Travels in the Scriptorium

“That was my crime. Take it for what it was, but don’t let it interfere with the reading of this report. Trouble comes to all men, and each man makes his peace with the world in his own way.”

"Travels in the Scriptorium" –Paul Auster, p. 52.

This epithet is misleading. It is also a perfect example of why I am so critical of contemporary literature. Nothing in Paul Auster’s latest work gives any sense of conclusion. The crime is never explained. The protagonist, Mr. Blank, is exactly that, blank and boring. If you like reading literature that is about as interesting as a blank white wall than you will appreciate Auster’s austere piece. No questions are answered, only raised. Mr. Blank has no epiphany because his memory is gone. The reader is left in a whirlwind of confusion that is supposed to be mysterious and modern. Yet, the writing is too cold and automated to find interest in.
Other critics praise Auster for his storytelling abilities. Granted there are a few brief parts where Mr. Blank adlibs the end of an obscure manuscript, but this lasts a few paragraphs. What does this say about character development and leaving a lasting impression on the reader’s mind? Nothing. Nothing at all. There is no lasting impression. No profound conclusion that stays with the reader and passes on from generation to generation. When you can’t respect the main character despite his flaws then what is really the point of the novel? Instead of reveling in his economically written 140 pages, Auster should spend a little more time developing a storyline that intrigues. Saying this story is not so unlike the US today is insulting and unjustified given the few random similarities that were thrown in for good measure. Instead of trying to write to win like other contemporaries such Amis and McEwan, write something worth remembering, something readers won’t feel is a complete waste of time.

Divisadero and the Curse of Writing a Masterpiece

DIVISADERO

- Michael Ondaatje

“He pushed the glass doors open and walked into the night so the coldness filled his shirt. He noticed the square of a window on the slope of the hill. There was a tightrope between the two farms, and below it an abyss.”
p. 221. DIVISADERO

Anyone who knows me knows that The English Patient is not only my favorite movie, but also my favorite book. Ondaatje uses his skill as a poet to write beautiful lyrical prose that simply carries the reader away to the mysterious worlds of Herodotus, Caravaggio and turn of the century France.

Yet, Divisadero is not without its problems. The beginning of the text, which is unusually set in the 1970’s is clunky and without much direction. The plot is slow if not non-existent. Ondaatje focuses on Claire, Coop and Anna who are raised like family since childhood. Anna and Coop have an innocent liaison and then a tragic separation takes place thanks to her father. Then, the story jumps several years down the road to Coop’s self-destructive behavior. The problem is, it isn’t until this section of the novel that the reader really gets hooked onto the characters. Up until then, the reader feels passive, like they are on the outside, looking in. A reader doesn’t want to be on the outside, they want to be there, transformed to where the action is happening.

The final part of the novel transports the reader to turn of the century France, following the life of a recluse writer whose life subtly parallels that of Anna. This was the best and most interesting part of the whole story. Ondaatje’s writing remains beautiful and excels in this section. It is his fluid verse that gives life to the story. Ondaatje also has that gift for weaving history into the mundane and making the whole world seem like one big canvas. Unfortunately, when the writer’s section ends, so does the novel. Anna says a few last words as she reflects on her time spent researching in France, but aside from that there is no conclusion. Part of Ondaatje’s style is that he doesn’t visualize things linearly. The plot starts in the middle, moves backwards and then ends in the present. He also does not feel the need to wrap things up. This vague conclusion leaves the reader hanging in a most disturbing way. Sometimes the unknown is good, but this is too much.

Overall, the characters all have the beginning of what makes well-developed characters. Unfortunately, the segmented style that guides the text keeps the reader from gaining an attachment to the text. While this method works in The English Patient because the characters come full-circle, it doesn’t work for this novel. In fact, so

ABOUT A BOY

I picked up this book haphazardly while I was at work one night when I had absolutely nothing to read. Hornby writes in a carefree, easy manner that is appealing on a casual basis. Having seen the movie too many times to count, it is surprising how similar the book and movie are to each other. Whole sentences are repeatedly taken directly from the text. It made reading the book only okay since I knew what was going to happen - with the exception of the ending between Marcus and Eli.

