor of Greek mythology, now spending his days abed in a drugged stupor. They have moved west looking for Walter’s mother who ran away sometime “earlier.” Against the plastic backdrop that is Las Vegas, including Liberace and the gondolas of the Venetian, Walter navigates toward adulthood searching for the Vietnamese woman that was his mother. Enroute, he learns more than he wants to know about his family’s past and the world in general. Sie expertly creates believable characters in unbelievable yet plausible situations, especially considering the Las Vegas environment. The mixture of prose and graphic novel styles works mostly, especially in the beginning. Recommended for those who like their contemporary fiction thoughtful and a little bit crazy.
June 2, 2015
This is a story about Walter, a 17 year old Vitnamese-American boy who has been living in a seedy area of Las Vegas with his disabled, prescription drug dependent father Owen. The family was originally from the MidWest and was composed of a Vietnamese mother and a baby sister as well as Walter and Owen. First the baby sister died in an overheated car and then the mother drove the family car to Las Vegas in hopes of killing herself at the Liberace Museum.
Walter believed his father who told him that his Mom had fled to Las Vegas and was still living there. So Walter kept looking for Emily in every Asian woman he saw in Las Vegas. He had graduated from high school and was working at a dead end job when he met Christos and Acacia, a brother -sister team who performed as living statues in a casino
Walter fell in love with Christos. It was not until Vee, his Mother's adopted mother, came to see him in Las Vegas that Walter learned truth about his family.
The book is told ifrom several point of views (Walter, his Dad Owen and his Mom Emily. Here is little character development. It also has graphic novel sections interspersed throughout the book and that made the book somewhat confusing.
Walter believed his father who told him that his Mom had fled to Las Vegas and was still living there. So Walter kept looking for Emily in every Asian woman he saw in Las Vegas. He had graduated from high school and was working at a dead end job when he met Christos and Acacia, a brother -sister team who performed as living statues in a casino
Walter fell in love with Christos. It was not until Vee, his Mother's adopted mother, came to see him in Las Vegas that Walter learned truth about his family.
The book is told ifrom several point of views (Walter, his Dad Owen and his Mom Emily. Here is little character development. It also has graphic novel sections interspersed throughout the book and that made the book somewhat confusing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2015
With a blend of personal and classical mythology, Still Life Las Vegas tells three stories that weave together about a troubled family.
Walter longs to graduate high school early, and find a purpose for his burgeoning drawing talents. But he's burdened by caring for his depressive father, Owen, and we find out why in back story chapters. Walter's mother had run off, and he and his father now live in Vegas after failing to find her.
When Walter meets the beguiling living sculpture performers Chrystos and his sister, his sedentary - and closeted- life as a tour guide is upended. Add a Liberace devotee Lee to his mother's journey of accordion-playing and loss, and the strange tale unfolds.
With a behind-the-scenes look at working class Vegas life, this unusual setting combines tragic loss and a meager hope for redemption and escape.
Sungyoon Choi's graphic novel pages add a magical flourish to this unusual story, or, more accurately, this trio of inter-related stories.
Walter longs to graduate high school early, and find a purpose for his burgeoning drawing talents. But he's burdened by caring for his depressive father, Owen, and we find out why in back story chapters. Walter's mother had run off, and he and his father now live in Vegas after failing to find her.
When Walter meets the beguiling living sculpture performers Chrystos and his sister, his sedentary - and closeted- life as a tour guide is upended. Add a Liberace devotee Lee to his mother's journey of accordion-playing and loss, and the strange tale unfolds.
With a behind-the-scenes look at working class Vegas life, this unusual setting combines tragic loss and a meager hope for redemption and escape.
Sungyoon Choi's graphic novel pages add a magical flourish to this unusual story, or, more accurately, this trio of inter-related stories.
July 6, 2015
Still Life Las Vegas is an interesting read - while the story is dark, and often depressing, there are moments of clear joy that jump out of the story and give the reader a smile. For me, the story was addicting. I finished the novel shortly after I began reading it, so captivated by the writing. James Sie writes well; the story is told from three different perspectives, and each has a unique, captivating voice. Sungyoon Choi's illustrations also do well, enhancing the novel and bringing to light its characters.
