« older | Main Largehearted Boy Page | newer »
February 24, 2022
Rob Hart's Playlist for His Novel "The Paradox Hotel"
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.
Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others.
Rob Hart's genre-bending novel The Paradox Hotel is smart, surprising, and hauntingly compelling.
Kirkus wrote of the book:
"Inventive action, breakneck pacing, and a delightfully acerbic yet achingly vulnerable first-person-present narration distinguish this speculative noir stunner, which meditates on grief while exploring issues of inequity and determinism...Hart delivers a riveting read likely to win him scores of new fans."
In his own words, here is Rob Hart's Book Notes music playlist for his story collection The Paradox Hotel:
The Paradox Hotel is about January Cole, a time cop who is suffering from a neurological condition that leaves her unstuck in her own timeline. That condition allows her to see her dead girlfriend, Mena, roaming the hallways of the hotel, where January works as the house detective. The plot is set in motion when she stumbles upon a body only she can see, but the core of the book is January’s inability to process her own grief, to face herself, to let go of the woman who saved her and made her better… so a lot of the songs on this list were aimed at getting at that emotional core.
Hotel California - The Eagles
Okay, okay, yeah, I know, I wrote a hotel book and included this song first. I just… really like it. And the song spoke to the theme… being a prisoner, things not being what they seem. It always made me laugh a little when I fired up the soundtrack and it opened with this.
Dona Nobis Pacem 2 by Max Richter
This is an instrumental piece that I love, and it’s pretty impossible to explain my exact reasoning here, but there’s something about the way it builds that syncs in my head with the emotional journey of the book.
When You Drive by Chroma Key
The Paradox Hotel trucks in Buddhist themes, and I’ve always loved this—a very weird re-mix of a tape narrated by famed Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, about practicing mindfulness while driving. I didn’t use this as the epigraph, but I thought about it: “Life can be found only in the present moment. Everything that we look for must be found in the present moment. Peace. Joy. Happiness. Buddha. The kingdom of God.”
5 Million Ways to Kill a CEO - The Coup
I love Boots Riley’s anti-capitalism sensibilities, so for a book like this, where an invisible killer is stalking a group of trillionaires who are ready to risk destroying reality if it means turning a profit—this felt pretty appropriate.
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
I included it for the time reference. And because it was Cyndi Lauper. Once I thought of it, it felt silly to not include.
A Fond Farewell - Elliott Smith
For a book about saying goodbye and letting go, this felt like an appropriate pick—especially because of the incredible mix of both beauty and melancholy that Smith infused his songs with.
Is That All There Is? - Peggy Lee
Paradox was inspired by a visit to Sleep No More, an interactive theater experience in New York City. It’s a big, multi-level free-range area where you’re free to follow the performers and explore. And I remember stumbling upon a scene where a character was lip-syncing this, and just fell in love with it. It brings me back to that space.
Varúð - Sigur Ros
As with the Max Richter song above, this is just a really beautiful instrumental piece (I mean, mostly instrumental, the frontman of this Icelandic band sings in a made-up language)… but it syncs up with the emotions of the book.
Hurt - Johnny Cash
January is a character who is carrying a lot of hurt, and in a lot of ways, she’s the cause of her own suffering. So besides working for the character, this helps me meet the requirement that every book soundtrack I build include at least one song from Johnny Cash.
Take It All Back (string quartet version) - Judah & The Lion
This is just a really lovely song about regret, and how much you’d give to be with someone again. There are a couple of versions but this one is my favorite.
This Year - The Mountain Goats
Is it lame to say that I added this song because it had a time reference? Well, I did. But it’s also a lot more hopeful than a lot of the songs on here, and I really needed that.
Under Pressure - Queen
If I were creating a list of the best songs ever recorded this is probably what I’d put at the top of my list. The lyrics always hit me in a very heavy way, and it seemed like a natural fit for me to include—less for the characters, and more for me as a writer.
Where You’ll Find Me Now - The Folksong Revival (or Neutral Milk Hotel)
This is a lovely, lovely song, and the version on my soundtrack was a cover recorded by my friend Eva, who sings under the name The Folksong Revival. There is a very good chance, at his point, the song exists on my phone and nowhere else. So the Neutral Milk Hotel version is a pretty good backup.
Wait - M83
My last “emotional syncing mostly-instrumental” track. And like with The Mountain Goats, way more hopeful.
Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Paradox is about January’s grief over losing her lover… and there’s probably no better song about the vacuum left in your life when someone is gone than this Bill Withers classic.
Rob Hart is the author of The Warehouse and the Ash McKenna crime series, and he co-wrote Scott Free with James Patterson. He's worked as a book publisher, a reporter, a political communications director, and a commissioner for the city of New York. He lives on Staten Island.
If you appreciate the work that goes into Largehearted Boy, please consider making a donation.
