the sense of an Ending

The novel is a good candidate for the prize in that it does not follow one genre, but instead “It subverts not only the conventions of the where-are-the-snows-of-yesteryear fiction, where schoolboy friends end up with fascinating lives and careers…but also the redeemed-lonely-old-man novel” (thisislondon.co.uk).

Tony remains a lonely old man at the end, divorced with a daughter who he doesn’t see very often. Rather than being redeemed he is left with an even worse sense of guilt and remorse at the end of the book due to the reminder provided by the reappearance of the letter he once wrote as a young man. The contents of this letter leaves Tony feeling guilty, as it seems to tally with the events that occurred then, which Tony only discovers later.

The reminder of Adrian also serves to encourage Tony to evaluate his own life and the decisions he has made, and perhaps to encourage the reader to do the same. This message may have been part of the reason the novel took the Mann Booker prize of 2011, as the Booker prize is considered to be one of the most academic of literary prizes, and so focuses on novels that could be seen as more scholarly.      

Barnes presentation of Tony’s regret could be to encourage his readers to evaluate their own lives and ambitions by showing the regret that Tony feels when he realises that he “gave up on life, gave up on examining it…had abandoned ambitions…and how pitiful that was” (p99-100). By describing Tony’s feelings about his “average” life, Barnes could be trying to encourage his readers to continue evaluating their lives, to avoid finding themselves in the same situation.

However “The Sense of an Ending” is a confusing book when you first read it. The events it describes are spread over a lifetime, interspersed with descriptions of philosophy that make it hard to get your head around it all in a single sitting.  It also presents us with a view of a world which, rather than being clear cut, is strange and confusing, forcing the reader’s mind to work harder to decipher what is going on.

The novel could also be seen as having a depressing tone, as none of the characters seem to have a particularly happy ending. However on the other hand the novel does raise some important points. It discusses the mutability and subjectivity of memory, showing how seeing the letter he sent again is a shock for Tony.

The book also considers other themes, such as parent’s belief in the perfectness of their children. Although they make their own decisions, their parents see them as “innocents suddenly exposed to noxious influence” (p10), blaming their children’s friends for any of their child’s behaviour they don’t like. The exception to this rule is Veronica’s mother, who warns Tony not to “let Veronica get away with too much” (p28.)  

The combination of these themes, together with the structure of the book combine together to make it a good candidate for the Mann Booker prize, and why the judges selected it as the winner in 2011.

The Sense of an Ending

    The purpose of the book, to my mind, is to present how people’s interpretation of the world, of each other and of ourselves is subjective and is affected by our own feelings and state of mind. Some people might find this unsettling, as it calls into question some of the certainties of life, and the lack of happy ending in the book could reflect this.

For me, the message of the book is to encourage its readers to evaluate their lives and to work to achieve their ambitions and consider others, lest they should find themselves in a similar situation to Tony when they get old.

The first part of the book concentrates on issues in adolescence, for example learning the difference between real life and the way life is presented in literature. Although this could be viewed as a paradox as in “The Sense of an Ending” Barnes strives to present an example of an ordinary, unremarkable life. Barnes also challenges this lifestyle, arguing that “we imagined we were being responsible but were only being cowardly. What we called realism turned out to be a way of avoiding things rather than facing them” (p93). Although it could be argued that it is not always possible for everyone to achieve all of their ambitions due to issues such as money and time constraints.

Barnes’s argument could link in with the way that Tony finds out about Adrian’s death. Barnes provides very little build up to the announcement., thus ensuring that the news is as much of a shock to the audience as it is to the character of Tony, so that the audience have no opportunity to avoid or skip over the details.

The causes of Adrian’s suicide occupy the final chapters of the book. Although Barnes doesn’t make his reasons clear, he does provide the information necessary to make deductions about the events leading up to it. This strategy encourages the reader to reflect back over the events described in the book, reflecting on Tony’s life the same way that he does, perhaps making the reader identify more with the protagonist.

The issues surrounding growing up and growing old that are exposed in the book is something most readers would be able to identify with, helping them to empathise with the main character. Although the audience may also find themselves able to sympathise with Adrian and his reasons for committing suicide. This may be disturbing for the reader, as they may not want to identify with something that they would normally avoid. However it also helps them to understand the possible motivation for such an action.

