Scan barcode
A review by chris_davies
Eunoia by Christian Bök
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.