All in all, a very good read.
(I received this novel through GoodRead's First Reads program.)
All in all, a very good read.
(I received this novel through GoodRead's First Reads program.)
June 18, 2016
Really good writing with a graphic novel layered in, creating a story within a story. I have recently enjoyed a few graphic novels, and while they are not my favorite medium, I do appreciate them. That said, I really liked this author's writing and I would really like to experience it as just the written word.
September 16, 2015
The way the plot line was arranged was incredible; the characters in the story are intriguing; it was a very difficult book to put down...I just had to read it all once I got started.
September 14, 2015
James Sie’s debut novel, “Still Life Las Vegas” combines storylines and emotions in a simmering ragout, taking seemingly disparate themes and settings and putting them together to create a memorable and unique (I rarely use that word) world, one in which there are the soaring highs of young love crossed with the eternal lows of young death. Tragedy mars the life of the main character, Walter Stahl. In fact, it has caused his life to come to a veritable stop in the garish world of Las Vegas. There, Walter slinks through his stilled life, giving tours at a dingy “museum” dedicated to Liberace.
Walter is trapped by the needs of his depressed, ailing father, Owen, and the desperate search for his mother, Emily. When Walter was five, and the family was living in Wisconsin, Emily took off in a blue Volvo never to return. At that time, Owen left Walter with his mother-in-law and ran after her to Las Vegas, and somehow, that’s how the two of them ended up living there.
There is deep sorrow in the book, as loss and blame seem to suck the life out of these woeful characters, but there is also great humor to balance out this delectable stew of a story. On the very first page of the book Emily is making her escape, and plans to drive over the nearest cliff, “or, rather, it being Wisconsin, the nearest steep embankment.” However, she finds that she can’t quite do it, and her thoughts turn to the future . . . and Colorado. “Now there were some cliffs worth driving over.” It’s only the first page and Sie manages to make me chuckle about someone who wants to commit suicide.
Stuck in the present, Walter finds solace in sketching, and spends breaks from work drawing two “living sculptures.” One day, when some drunken patrons are insulting the statues and about to throw garbage at them, he tackles the men. For his heroism, the statues finally come to life (as in the Pygmalion myth), and Walter meets Chrysto, and his sister, Acacia. Through this meeting, Walter comes of age, both sexually and emotionally. Like Chrysto’s speeding scooter, Walter’s life will finally move forward, with the friendship of this charismatic man acting as catalyst.
The novel moves back and forth in time, showing us the Stahl family’s heartbreaks. Sie deftly juggles the storylines, revealing themes of mythology, art as savior, parent/child struggles, and tales of truth that turn to lies. There are chases, crazy characters (Big Bang and Little Bang), ouzo consumption, statue destruction, and old people aiding our young hero. Love blooms, and percolates.
Sie’s style is fluid and simple, yet sumptuous, easily bringing the reader back and forth in time, building to a melancholy, but hopeful conclusion. He has collaborated with Sungyoon Choi, an illustrator who adds a few sections of graphic novel. These sections are well done and add to the otherworldliness of the story, deepening the themes of myth, love, and death. The revelation of the cause of Owen’s depression is a stunner, and Choi’s illustrations make it all the more agonizing and heart-rending.
“Still Life Las Vegas” is a most assured debut by a writer who is obviously familiar with heartbreak, and knows how to write about it, too. If you’re in the mood for something unique and stirring, I definitely recommend this novel, and I look forward to Sie’s next work.
Walter is trapped by the needs of his depressed, ailing father, Owen, and the desperate search for his mother, Emily. When Walter was five, and the family was living in Wisconsin, Emily took off in a blue Volvo never to return. At that time, Owen left Walter with his mother-in-law and ran after her to Las Vegas, and somehow, that’s how the two of them ended up living there.