“The Sense of an Ending” covers issues such as the issues surrounding suicide, growing up and growing up. This helps its readers to empathise with the main characters and to perhaps appreciate another point of view.      

The main theme of the novel is the unreliability of memory. The protagonist, Tony, is shown to have unconsciously manipulated his memories of the break up with Veronica and her subsequent involvement with his friend Adrian. Barnes introduces the idea early on in the book during a discussion in a history class, when Adrian raises “the question of the subjective verses objective interpretation” (p12).  One of the main questions that the book raises and forces the reader to consider is mutability and subjectivity of memory, and how it can edit what we remember of our earlier life.  

More widely, “The Sense of an Ending” invites us to re-examine our options and interpretations of history in general. Whether it is the “lies of the victors” or (or indeed and) “the self-delusions of the defeated” (p16). Either way, although history is usually considered fact the subject is, like personal memory, subjective and open to manipulation. Barnes shows how this idea is understood by Adrian, who argues that “we need to know the history of the historian in order to understand the version that is being put in front of us” (p12), while the others in the class merely argue about who should assume responsibility for the events of history.  

The idea of memory as unreliable may be disturbing for the reader as it is our individual memory that shows us who we are. This is also what disturbs Tony when his “younger self” comes back; in the form of the letter he once wrote “to shock my older self with what that self had been” (p98).

Although the book is entitled “The Sense of an Ending”, the actual ending of the book is more likely to leave the reader feeling confused rather than satisfied. “Barnes’s story is a meditation on the unreliability and falsity of memory; on not getting it the first time round-and possibly not the second time either” (thisislondon.co.uk). In this the reader and Tony are identical as both struggle to make sense of the story.

 “The Sense of an Ending” highlighted in the title is provided by the protagonist describing how he is moving “towards the end of life” (p149). However, following the novel’s postmodernist structure the audience aren’t provided with the answers to their questions about the relations between Adrian and the Ford family. This could leave them feeling unsatisfied by the ending, and needing to reread the book to try and comprehend the twists and turns of the story. The lack of a complete ending reflects how often life isn’t clear cut and is instead confusing and uncertain.

“The Sense of an Ending” has the power to unsettle its readers, as it makes them reconsider the certainties of their lives by presenting the ways in which memory can be subjective and selective and also by making them question the previous certainties of history.

' Spiderweb ' Review and Analysis

Spiderweb

The poem 'Spiderweb', found in Kay Ryans excellent compilation of poems collected by her in her time as the poet laureate is a marvelous representation of the book of poems as a whole and really defines her style. Being one of the shorter poems in the book, you'd expect the poem to be simple and it is. The poem consists of three sentences only, and describe the appearance and texture of a spiderweb. However, that in its self makes the poem one of the best in the entire book in my opinion, as it really captures your attention.

The opening couple of words don't beat around the bush, "From other angles the fibers look fragile, but not from the spiders". Initially Ryan introduces the "from other angles" which immediately makes it known that the opening few words isn't from the viewpoint of a spider, more of an outsider looking in. The fibers are described as fragile from OUR view, but not from the spiders. This could be seen as a metaphor for differing viewpoints; the spider thinks the spiderweb is an amazing, safe home, whereas us as humans just see it as an annoyance and may destroy it if we see it. The next line describes the spider "always hauling coarse ropes, hitching lines to the best posts possible". This again further exemplifies the spiders opinion of the web, with hauling being a word associated with hardship when pulling something which further highlights the point that a spiderweb is a difficult, strong thing for the spider.

"Its heavy work everyplace, fighting sag, winching up give." is the next line which further explains the spiders difficult work in constructing a spiders web and attaching all the web in the right places. Being described as heavy work makes the web sound stronger than it is, its almost as if its a metal web the way the descriptions are being used.

The final line is the pinnacle of the comparison between humans and spiders "It isn't ever delicate to live". If a person was asked to describe a spiders web, one word that crops up might be delicate. However, Ryan here says it "isn't ever delicate to live" which directly contrasts with our viewpoint of a spiders web, and confirms that the poem is sympathetic towards the spider. For us, we can simply swat away a spiders web despite all the hard labor they have taken part in in order to construct themselves a home. 

