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A review by deea_bks
The Infinities by John Banville
3.0
In this deliciously humorous novel, Banville plays with the idea of being a modern Shakespeare. Taking as model “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, he explores one of the parallel worlds the “pater familia” in this story had theorized about in his earlier studies about the infinities of realities.
He enters the particular reality from the novel (which is the same as our reality, but slightly different) while being in a coma. We are presented the thoughts, feelings and reactions of the members of his household and of some friends to the tragedy of his paresis and also the actions of the Gods who interfere in their mortal lives (yes, in this particular reality, Greek Gods exist and they are envious of mortals). Hermes and Zeus fool around with mortals; the old story of Amphytrion and Alcmene is reloaded and staged differently, but yet in the same way, and all in the time of a single day.
The phrasing is deliciously humorous and plastic (typical Banville who never disappoints) and although this novel is not a fiver, not even an acquirer of a 4 star prize in my mind, I had a lot of fun reading it and enjoyed it quite a lot. And because nothing I say would sound as wonderfully eloquent as Banville’s play of words and also because this is not a review per se, but rather an exercise of expressing a like in spite of the grade I gave with more than stars, I will end this comment by quoting Banville’s eloquent words used while musing in this novel about one of the themes he likes most: time.
He enters the particular reality from the novel (which is the same as our reality, but slightly different) while being in a coma. We are presented the thoughts, feelings and reactions of the members of his household and of some friends to the tragedy of his paresis and also the actions of the Gods who interfere in their mortal lives (yes, in this particular reality, Greek Gods exist and they are envious of mortals). Hermes and Zeus fool around with mortals; the old story of Amphytrion and Alcmene is reloaded and staged differently, but yet in the same way, and all in the time of a single day.
The phrasing is deliciously humorous and plastic (typical Banville who never disappoints) and although this novel is not a fiver, not even an acquirer of a 4 star prize in my mind, I had a lot of fun reading it and enjoyed it quite a lot. And because nothing I say would sound as wonderfully eloquent as Banville’s play of words and also because this is not a review per se, but rather an exercise of expressing a like in spite of the grade I gave with more than stars, I will end this comment by quoting Banville’s eloquent words used while musing in this novel about one of the themes he likes most: time.
And then there is the question of time. What for instant is an instant? Hours, minutes, seconds, even, these are comprehensible, since they can be measured on a clock, but what is meant when people speak of a moment, a while – a tick – a jiffy? They are only words, of course, yet they hang above soundless depths.