There is deep sorrow in the book, as loss and blame seem to suck the life out of these woeful characters, but there is also great humor to balance out this delectable stew of a story. On the very first page of the book Emily is making her escape, and plans to drive over the nearest cliff, “or, rather, it being Wisconsin, the nearest steep embankment.” However, she finds that she can’t quite do it, and her thoughts turn to the future . . . and Colorado. “Now there were some cliffs worth driving over.” It’s only the first page and Sie manages to make me chuckle about someone who wants to commit suicide.
Stuck in the present, Walter finds solace in sketching, and spends breaks from work drawing two “living sculptures.” One day, when some drunken patrons are insulting the statues and about to throw garbage at them, he tackles the men. For his heroism, the statues finally come to life (as in the Pygmalion myth), and Walter meets Chrysto, and his sister, Acacia. Through this meeting, Walter comes of age, both sexually and emotionally. Like Chrysto’s speeding scooter, Walter’s life will finally move forward, with the friendship of this charismatic man acting as catalyst.
The novel moves back and forth in time, showing us the Stahl family’s heartbreaks. Sie deftly juggles the storylines, revealing themes of mythology, art as savior, parent/child struggles, and tales of truth that turn to lies. There are chases, crazy characters (Big Bang and Little Bang), ouzo consumption, statue destruction, and old people aiding our young hero. Love blooms, and percolates.
Sie’s style is fluid and simple, yet sumptuous, easily bringing the reader back and forth in time, building to a melancholy, but hopeful conclusion. He has collaborated with Sungyoon Choi, an illustrator who adds a few sections of graphic novel. These sections are well done and add to the otherworldliness of the story, deepening the themes of myth, love, and death. The revelation of the cause of Owen’s depression is a stunner, and Choi’s illustrations make it all the more agonizing and heart-rending.
“Still Life Las Vegas” is a most assured debut by a writer who is obviously familiar with heartbreak, and knows how to write about it, too. If you’re in the mood for something unique and stirring, I definitely recommend this novel, and I look forward to Sie’s next work.
September 25, 2016
A warm and innovative debut novel about a young man, Walter Stahl, who is caught up in his father's search for Walter's run-away mother, and in the process discovers himself. I thoroughly enjoyed this Las Vegas-set story, told from the point of view of Walter, a precocious young man who is learning to be an artist and his own person. The characters are interesting because they are all rather difficult people, not unlike the quirky oddness of the neon city itself. I adored Emily, his Vietnamese-born, accordion playing mother, and the juxtaposition of the snippets of her childhood with Walter's life in the present worked very well. Meeting living statues Chrysto and Acacia, who have their own peculiar quest, makes Walter take charge of his own life and desires after years of caring for his father. The complex structure of flashbacks and different points of view works wonderfully well to set up a mystery that Walter must solve if he is to truly move forward. While I liked the idea of the graphic illustrations, I wasn't sure how they would work in the context of the novel; happily they are not a contrivance, but rather deepen the emotion of some of the strongest emotional scenes in the book, functioning almost like a storyboard. The tone of the writing and the playful kitsch of Liberace, Vegas, oddball performers, and an accordion soundtrack mesh beautifully to form a story with real heart.
May 31, 2016
Still Life Las Vegas is a pretty good read. I am having a difficult time processing it for some reason; it has all the qualities of something that SHOULD have really, totally (insufferably even), gotten under my skin but it didn’t. The writing was truly beautiful at times but it lacked the quality of successful beautiful writing in my opinion—I felt it was superfluous, and distracted from the pace instead of enhancing it. I don’t feel like this about the illustrations though…they were lovely and well-thought out in regards to where they appeared in the story.
The first two parts of this novel were intriguing though disjointed, and like they were just trying too hard. Those parts were the ones about family tragedies and difficult-to-believe personal histories. Once the last third began, the one with the romance and the sex and the action, it seemed as if the author moved into territory that was closer to his heart, ensuring that Part 3 was a total page-turner.
The first two parts of this novel were intriguing though disjointed, and like they were just trying too hard. Those parts were the ones about family tragedies and difficult-to-believe personal histories. Once the last third began, the one with the romance and the sex and the action, it seemed as if the author moved into territory that was closer to his heart, ensuring that Part 3 was a total page-turner.