The poem is a great poem and really helps us appreciate what we have got. Spiders, a living creature, spend time upon time constructing these delicate, intricate homes made of web whereas we can simply touch them and watch them crumble. The overall message of the poem is a strong one; life is delicate. 

' The Best of It : New and Selected Poems ' Review

The Best of It

It is not very often that a book that doesn't follow a single narrative can captivate a reader to the extent that the book is quickly read in a single night. 'The Best of It : New and Selected Poems" did exactly this for me. Written by Kay Ryan and winning the prestigious Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize from the Poetry Foundation as well as the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, the book is a delightful compilation of over 200 of Ryans favourite poems that she has written throughout her illustrious career.

Ryan served as poet laureate for two terms and as she did, she pieced together the jigsaw that is her work and created a finished product, a book of old and new poetry. The book begins with her newest poetry and chronologically catalogs work that Ryan herself has considered her most revered and widely reaching poetry into a single book. Ryans past as a the Library of Congress’s sixteenth poet laureate is recognizable immediately, the poems in the book gracefully bounce from idea to idea whilst maintaining the underlying theme of the beauty of the natural world, albeit with an ironic, almost silly twist.

The poetry in the books beauty is in its simplicity. Almost all of the poems are short enough to recite with a little practice, and the language used isn't as complex as some of Ryans peers. The length of the lines highlights this, being short and consisting of less than 5 syllables for the most part, which allows the reader to read at their own pace and enjoy it in their own time. This technique is emulated in the graphology of the book; the poems are pushed into a tight, thin column that invites you to read the entire thing as soon as you've started.

The word choices make the poems accessible for a variety of ages. Older, more mature people may appreciate the ironical nature that is inherent in the majority of the poetry, especially the older pieces. Younger people may find enjoyment in the quick to understand nature of the poems; there isn't many narrative poems and the concepts and ideas that are used aren't hard to get a grip of. The book really is a mixed bag in terms of readership and wouldn't feel out of place in a high school library, or a university students bedside table.

Ryans poetry is jampacked with rhymes and slightly off-rhymes, which sometimes hinders the narrative quality of the poems as there are obviously strict rhyming rules to stick to. Despite this, the rhymes and alliteration used throughout the book are genuinely intriguing. Some of the rhymes go as far as to be labelled "genius", being very innovative and creative with the word choices.

To conclude, this book is a riveting read for anyone who enjoys the nature of words. Even if you are not a poetry fan, the book contains enough material that extends to include so many themes, there will be something in this for everyone.

'Edges of Time' Analysis

Edges Of Times

The poem "Edges of Time", found in Kay Ryans Pulitzer award winning book "The Best of It : New and Selected Poems" is one of the first poems in the entire book and sets the tone for the rest of the poems in the compilation. 

The opening words are "It is at the edges when time thins", immediately capturing the attention of anyone reading the poem. Time isn't something that is subject to 'thinning', and as a result the reader is immediately hooked and interested about what the word actually means in this context. The word "edge" suggests distance and unknowing as it is used as a noun. Following this, the previously mentioned time is mentioned again "Time which had been dense and viscous as amber suspending intentions like bees unseizes them.", and its here that the time is further personified, this time as being dense and viscous. The word viscous directly contrasts the first line of the poem in which time is described as thin, showing that when at the "edge of time", time takes on unusual characteristics.

The description of time as though it was a material object is an interesting concept, and to me the poem suggests that the edge been spoken about is the edge of life, old age, and the poem is essentially about how time simply thins out with age until it is nothing and suddenly ceases to exist. The next line seems to agree with this "A humming begins apparently coming from stacks of put off-things or just in back", the humming coming from "put-off" tasks that haven't been completed because of the time been spent on something else, and now it is too late. The poem makes use of sound to distinguish between unfulfilled dreams (Put-off things), comparing it to the humming a bee would make which is an annoyance to most people. 

The next line, "A racket of claims now as time flattens" goes all out and declares time can also be flattened as well as thinned, with the flattening of time literally being the death of a person. A racket of claims is meant to shadow a persons life story, as though they are shouting about all they have achieved on their death bed despite us as a reader knowing there is some unhappiness about incomplete tasks.

