The Ecstasy of Influence, rather than a novel, is more a homage to all the things that author Jonathan Lethem has come to appreciate in literature, film, music and more. “Most of my heroes are partly or entirely out of print,” Lethem states early on in the book, and then goes on to describe his love for writers such as Shirley Jackson, filmmakers like John Cassavetes, musicians like the Go-Betweens.
Moreover, Lethem goes on to talk about his controversial and unusual likes, such as smoking of marijuana and entertaining notions of future space travel. His most prominent work included in this volume is that of his response to Harold Bloom’s essay, “The Anxiety of Influence” (1973), which was published in Harper’s Magazine. Lethem uses this essay to explore the need to use past works in current works - indeed; the most surprising thing the reader learns at the end is that Lethem mostly plagiarized the work of others without the knowable of the unsuspecting reader.
Lethem also comments on his childhood experiences and the impact they had on well-known authors. For example, at Bennington College, Lethem met Donna Tartt and had a falling out with her. He suspects that she later published the work, “The Secret History”, which had a character of a farmer that was murdered, and based it on him. Moreover, in the essay called “My Disappointment Critic,” Lethem criticizes his own critic, James Wood, who commented negatively on his 2003 novel “The Fortress of Solitude.” The book is entirely a comment on various experiences and interactions Lethem has experienced so far in his life.