August 25, 2015
I loved this book. It is beautifully written and follows two primary stories/narrators - Emily & Walter - as well as interesting secondary characters. It is a coming of age story for Walter, and for Emily, it is a look inside someone experiencing a dramatic life event. The storytelling is enhanced with lovely illustrations that inform the narrative, but do not overtake it. The dialogue rings true, as do the emotions. I found the shifts in narrator and time easy to follow. I highly recommend this book.
June 28, 2015
I read a print ARC for the #paperbacksummer challenge.
This is a melancholy but intriguing story of three different family members who try to escape their past, but inextricably collide with it thanks to Las Vegas. The chronological structure is a little confusing, but the magical realism of the occasional cartoon panels is strangely effective.
This is a melancholy but intriguing story of three different family members who try to escape their past, but inextricably collide with it thanks to Las Vegas. The chronological structure is a little confusing, but the magical realism of the occasional cartoon panels is strangely effective.
June 19, 2015
I won a free copy from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Program and think that it interesting. I would recommend it to everyone.
October 10, 2015
Not generally my kind of book, but very well written and engaging. I used to live in Las Vegas, so it was also fun to read about the places I knew, etc....
August 27, 2020
The book is a melancholic journey into the lives of three characters - Owen, Emily, and Walter, their son. Taking place in the bright city of Las Vegas, the novel's flashy setting is offset by its characters; each one sunk deep in their own sadness, each one unknowingly affecting the other. The novel was poignant and bittersweet, and the author manages to take us through the rises and falls of each moment. Grand and banal moments alike are whitewashed to the same emotion during depressive episodes; similarly, small victories feel intense when emotion invariably returns. The sprinkling of Greek fables and stories throughout the novel gave it an ethereal, mythical feel, elevating ordinary experiences into god-like acts, where each action, in turn, was mirrored by the gods themselves. Though the story is simple, it is not boring, and the work progresses through each of their lives, touching upon three histories, weaving three narratives together to form one complete picture.
**Spoilers below**
The story is soft, and the characters themselves are softened by the trials life throws at them. Owen, forced to reckon with the death of his daughter and wife, slips into a deep depression, and Walter is forced to step up and assume the caregiver's role, though he, too, struggles with his own sadness. Forever looking for a lost mother, Walt ultimately realises that his mother is dead, that her being 'missing' was a lie that his father told so often, the two of them believed it. Walt's relationship with Crystostom, too, was fascinating to read - a living statue who, when off-duty, is lively, bubbly, and constantly moving - his story, his journey with Walt, and the ease with which he moves through the world (eventually leaving Walt behind) was delightful to experience.
The book ends on a positive note - at least, one that points to change. Walt, after realising that Crysto has left him, that his father lied, takes the plunge and leaves Las Vegas, to pursue a new life elsewhere.
The only thing that slightly put me off (resulting in a rating of 3 stars, rather than 4) is one sentence - when Crysto and Walt get together, when they sleep together for the first time, the writing felt...awkward, and unnecessarily flowery. Though I normally enjoyed the repeated references to the gods that were made, in this case, it felt oddly forced.
7.5/10 would recommend, the story makes for a perfect weekend read.
**Spoilers below**
The story is soft, and the characters themselves are softened by the trials life throws at them. Owen, forced to reckon with the death of his daughter and wife, slips into a deep depression, and Walter is forced to step up and assume the caregiver's role, though he, too, struggles with his own sadness. Forever looking for a lost mother, Walt ultimately realises that his mother is dead, that her being 'missing' was a lie that his father told so often, the two of them believed it. Walt's relationship with Crystostom, too, was fascinating to read - a living statue who, when off-duty, is lively, bubbly, and constantly moving - his story, his journey with Walt, and the ease with which he moves through the world (eventually leaving Walt behind) was delightful to experience.
