A “Goon Squad” Play List

The Book Club is reading “A Visit from the Goon Squad” in April.

Like many people, I tend to judge more harshly books that have received copious amounts of attention. I like to root for the underdog. I wouldn’t say I’m a contrarian, but with all the wonderful lesser-known writers out there, I find it difficult when a really big book gets all the love. That said: I am one-hundred-per-cent with the band when it comes to Jennifer Egan’s “A Visit From the Goon Squad.” I’m joining the screaming masses. I could not be happier that the book won the both the the N.B.C.C. Award and the Pulitzer, and that Egan just closed a deal with HBO to turn the book into a series.

Despite or because of how much I loved “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” I found myself wondering how to do it justice, especially in light of my fellow clubbers’ utterly excellent takes: Jon’s reference to Jack Gilbert’s poem “After Love,” Sally’s comparison of the book to an album, and Vicky’s honest, lovely writing. So I did what this book is begging us to do, and I made a chapter-by-chapter playlist. It's based less on the content of each chapter than on the mood it stirred in me. I can only hope that it’s a worthy addition to all the brilliant Egan criticism out there.

Chapter 1, Found Objects: “Into My Arms,” Nick Cave
Chapter 2, The Gold Cure: “I Wanna Live,” The Ramones
Chapter 3, Ask Me If I Care: “Breakdown,” Tom Petty
Chapter 4, Safari: “Grand Canyon,” Magnetic Fields
Chapter 5, You (Plural): “Exile Vilify,” the National
Chapter 6, X’s and O’s: “Pan American Highway,” Frank Black & the Catholics
Chapter 7, A to B: “Beyond Belief,” Elvis Costello
Chapter 8, Selling the General: “And She Was,” Talking Heads
Chapter 9, Forty-Minute Lunch: Kitty Jackson Opens Up About Love, Fame, and Nixon!: “Goddess of Love,” Bryan Ferry
Chapter 10, Out of Body: “Paradise Circus,” Massive Attack
Chapter 11, Good-bye, My Love: “Nothingman,” Pearl Jam
Chapter 12, Great Rock and Roll Pauses: “Mother of Pearl,” Roxy Music (part of me feels I should have chosen the Doobie Brothers “Long Train Runnin’,” though, for obvious reasons)
Chapter 13, Pure Language: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Jimi Hendrix