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A review by ronanmcd
From the Mouth of the Whale by Sjón
Ah jeez, do I really like this book? I dunno. It has its moments but it mostly reads like a flat Eco.
I like the way the page margins ape the handwritten scripts the protagonist spends his days filling. But I don't like how this formatting ruins the convention of recorded speech.
I like how the language is largely unadorned, beaten into non descriptive toughness and suggests items itself. I like how the language gets more descriptive and flowery when the protagonist comes to Denmark and is faced with civilisation.
I like how he is a man who looks into the world too try and see its workings. I like that his downfall is this curiosity which frightens others.
I like the poetic pacing.
There's a lot to like, but it's hard to get past that flatness.
I like the way the page margins ape the handwritten scripts the protagonist spends his days filling. But I don't like how this formatting ruins the convention of recorded speech.
I like how the language is largely unadorned, beaten into non descriptive toughness and suggests items itself. I like how the language gets more descriptive and flowery when the protagonist comes to Denmark and is faced with civilisation.
I like how he is a man who looks into the world too try and see its workings. I like that his downfall is this curiosity which frightens others.
I like the poetic pacing.
There's a lot to like, but it's hard to get past that flatness.