The book ends on a positive note - at least, one that points to change. Walt, after realising that Crysto has left him, that his father lied, takes the plunge and leaves Las Vegas, to pursue a new life elsewhere.
The only thing that slightly put me off (resulting in a rating of 3 stars, rather than 4) is one sentence - when Crysto and Walt get together, when they sleep together for the first time, the writing felt...awkward, and unnecessarily flowery. Though I normally enjoyed the repeated references to the gods that were made, in this case, it felt oddly forced.
7.5/10 would recommend, the story makes for a perfect weekend read.
May 2, 2021
Bought in October 2019
Started in April 2020
Finished in May 2021
This book spent more than a year under my reading lisy so that probs says something about it-- it's okay but not totally riveting. But I guess I should've guessed so from the title (but the cove art was nice sooo...)
Started in April 2020
Finished in May 2021
This book spent more than a year under my reading lisy so that probs says something about it-- it's okay but not totally riveting. But I guess I should've guessed so from the title (but the cove art was nice sooo...)
January 10, 2018
Heartbreaking, honest and unusual. I liked the way Sie incorporates graphic novel panels to tell the more painful parts of the story.
June 28, 2020
I just feel bad for the whole family seriously
August 11, 2015
Still Life Las Vegas by James Sie is a young adult novel that is unique and intriguing. Written from multiple points of view, the story goes back and forth in time and details the somewhat tragic life of the Stahl family but it mainly focuses on seventeen year old Walter. Interspersed with beautifully rendered illustrations by Sungyoon Choi, some parts of the story are told in graphic novel format while some of drawings are from Walter's sketchbook.
Walter lives in a seedy part of Las Vegas with his father Owen who suffers from debilitating bouts of depression. Walter keenly feels the loss of his mother, Emily, who abandoned the family when he was five years old. He works in a tourist attraction where he searches the faces of the visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of his mom. He leads a rather lonely life until he befriends living statues Chrysto and his sister Acacia. This acquaintance becomes a time of discovery for Walter as his friendship with Chrysto takes a surprising turn while an unanticipated visit brings him unexpected news about his mom.
Forced to grow up too soon, Walter is extremely mature for his age. He often finds himself in the role of caregiver for Owen and he is responsible for most of the household chores and managing their meager finances. Although he has no memories of his mother, Walter finds himself looking for her in the faces of the tourists he meets. However, she is relegated to the back of his mind after he becomes enthralled with Chrysto. This friendship opens Walter to new experiences and also provides him with startling insight about himself. Shocking news about his mom coincides with a betrayal and sends Walter into a downward spiral.
The chapters in the novel alternate between Walter, Owen and Emily's points of view. Walter's chapters take place when he seventeen while Owen and Emily's jump around to different time periods in their lives. Emily's perspective includes pivotal information about her childhood while Owen's detail the early years of his romance with Emily and their marriage. There are also chapters detailing Emily's life after she abandons the family and her experiences reach nearly mythical proportions by the novel's conclusion.
The coming of age aspect of the storyline, Walter's personal awakening and learning the series of events that led to Emily's abandonment are quite fascinating but the overall execution of the novel is disjointed and difficult to follow. Although the perspective changes are clearly marked, the time periods are fluid and some of the chapters end rather abruptly. The graphic novel sections are interesting but if you are not a reader of graphic novels, this switch from prose can be annoying. (I personally found the longer segments with the graphic elements frustrating since they contained vital information about the unfolding story.)
Although the plot is a little busy, Still Life Las Vegas is a poignant and engrossing novel coming of age novel. The characters are well-developed, the storyline is quite distinctive and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful. The Las Vegas setting is the perfect backdrop for the unfolding story and James Sie brings the city vibrantly to life. Unexpected plot twists keep the novel moving at a brisk pace and the conclusion is realistic and mostly satisfying.
Walter lives in a seedy part of Las Vegas with his father Owen who suffers from debilitating bouts of depression. Walter keenly feels the loss of his mother, Emily, who abandoned the family when he was five years old. He works in a tourist attraction where he searches the faces of the visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of his mom. He leads a rather lonely life until he befriends living statues Chrysto and his sister Acacia. This acquaintance becomes a time of discovery for Walter as his friendship with Chrysto takes a surprising turn while an unanticipated visit brings him unexpected news about his mom.
