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cgcpoems's review
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
I’ve had this book for about 10 years, and remember picking it up at a used bookstore because I was intrigued by its claim that the whole book was told through stream of consciousness.
I wasn’t disappointed on that front. What I was disappointed by was that it felt unedited. When I pick up a book to read stream of consciousness, I’m expecting it to be somewhat edited to insert a thread linking the thoughts together. (I’m thinking of Sheila Heti who does this very well.) I suppose in “Eyes, Etc.” it’s the author’s experience of being read Homer, as his works & characters are brought up a lot, but it wasn’t done in a way that felt very meaningful to me.
Perhaps part of the issue is that this came out in the 70s and I found Clark to be, well, pretty boring. I appreciate the effort it took to write this book on large drawing pads with magic markers due to her deteriorating vision, but don’t think it lended itself to an enjoyable read.
I wasn’t disappointed on that front. What I was disappointed by was that it felt unedited. When I pick up a book to read stream of consciousness, I’m expecting it to be somewhat edited to insert a thread linking the thoughts together. (I’m thinking of Sheila Heti who does this very well.) I suppose in “Eyes, Etc.” it’s the author’s experience of being read Homer, as his works & characters are brought up a lot, but it wasn’t done in a way that felt very meaningful to me.
Perhaps part of the issue is that this came out in the 70s and I found Clark to be, well, pretty boring. I appreciate the effort it took to write this book on large drawing pads with magic markers due to her deteriorating vision, but don’t think it lended itself to an enjoyable read.
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