The poem ends with  "A glittering fan of things competing to happen, brilliant and urgent as fish when seas retreat." I feel this line also highlights the unfinished (or put-off) tasks earlier mentioned, using the adjective 'glittering' in order to make the unfinished tasks sound special and remarkable. The competition aspect also adds another layer to the poem, memories only remember what happened and not what never happened, so life events are literally competing to be the one that gets done and gets remembered throughout a life. The symbolism of the fish and seas retreating can be directly compared to death, with the seas been life and the fish been humans.

To conclude, the poem is an incredibly difficult one to pick up as the concept of time is a difficult one to understand. Needless to say, once the poem has 'clicked', its an amazing read and one that will make you think about your own life and the tasks you've taken part of.

Beautiful, Haunting and Lyrical

Originality is what has made ‘The Tigers Wife’ stand out as one of the best debut novels of 2011. The fact that it was awarded with the Orange Prize for Fiction was no surprise, with its unfamiliar themes and Obreht’s individual approach to story telling, this story is one of a kind. Obreht’s choice to intertwine Natalia’s journey being a young doctor, with her grandfather’s folk tales is the most interesting aspect of the book. It is something that shouldn’t really work, but here it works splendidly.

The book is impossible to place into a specific genre, it is not a romance or adventure, nor it is just a drama. It has so many different themes and features that it cannot just be deposited into just one single category. The book is written in a slow, gradual pace to build up the anticipation of the mystery. Obreht did not mean for this novel to be fast paced and action packed, she wanted her readers to sit back and take in what they were reading, so they could enjoy it at their own pace.

Even though the story is original and fresh, the main themes are not new. Even though I have stated that it is not a romance, one of the main themes is love. The love between Natalia and her grandfather, Natalia and the rest of her family and the love between the tiger and his ‘wife’.  Even though this novel is full of magic and mystery, Obreht does not shy away from human emotions. She takes on very human subjects such as memory, fantasy and loss, loss being one of the main themes throughout the folktales and real life. This is one of the great things about this story, the readers can relate the characters but can also escape from their daily lives. The relationship between granddaughter and grandfather is so raw and true; that you can’t help but feel this is all coming from Obreht’s real life experiences.

The book equally balances real life dramas with fantasy, which not a lot of stories do successfully. The grandfather’s stories makes us believe that there is still a little bit of magic left is this world, even in the most unlikely of places. As I have said before, I think Obreht should have gone into more detail about our present day characters instead on the characters in the tales. However mixing magic and reality was the main aim, and she weaves them together beautifully. The backdrop of Natalia’s country recovering from another horrific war emphasisies the passing down of these folktales helps them retain their own traditions and identities. Overall Téa Obreht’s ‘The Tigers Wife’ creates a human story, with human emotions and struggles, but also produces a charming and spellbinding magical backdrop. To help her characters understand life and everything in it.

   

A Visit from the Goon Squad

The opening chapter to the novel begins with the name ‘Found Objects’  this means that once the reader has read the full chapter only then will they come to find out that in actual fact Sasha has a problem with stealing and she helplessly does things which she cannot control. However from the name of the chapter this is not the impression which is created the adjective ‘found’ suggests that something has been misplaced or these objects are found by luck. It is only until you read on the reader will realise what is happening as the chapter name can mislead you, until the reader reads on to find out.

It is evident also in the opening chapter the use of italics ‘we live in a city where people will steal the hair of your head if you give them half a chance, but you leave your stuff lying in plain sight and expect it to be waiting for you when you come back.’ This is effectively done as it is as though the reader has access to Sasha’s mind and therefore this means that we can see how Sasha is trying to justify her actions and why she feels she needs to commit the crimes that she commits. For this moment in the novel we have entered Sasha’s way of thinking and Sasha’s mind.  This is done again in the first chapter as the word ‘take’ is in italics also, here again we see that the use of italics shows the opposite side to Sasha and this is the side which allows Sasha to steal stuff and persuades her to do this.

The introduction to Sasha’s father automatically makes the reader wonder why Sasha’s father disappeared when she was so young, and this also interests the reader to find out whether this story escalates even more and the reader is intrigued to find this out.  The fact that Sasha states ‘I have nothing to say’ clearly indicates that this topic is highly emotional to her and affects her a lot and therefore she does not want to talk about this as she wants to start afresh rather than dwell on past experiences.  Also on the topic of Sasha the verbs which are used to describe her when regarding the purse going missing includes – ‘Alex swung around to Sasha’  the verb swung suggest and shows that people automatically feel that Sasha is the one to blame and doubt whether she has nothing to do with the missing purse.  Swung suggest a fast movement and also an intimidating movement, therefore Alex is not completely sure whether Sasha has nothing to do with this.

