Scan barcode
hemloc's review
2.0
Two reasons to read Eunoia:
1) The self-imposed limitation of writing univocalic chapters is impressive beyond words. I can't imagine the effort that must have gone into writing this book.
2) Many pages have the odd rhythm and senseless sensefulness of poetry.
Four drawbacks to Eunoia:
1) Asking for a cohesive narrative may be too much given the single-vowel constraint, but this book lacks purpose beyond showing off its chosen technique. The process is what matters, not the end result, so there's no substance to the stories, nothing to think about other than the headache caused by the repeated vowels (the A and U chapters are particularly painful).
2) Certain chapters are more pleasant than others (the E chapter), but even it becomes repetitive after a few pages and the lack of meaningful content invites diagonal reading.
3) The I chapter – although it happens elsewhere also – is full of the author tooting his own horn, congratulating his cleverness, and insulting critics. Modesty may not be required if you've spent seven years of your life working on something this demanding and complex, but it wouldn't hurt.
4) The author returns to sex a lot, in a way that is gratuitous, self-indulgent, and often gross.
1) The self-imposed limitation of writing univocalic chapters is impressive beyond words. I can't imagine the effort that must have gone into writing this book.
2) Many pages have the odd rhythm and senseless sensefulness of poetry.
Four drawbacks to Eunoia:
1) Asking for a cohesive narrative may be too much given the single-vowel constraint, but this book lacks purpose beyond showing off its chosen technique. The process is what matters, not the end result, so there's no substance to the stories, nothing to think about other than the headache caused by the repeated vowels (the A and U chapters are particularly painful).
2) Certain chapters are more pleasant than others (the E chapter), but even it becomes repetitive after a few pages and the lack of meaningful content invites diagonal reading.
3) The I chapter – although it happens elsewhere also – is full of the author tooting his own horn, congratulating his cleverness, and insulting critics. Modesty may not be required if you've spent seven years of your life working on something this demanding and complex, but it wouldn't hurt.
4) The author returns to sex a lot, in a way that is gratuitous, self-indulgent, and often gross.
ghosthardware98's review
4.0
A grand art drawn can start at scratch as mans hand
Pens express length, sheds excess, strengthens the theme
Writing in limit, whilst wit is still implicit
Bold work shown flows, mostly smooth from words born of Toronto
Sums up
Eunioa
Pens express length, sheds excess, strengthens the theme
Writing in limit, whilst wit is still implicit
Bold work shown flows, mostly smooth from words born of Toronto
Sums up
Eunioa
chris_davies's review
3.0
This is a tricky book to review. I can't really say I enjoyed it particularly, but it is a fascinating exercise and one that I think will prove memorable.
This is not a novel, whatever the blurb on the cover says. It is more a series of long, strange poems, each featuring a single vowel. These are...interesting. My favourite was 'E', which gets closest to having a story, but they all have their moments. One can't help but feel admiration for the endeavour.
There's a little introduction which is quite useful in understanding what's going on here and in the accompanying 'Oiseau' section. Unfortunately, this appears right at the end of the book. So readers might want to consider reading 'Extended Ennui' first.
Overall this is a diverting and well produced little book for fans of language to while away a couple of hours. If you like this kind of thing, I recommend 'Ella Minnow Pea' as a more accessible alternative.
This is not a novel, whatever the blurb on the cover says. It is more a series of long, strange poems, each featuring a single vowel. These are...interesting. My favourite was 'E', which gets closest to having a story, but they all have their moments. One can't help but feel admiration for the endeavour.
There's a little introduction which is quite useful in understanding what's going on here and in the accompanying 'Oiseau' section. Unfortunately, this appears right at the end of the book. So readers might want to consider reading 'Extended Ennui' first.
Overall this is a diverting and well produced little book for fans of language to while away a couple of hours. If you like this kind of thing, I recommend 'Ella Minnow Pea' as a more accessible alternative.
nickdouglas's review against another edition
3.0
Each chapter uses one vowel, and one vowel only. Fun to read aloud. Skip to the end notes to better appreciate Bok's less obvious restrictions and techniques.
beatsbybeard's review against another edition
4.0
This is an incredible feat of constrained writing that thoroughly blurs the poetry/prose boundary. Each chapter uses only one vowel at a time, has certain narrative points it must hit (including one which ALSO tells the story of the Iliad), and follows many more "subsidiary rules" that are not laid out until the end of the book. A collection of poetry follows the prose, riffing on the poem "Voyelles" ("Vowels") by Arthur Rimbaud. These poems have their own subsidiary rules, and the sheer mastery of language left me gobsmacked on a plane above the Midwest. You can finish it in an hour or two, but be prepared to be scratching your head over it for a while.
(Here's a meager effort. You should try it too.)
A black mass, alas, has a bad rap that an Afghan can't.
Every egret enters, emerges, then exceeds the lengths these jewels decree.
I kill itching, sitting zits; I fight licking, hitting fits.
Onto food, Oslo owns hot dogs, bon bons, globs of corn on moss. (Oof.)
Ugly urns usurp unsung suns.
(Here's a meager effort. You should try it too.)
A black mass, alas, has a bad rap that an Afghan can't.
Every egret enters, emerges, then exceeds the lengths these jewels decree.
I kill itching, sitting zits; I fight licking, hitting fits.
Onto food, Oslo owns hot dogs, bon bons, globs of corn on moss. (Oof.)
Ugly urns usurp unsung suns.
leesh22's review
3.0
So, not an everyday read but definitely interesting and I would recommend it. It can be a bit hard to read at times but it's a really clever little book.
dariohudon's review
5.0
I honestly can’t get enough of this book. It’s so incredibly clever and reading it aloud is a joy. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Bök read this in person and it was wonderful, especially Chapter Y.
What gets me is that each chapter is a story as well, a testament to Bök ingenuity.
What gets me is that each chapter is a story as well, a testament to Bök ingenuity.