As far as the movie goes, this is the first film since Sense and Sensibility where Hugh Grant did not act like a mumbling wuss. While I do appreciate the finer distinction of English acting, I cringe at the majority of his spineless characters. (Dare I mention “Notting Hill.” In “About a Boy” the movie, Grant’s acting is strong and his character has personality. He is excellent at the sort of “bad guy” wannabe role. Toni Collett and Rachel Weisz’ performances are exemplar as usual and it’s nice to see English actors in English roles.

While I guess I’m partial to the movie since I saw it first, both mediums provide a perfect mix of comic relief and thoughtfulness. Again, Hornby does an excellent job of portraying modern existence in a not so disturbing way. And, thanks to him, I will watch Hugh Grant movies again.

GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS

“THAT TO BE SEEN – IS ALL I EVER WANTED; TO BE MORE THAN JUST A FLEETING GLIMPSE, A TWELFTH MAN IN THIS GAME OF GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS.”

Whoa. That about sums up Harris’ novel in one word. All I have is praise for her truly spellbinding and totally convincing creation.

To begin, I will try not to give any of its secrets away. This is the fourth novel by Harris that I have read. Although the writing remains flawless, it has a different tone than the others that is both refreshing and surprising. Gentlemen and Players, is captivating from page one. The English boys school premise is absolutely intriguing. Sort of reminiscent of movies such as Taps and The Emperor’s Club. Harris’ lineup of characters is very Dickens-esque. In fact, the whole text is a great mix between Dickens and M. E. Braddon in regards to character development, cunning and mystery. I am amazed at the themes that run smoothly throughout the text. The concept of life/school as a game is not new, but Harris puts her own twist on it that makes it equally enticing, begging the reader to eat up every word. The way each section of the book is named after a chess piece is pure genius. Not only that, but several of the characters surnames clearly relate to the chess undertone.

I especially like her creation of Ron Straightley, the Classics professor. It is all just so perfect. In a sense, it is sad to see the world moving away from a classical education, eliminating language and other humanities programs in place of information technology and Spanish. While both of those subjects are necessary in today’s world, they are not the end-all in education.

Whether it is pure coincidence or not, I also see traces of a Pink Floyd influence in Harris’ language. In fact, the phrase “fleeting glimpse” is hauntingly close to that in Comfortably Numb, “When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse.” A raving fan perhaps? There were a few others that I can’t think of off hand.

Overall, Gentlemen and Players is one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. It doesn’t have the seriousness that the majority of modern “classics” possess, but it is a smart, well –written novel that has a lot to offer the world. It may even benefit a high school literature class – something they could relate to perhaps.

Reviewing Potter...

Well...I feel I must join the masses and comment on the upcoming release of the final chapter of the life and times of Harry Potter and his courageous cohorts. I am proud to add this fantastic series, created by J.K. Rowling, to my list of Literature for a Lifetime. In January, I reread books 1-4 in an attempt to refresh myself for the "The Deathly Hallows" release in July. I'm always surprised how enjoyable the books are to read. The world Rowling created is both fantastical and realistic. She has a lot to say about courage and strength of all forms, yet instills it in such a subtle way that both children and adults remain a captive audience. I'm not going to review the previous books, because I don't need to - they've been reviewed, analyzed, scrutinized, interpreted, translated and deciphered unlike any other book this side of Eden.

As a future librarian, and lifetime bibliophile, I have a great respect for Rowling and what she has done in the world of literature. Rowling made reading cool again. She made it acceptable to dress up like your favorite Potter character and wait in line at bookstores across the world to buy a BOOK at midnight. She brought us a magical world that's easy to get lost in, but doesn't let us forget about the everlasting battle between good and evil. Countless parallels can be drawn between that world and our own, but I digress. The point is that in this super high-tech, internet obsessed, cell-phone carrying, blog-writing, podcast listening jumbo jet world that we live in, reading is not always the first activity that comes to mind when we have free time. If a series like this can introduce a world of new people out there to the magic of reading, I'm happy.

Finally, I also think that in in situations like this, it is important not over analyze the nature of Harry Potter. It is a book, fictional at that. Remind yourselves and your kids that fiction "describes imaginary events and people." In other words, IT IS NOT REAL. So, let's not get all WASP-esque and instead, let our children decide for themselves what is or is not good literature. Learning to evaluate material for themselves is far more beneficial than being told what they can or cannot read. The only thing banned books ever did was increase their desirability.