The impression is created that Sasha wishes that she could control her hunger to ‘take’ the purse this is clearly evident as ‘Sasha wished feverishly that shed left the wallet there as if this were an impulse she had barely resisted’ this shows to readers like us that Sasha has this uncontrollable desire that she wishes she never has at it will always land her in trouble.

So, judging from the title of the book ‘A Visit from the Goon Squad’ the first impressions come on, we all have to admit are not very convincing, we get the image that the story seems to be like an episode from a cartoon program. This is not what young writers like us would like to see from a prize winning novel! Well… it wouldn’t come as a surprise to tell you guys that this is in actual fact an exceptional book with a series of interconnecting stories which are just as emotional as they are adventurous. Egan does a brilliant job of combining themes together such as kinship, time, memory and disconnection –which I would like to add, is a difficult task to do but it’s done by Egan like a walk in the park!  Thumbs up for Egan on the creativity level!

A visit from the GOON squad, goon is definitely the key word which stands out there…. Goon can be referred to someone who can be pushed around? Well deliberately done, by the award winning writer Jenifer Egan, as characters from this novel are in actual fact pushed around by time circumstances and even by those they love as Egan slowly reveals in the novel her characters painful pasts and future disappointments (this is the evidently the more emotional aspect to the story).  Each character is given just as much attention as the other however only a few are referred to a little more the other this is the case as those who don’t seem to have a great role or part in one chapter, they are then opened up and more is revealed about them in a new chapter this builds up readers eagerness to find out exactly what each character is all about and why they have been mentioned!

Imagery and as I mentioned before and also adventure is included in this novel as were taken to many places around the world where different characters come alive and a new story is told. This varies from New York to San Francisco via the African bush which already builds up excitement to see what the story includes! If you haven’t read your missing out guys, this is definitely a must read! What makes this novel stand out are the interconnecting stories which means in actual fact somehow these stories conflict with each other which builds up the drama and tension, and this means enough drama for all you drama loving peeps out there! Definitely not a boring read…

You won’t be disappointed with this novel, as it is definitely one you’re going to remember whether you like it or not. Its full of twists and turns and luckily for you guys it doesn’t end there you also have the odd formal tricks and devices which all work really effectively!  What more could you ask for from a book, personally I feel this is one of the best I have read, as it didn’t win a prize winning award for no reason! Don’t miss out guys!  

One of the themes that become evident in the opening chapters of the novel is the theme of inner uncontrollable desire. This is clear with Sasha’s attempt at trying to give into temptation of ‘taking’ things however the more dominant side to her takes over her and does not allow her to defeat her desires.  This is apparent as ‘Sasha felt a twang of terror’ evidently so here we see that Sasha does fear the consequences that might happen if her acts are publicised and therefore she is not fully happy and convinced that she should be doing these things. The fact that fear is created means that this act was not willingly done in the first place.

Following on from this point Sasha feels embarrassed at her acts as, to her they are uncontrollable and she cannot flee from the desire which builds up inside her – ‘I just – please don’t tell’ evidently here Sasha does not want what she did to me found out by anybody, especially by Coz as he is working hard to keep her away from this sort of theft. Sasha is putting trust in the woman that if her wallet has been given back Sasha’s acts will not be revealed.

Another example of the theme of controlling your inner desire is evident as, it can be suggested that Sasha is trying to keep her identity sealed and protected and therefore this is the reason which she has taken scarves from children. This is shown as ‘Look a scarf! A kids bright yellow scarf with pink stripes –too bad who could it belong too’ here the fact that Sasha has taken this scarf from a younger child can be done to move away from the person who she actually is and remove every item which is in actual fact her own which helps summing her up.  Other items which are also evident such as pens, binoculars and keys which don’t create a specific image of her.  The only thing which helps adds a little to Sasha’s character and past is the collection on her windowsill and the image she has of Rob who was her friend that died in college. We can see from this that Sasha herself has not had an easy life.

Also in the novel the desire to step out of time becomes clear when Sasha’s son has an obsession with pauses in old songs and these songs themselves are those which are frozen in time. This suggests that although Sasha’s son is in a different time period he does not listen to this type of music and moves away from the norm.

