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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Will return to this one day, just not feeling patient enough at the moment. Definitely funny at parts, but also a lot of (somewhat tedious) political intrigue and a little too much jocular sexual violence.
Wow. I shan’t attempt to describe what I’ve just read lest I beshit myself in failing to do it justice. The sprawling epic is uproariously funny...if you have time for such a loooong book. It’s worth it.
I appreciate what Barth does in this novel, essentially riffing on the 18th century historical novel (I believe the Sot-Weed Factor was published around 1960). He does it with a great deal of humor and, at least it seems to me, authenticity. Alas, I have tried twice and I just can't read more than about 50 pages of the thing.
My problem is mainly this: I don't like reading books written in the 18th century. I don't like the style of writing or the way people spoke, especially when they're trying to accurately portray the lives of people in the 17th century (as this book does). Doubtless there are witticisms and adventures galore throughout this book, but I cannot seem to find the patience to dig through the obscure references and the flowery, old-style language to get through to them. The occasional, slight amusement I got was not adequate payoff for the effort going in.
So, as I said, I can appreciate Barth's idea and his enterprise in crafting this novel. Indeed, I am sure that it is a beautifully-formed mimicry of the 18th century novel about 17th century misadventures. For all of its assets, though, and all of its artistic merit, I simply cannot read this book.
My problem is mainly this: I don't like reading books written in the 18th century. I don't like the style of writing or the way people spoke, especially when they're trying to accurately portray the lives of people in the 17th century (as this book does). Doubtless there are witticisms and adventures galore throughout this book, but I cannot seem to find the patience to dig through the obscure references and the flowery, old-style language to get through to them. The occasional, slight amusement I got was not adequate payoff for the effort going in.
So, as I said, I can appreciate Barth's idea and his enterprise in crafting this novel. Indeed, I am sure that it is a beautifully-formed mimicry of the 18th century novel about 17th century misadventures. For all of its assets, though, and all of its artistic merit, I simply cannot read this book.
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ebenezer Cooke was the real-life poet who penned the eponymous satyrical ode to Maryland, and although little is known about him Barth decided to tell his story anyways. Cooke, who has little talent for anything other than learning and vocabulary, is sent from London to Maryland in 1690 to tend to his father’s tobacco plantation. What unfolds is an adventure rife with pirates, Awatchoops, gamblers, prostitutes, opium peddlers, and aspiring colonial political figures. It’s a hilarious take on the classic adventure novels of the 18th century and written in a style by Barth that both puts the reader in the time of the story without disassociating her from her own. While most of the conventions it overturns are par for the course in today’s storytelling, it is still a delight to read and to see a side of the pre-American new world that is more likely to be accurate that turkey sharing pilgrims: a land of cut-throat opportunists doing anything they can to survive. Although quite long, it still holds up and is deserving of its place in the literary cannon.
I found this amusing and pretty well-done, but I can imagine it'd get old for somebody not on a mission to read the likes of Barth.
Incredible work. Barth is funny, sharp as a whip, and manages to write 700+ pages in faux-1600s english. All around, a topsy turvy novel where no one knows who is who, identities shift constantly, but each character, no matter how minor, still ends up pushing the grand narrative forward.
A sprawling and sarcastic tale about the founding of Maryland and the Colonies in general, The Sot-Weed Factor was hilarious in most parts, heart-wrenching in others, and endlessly frustrating in the foolish choices Barth has his characters make. The prose is written in a facsimile of colonial speech patterns which does take some getting used to, but once you gather the rhythms of the speech patterns it actually becomes quite enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend this book to everybody, but for people with lots of patience and a sarcastic and biting wit I would say that The Sot-Weed Factor might be worth a try. I'm certainly glad that I did.