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A review by samwreads
Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson
5.0
Third try reading this book but this time it really stuck. It was definitely difficult to get in to. Unlike my time with the Recognitions (the other book I read recently full of allusions and references both direct and oblique), I chose to pass over most references that I didn't get immediately, which was wise as I began to realize, for more reasons than one. Not going to spoil much here but let's just say it's best not to take everything at face value.
What's not immediately apparent but what ultimately made me love the book was the deadpan humor which comes from interpolating classical mythology/history with modern philosophy. After I finished it I really didn't want to read anything else since the prose is, while not flowery or ornate, a very singular voice. Singular for its consistency and its indomitable sameness. It seems weird to praise that but really, the depths to which the figures of speech (used in refrain) get sunk in your brain is pretty funny, and actually enjoyable.
What's not immediately apparent but what ultimately made me love the book was the deadpan humor which comes from interpolating classical mythology/history with modern philosophy. After I finished it I really didn't want to read anything else since the prose is, while not flowery or ornate, a very singular voice. Singular for its consistency and its indomitable sameness. It seems weird to praise that but really, the depths to which the figures of speech (used in refrain) get sunk in your brain is pretty funny, and actually enjoyable.