Here be tigers

With a lot of hype surrounding this novel, it was going to be very hard to live up to my expectations. As I have read many books that have created a lot of hype upon there release, but I have eventually been disappointed. I believe a book can be ‘overhyped’, which is not a good thing. I would rather read a book that I know very little about, than one which is being constantly praised. As then my expectations are far too high for the novel to ever succeed. I am surprised and pleased to say ‘The Tigers Wife’ exceeded all my expectations; this unconventional novel is deserving of all the hype it is getting.

 With this being Téa Obreht’s first novel, she brings a fresh and original look on what could be a simple story. Aswell as having the main story of Natalia, who is trying to discover the truth about her grandfathers death and travelling as a doctor to help destroyed orphanages. Obreht also intertwines myths into a modern day setting. There are two myths that take up a large chunk of the story; one is to do with the ‘deathless man’, who her grandfather has encountered throughout his life. The ‘deathless man’ can see other people’s deaths but cannot die himself, this is who Natalia believes her grandfather was trying to find before his own death. The second myth is about a tiger that escaped from captivity in World War two and ended up living in her grandfather’s town when he was a boy. The tiger developed an unusual relationship with a death-mute woman, which lead the woman to become known as ‘the tigers wife’. People who love magic and fantasy stories should thoroughly enjoy this book, as the two myths take up more of the story than I was expecting. However Obreht does seem to carry these stories for far too long at points, and they do not help the story move on. Nevertheless this can be overlooked due to the quality of the visionary and innovative writing Obreht uses to tell her story.

  

In my opinion, the relationship between Natalia and her grandfather is the most interesting and important part of the story. When writing about their relationship, Obreht describes it exquisitely. Its what the reader can relate to the most, which makes me wish that she would have concentrated more on this rather than going into far too much detail about the two myths. Its obvious that Obreht wanted her debut novel to be original and different from others, which is why she defiantly deserved the Orange Prize for Fiction. ‘The Tigers Wife’ may not be to everyone’s taste, but one cannot deny that Téa Obreht is one of most brilliant and fascinating young writers that there is today. 

She is a natural born storyteller

‘A genuinely exciting debut…a delightful work, as enchanting as it is surprising, and Obreht is a 

compelling new voice’ (The Sunday Times). Since winning the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011, Téa Obreht’s debut novel ‘The Tigers Wife’ has received a great amount of publicity and is continually praised by critics and readers alike.

The story starts out with a small extract before the ‘official’ first chapter begins. It is a retelling of a day out to the zoo, by our narrator, a young woman named Natalia. It is an interesting start to the story, as when you eventually do get to the first chapter, you notice that the day at the zoo is irrelevant. As we discover that Natalia is now a grown woman, not the 4 year old girl she once was. The extract seems like it is going to be another typical, heart-warming day of a child visiting the zoo with her grandfather. With Obreht’s description of the zoo being very child friendly, ‘…there is a popcorn cart, the umbrella stand, and a small kiosk with postcards and pictures…’ However when they are watching a keeper trying to feed a tiger, the tone changes. The tiger attempts to feast off the keepers arm, and does not let it go for some time. The contrast between the calm atmosphere beforehand shows the reader just how wrong they were of the story. Obreht tricks the reader into thinking something the story is not.

  

The official first chapter is much more informative, with Obreht telling the reader that Natalia is now a doctor, who visits orphanages after another war has destroyed the Balkans. Natalia is on her way to an orphanage, when she finds out from a phone call with her grandmother that her beloved grandfather has died whilst he was away from home. We soon find out the reason why Natalia is not in anyway surprised or upset, as she knew her grandfather was ill but he had sworn her to secrecy. Even though she was extremely close with her grandfather, Natalia doesn’t know where he was attempting to go when he died. With her grandmother being suspicious that she knows something, she refuses to go home and carries on with her journey. The road trip to the orphanage introduces a mysterious and exotic like atmosphere to the story. With Obreht describing every sense there is possible, the smells, the sights, the noises.