Forced to grow up too soon, Walter is extremely mature for his age. He often finds himself in the role of caregiver for Owen and he is responsible for most of the household chores and managing their meager finances. Although he has no memories of his mother, Walter finds himself looking for her in the faces of the tourists he meets. However, she is relegated to the back of his mind after he becomes enthralled with Chrysto. This friendship opens Walter to new experiences and also provides him with startling insight about himself. Shocking news about his mom coincides with a betrayal and sends Walter into a downward spiral.
The chapters in the novel alternate between Walter, Owen and Emily's points of view. Walter's chapters take place when he seventeen while Owen and Emily's jump around to different time periods in their lives. Emily's perspective includes pivotal information about her childhood while Owen's detail the early years of his romance with Emily and their marriage. There are also chapters detailing Emily's life after she abandons the family and her experiences reach nearly mythical proportions by the novel's conclusion.
The coming of age aspect of the storyline, Walter's personal awakening and learning the series of events that led to Emily's abandonment are quite fascinating but the overall execution of the novel is disjointed and difficult to follow. Although the perspective changes are clearly marked, the time periods are fluid and some of the chapters end rather abruptly. The graphic novel sections are interesting but if you are not a reader of graphic novels, this switch from prose can be annoying. (I personally found the longer segments with the graphic elements frustrating since they contained vital information about the unfolding story.)
Although the plot is a little busy, Still Life Las Vegas is a poignant and engrossing novel coming of age novel. The characters are well-developed, the storyline is quite distinctive and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful. The Las Vegas setting is the perfect backdrop for the unfolding story and James Sie brings the city vibrantly to life. Unexpected plot twists keep the novel moving at a brisk pace and the conclusion is realistic and mostly satisfying.
October 3, 2016
3.5 stars
June 9, 2021
3.75 // It was a bit hard to follow along with the flow for the first two parts because of the changing narratives, but I was still drawn to the mystery of the family’s tragedy so I pushed through. It was not hard to grow fond of the characters, especially Walt and Emily. I didn’t expect this book to be so... depressing?? Walt and his inner monologues were so funny, especially in the first part, that I didn’t expect myself to be so sad by the end of it. And perhaps this book was set in Las Vegas for a reason? The glittering lights and the invitation of fun, but it’s really just depressing underneath all the grandeur.
February 24, 2017
Awesome! Absorbing, beautifully written, a different sort of a story.
September 11, 2015
I'm always skeptical of books that can easily be labeled. Young adult, genre fiction, sci-fi, etc. Labeling usually denotes a formulaic plot, with the standard character development. So Las Vegas Still Life was a pleasant divergence from what I was expecting from a novel that I had the preconceived to be a young adult book. Sie's central character is seventeen (soon to be eighteen) year old Walter, an on the cusp of adulthood, mixed race Asian who is coming in the full awareness of his sexuality and the drudgery that life is bringing him. Living alone in a decrepit apartment with his depressed father (who we quickly become aware committed an act of negligence that would destroy his family), Walter will come to discover that not all is as it seems on the surface.
This was an ARC giveaway.
This was an ARC giveaway.
September 30, 2015
The writing quality itself in this book is alright, the structure of the telling of the story is where things rapidly go downhill. The main character Walter is a completely lost 18 year old with separated messed up parents, and they live in Las Vegas. The problem this book had for me was two-fold 1. It is often risky telling a story from a different characters view point using alternating chapters. 2. It is also risky telling stories in both the past (especially multiple times in the past), as well as in the present. This book combines both of these styles and the book is a mess. This is not recommended for a first time author.
Because of the various viewpoints and the back and forth in time, it is hard to track anything that is actually happening. Sadly the story was overly complicated by its style.
Because of the various viewpoints and the back and forth in time, it is hard to track anything that is actually happening. Sadly the story was overly complicated by its style.
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