Virtual Velocity is the story of the curious creation of pop phenomena, Jake Jenkins, America’s most renowned and successful literary novelist. Spanning six decades, through three interconnected stories, Virtual Velocity follows Jake from a sixteen-year-old learning about literature and women, to frenetic rock journalist, to struggling literary novelist, to world-famous author. Journeying through … author. Journeying through LA’s rock and literary worlds, it is also an homage to the city, tracking its internal and external changing landscape and its cultural shape shifting. Virtual Velocity explores the complicated and often mystifying intersection between fame and art.Virtual Velocity is the story of the curious creation of pop phenomena, Jake Jenkins, America’s most renowned and successful literary novelist. Spanning six decades, through three interconnected stories, Virtual Velocity follows Jake from a sixteen-year-old learning about literature and women, to frenetic rock journalist, to struggling literary novelist, to world-famous author. Journeying through LA’s rock and literary worlds, it is also an homage to the city, tracking its internal and external changing landscape and its cultural shape shifting. Virtual Velocity explores the complicated and often mystifying intersection between fame and art.
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Virtual Velocity by Anthony Mora is a fictional work written almost like a memoir. It has three parts: Spring 2018, Autumn 1979, and Summer 1966. Each part was a vignette relating a part of Jake Jensen’s life, each contained a woman, and each was about his writing. The telling of the tale in reverse was interesting and worked well. The opening story was of an interview with a report that was entirely off the record. It was an entertaining look into Jake’s time as a rock and roll reporter for rock magazines as well as men’s magazines-you know the ones…people claim to buy them for the articles, but the reality is the draw is the naked women. Lots of 70s icons make an appearance here and it was pretty entertaining, including the story of the woman that helped him get his start, and the woman that made him famous-two different women. The next part was about a huge mistake he made and the subsequent loss of the woman of his dreams (at that time), and the third, a teen-age wet dream and the story of how he became Jake instead of John. All very entertaining.
Jake is a complicated guy and it took plenty of intriguing situations to make him the man he is today. Virtual Velocity was an interesting read and an entertaining journey; probably more entertaining for me that for him. He ends (begins) the book as a successful novelist and uncomfortable with his fame. He is single despite having had a myriad of relationships in his past. He has two pets: Cat and Dog…no, not what you would think. It appears as if he is becoming his greatest wish, invisible (again). It was a fairly easy read and was entertaining; a coming-of-age story told in reverse. The presentation was as interesting as the content. I would recommend it as a break from what a reader normally reads. It was good as that.
I received a free ARC of Virtual Velocity from the Mystery Review Crew. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.
Virtual Velocity tells the story of Jake Jenkins, who is looking back on his long and interesting life through three specific episodes that shaped who he has become. Jake is a complicated character, and I liked how each past event shows the reader a bit more about him as a person. It was interesting to watch his growth as each episode unfolded, and we learned more about Jake and the key people, places, and events that molded him.
I also enjoyed learning more about Los Angeles during the late 60s and 70s. The author obviously knows his subject matter, and was able to describe things very well. It all seemed very realistic to me, and I felt that I gained some knowledge about the history of that area by reading this book.
My understanding is that this is going to become a play, and I would very much like to see it. I’d be curious to see how the actor’s portrayal of Jake matches what I’ve created in my mind.
An excellent book, and one I recommend to everyone, especially fans of historical fiction and the music scene.