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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
I started writing an excellent review which somehow erased itself. This is take two.
This is the first book I've read in a while with some real weight to it. There's a lot going on, and only some of it is happening directly on the page. Henry is an author who has become disillusioned with his craft after his novel/essay flipbook about the Holocaust is rejected by his editors. Unwilling to write anymore after spending five years on this project, he begins to spend his time on other creative pursuits like clarinet lessons and amateur theatre.
Henry-as-author is a stand in for Yann Martel. He is well known for his successful novel that won several awards, is read in schools, and became a movie. A novel about animals. I did think Henry's explanation that writing about animals prevents the reader from having too many preconceived notions about the characters, instead being forced to consider them through their actions.
Henry receives a letter from a taxidermist, named Henry. The letter asks for help, without providing any specifics. It does, however, come with a short story. In the story, a man loves to slaughter animals, and does so in great numbers and with great glee. He also harms several other people. Eventually he is redeemed for his actions against other people, with no mention made of the animals he murdered. This story later becomes an allegory for the taxidermist, whom it is implied has done terrible deeds, but only wishes to be redeemed for some of them.
After all, in the story the saint doesn't need to apologize for what was done to things that weren't human.
The Okapi Taxidermy is lovingly described throughout the book. Through Henry (the author) we can see the strange, majestic beauty of these creatures that seem to almost live in the shop. Two of these are a donkey and a howler monkey - Beatrice and Virgil. The taxidermist is writing a play about these two characters, who tellingly share names with Dante's guides through heaven and hell.
Henry has a hard time deciphering what the play is about, at first. There is a lot of conversation, but almost no action. The animals talk about food, existential issues, happiness and despair, and of course, the Horrors; this being name they have given to some atrocity they have survived. As Henry spends more time with the taxidermist he becomes more obsessed with the play and more confused about the taxidermist. The taxidermist is quiet, sullen, rude, and impossible to decipher. He doles out bits and pieces of the play, not in order, and often reads the sections out loud without letting Henry read them. The animals in his play speak constantly around, about, and through their Horrors while refusing to name them except as abstract items in a list.
It is through this list that Henry comes to realize the this play is also about the Holocaust. And the taxidermist's obsession with it is of a personal nature. Henry refuses to help him any further, and the taxidermist stabs him and sets his taxidermy shop on fire. Henry manages to survive this encounter and finds the only way he can deal with it is by writing. Writing what happened to him, and as much of the play as he can remember. He also writes Games for Gustav, about the Holocaust.
The book he writes is this one that we are reading, and the games, short as they are, are terrible and jarring, and occupy the end of the book. There are several instances of violence described in the play. Beatrice recounts her time in jail, and both animals are brutally murdered at the end. Henry's the one who is left to tell their story. It wasn't until the end of the end of the novel that I noticed the back cover was flipped upside down.
This is the first book I've read in a while with some real weight to it. There's a lot going on, and only some of it is happening directly on the page. Henry is an author who has become disillusioned with his craft after his novel/essay flipbook about the Holocaust is rejected by his editors. Unwilling to write anymore after spending five years on this project, he begins to spend his time on other creative pursuits like clarinet lessons and amateur theatre.
Henry-as-author is a stand in for Yann Martel. He is well known for his successful novel that won several awards, is read in schools, and became a movie. A novel about animals. I did think Henry's explanation that writing about animals prevents the reader from having too many preconceived notions about the characters, instead being forced to consider them through their actions.
Henry receives a letter from a taxidermist, named Henry. The letter asks for help, without providing any specifics. It does, however, come with a short story. In the story, a man loves to slaughter animals, and does so in great numbers and with great glee. He also harms several other people. Eventually he is redeemed for his actions against other people, with no mention made of the animals he murdered. This story later becomes an allegory for the taxidermist, whom it is implied has done terrible deeds, but only wishes to be redeemed for some of them.
After all, in the story the saint doesn't need to apologize for what was done to things that weren't human.
The Okapi Taxidermy is lovingly described throughout the book. Through Henry (the author) we can see the strange, majestic beauty of these creatures that seem to almost live in the shop. Two of these are a donkey and a howler monkey - Beatrice and Virgil. The taxidermist is writing a play about these two characters, who tellingly share names with Dante's guides through heaven and hell.
Henry has a hard time deciphering what the play is about, at first. There is a lot of conversation, but almost no action. The animals talk about food, existential issues, happiness and despair, and of course, the Horrors; this being name they have given to some atrocity they have survived. As Henry spends more time with the taxidermist he becomes more obsessed with the play and more confused about the taxidermist. The taxidermist is quiet, sullen, rude, and impossible to decipher. He doles out bits and pieces of the play, not in order, and often reads the sections out loud without letting Henry read them. The animals in his play speak constantly around, about, and through their Horrors while refusing to name them except as abstract items in a list.
It is through this list that Henry comes to realize the this play is also about the Holocaust. And the taxidermist's obsession with it is of a personal nature. Henry refuses to help him any further, and the taxidermist stabs him and sets his taxidermy shop on fire. Henry manages to survive this encounter and finds the only way he can deal with it is by writing. Writing what happened to him, and as much of the play as he can remember. He also writes Games for Gustav, about the Holocaust.
The book he writes is this one that we are reading, and the games, short as they are, are terrible and jarring, and occupy the end of the book. There are several instances of violence described in the play. Beatrice recounts her time in jail, and both animals are brutally murdered at the end. Henry's the one who is left to tell their story. It wasn't until the end of the end of the novel that I noticed the back cover was flipped upside down.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Definitely an odd tale, but it did keep my attention, and the scene where Virgil is describing a pear to Beatrice is one of the most brilliant scenes I can remember in recent memory. I think some of the rest of it probably went over my head, but Martel is very readable regardless.
This book was very short and a quick read. I'm not sure what it was though. Part autobiographical, the story of author with writer's block who begins to help a strange man with his writing. Suddenly the book is over and though things are revealed, motivations are completely incomprehensible and unsatisfying. Basically the writing is good, and it is a nice almost philosophical little thing, but ultimately unmoving. Also I thought Yann Martel was Asian until I saw his picture in the back of this book.
Another great novel from Yann Martel centered on animals. Beatrice and Virgil's relationship is so sweet and full of imagination.
challenging
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Whilst I think this could have been interesting I found myself very frustrated reading this. It felt lacking in confidence as if the author had wanted to do these things for themselves but instead hid behind characters that they could (self)deprecate instead. I wish they had more confidence to just write a play, to write about their experiences as a writer and not hide behind all these layers. It felt like a first novel lacking in confidence unfortunately.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No