   

An opening chapter has to capture the reader’s imagination, and needs to make them think that they want to read on. Obreht successfully does this by creating mystery upon Natalia’s grandfather’s death. With our narrator not even knowing where her grandfather was going, it makes the reader want to know more. With Natalia reaching her orphanage destination by the end of the chapter and the introduction of the unknown people working in the fields behind the house, this tells the reader there are many more mysteries to be solved…

Hopscotch

Hopscotch

Each patient laid asleep breathing in and out at the Royal Preston hospital. Leo laid there feeling each one suck the air from the room. He examined the same pattern which had spread its tongue across the ceiling. Leo liked numbers. The way they looked on the page. The way each one followed the next. As though they were queuing up for something big. Expecting something great to happen. Just like the monitors that beep. Every two seconds without failure. Like that. You could create an orchestra with these sounds and be sure that each one will turn up on time. Everything was arranged just as he liked it. The clock was set to exactly 12.50. The machine was positioned just to the right. Not too close to his head so it blocked his vision but not too far away in case. (‘In case what Leo?’)

I swallowed a gulp of that black oil and entered further and further inside my head. Suddenly the earth was moving up and down. 2, 4, 6, 8. My steps buzzed in time with my movements. Back and forth I went down the same path which me and my Dad drew up together. The street which stretched on for miles in front of my house was completely empty. 2, 4, 6, 8.

10.

(‘Leo, please continue’)

A black suit stepped out onto the pavement. He came towards me. Wouldn’t stop coming closer and closer. My feet became stuck to the, I don’t know, I couldn’t see what exactly. It just felt so empty. Anyway, that’s when he told me.

(‘Why don’t you tell me?’)

Time of death: 1.00 am. Kicked the bucket didn’t he?

‘So that’s what happened ok?’ He said ‘Now just give me the fucking pills so I can go’.

Leo and Coz had developed an understanding. If Leo didn’t lose his patience, he could leave when he pleased. It was a bad day. Leo sat on the same raw green sofa looking out of the window. Dashes of rain painted the window a shiny grey. Lights spluttered in and out of the darkness. He shuddered at the thought of what was beyond it. In the distance he could see the faint glint of music breathing out of his record company. Things had been going well this past week. He had sat at his desk with the regular black cup of coffee watching reels after reels of voices spinning from the headset. Each one individually striking he found himself reaching for the pen before they had wound to the end. A round of applause signalled in my head after each performance. I mean I practically kissed their feet until I could see my reflection. I could tell that people were getting agitated around me. Furious spikes digging into my flesh because of their hollow brains. But mine was practically reeling out words. A snap of my joints, and of the key into the ignition and I was back at the hospital. Cold panels pressed to warm skin, a pork pie drizzled in gravy, another perfect evening. Then the fear caressed my mind. I just felt so lethargic. Like everything was caught in a heavy breeze. But I had to resist. I couldn’t fall into the deadly claws of sleep. I shot of coffee. My eyes were pouncing.

Distilling a Medley

Distilling a Medley

"Time's a goon, right? You gonna let that goon push you around?"

Egan obliterates our perception of time. Our sense of perspective is pushed to its limits as we are plummeted into a symphony of different voices. Some readers may feel motion sick at the idea of its flightiness. However don’t feel put off, as each character is strung onto the two main characters: Bennie and Sasha. We are flown through a sporadic momentum of people who communicate their mind. The book begins with something so individual, so personal that it feels as though we can only inhabit their mindset. And then suddenly we are shifted into a wholly alien planet. Each character clings on desperately to our attention attempting to resist our fingers turning the page towards the end of the book, the end of time. Yet as a reader we do not feel as though we are heading towards the end. As we are flown backwards and forwards: past, future, present. Egan opens our eyes to the possibility. And yet provides a soothing whisper that our sense of emotional humanity will remain intact.

Towards the end she adds in a rather allusive chapter based just on power point presentation. You may be thinking that Egan is attempting to relive an avant-garde era. To a certain extent I did feel as though I was returning to the picture books of primary school. Yet I can see that she has attempted to produce discontinuities with the book, representing the motion of time. Yet it feels slightly forced, Egan sits us in front of a computer screen and goes through her symbolism slide by slide. Suddenly we lose a sense of voice. Time becomes paused and we are left dangling in mid air. Is this what our future will come to? Are we supposed to expect silence? Egan suddenly dip dives the reader into a cold rush of hollowness. We don’t know what to do with this piece of work except plough on.

And it is not without its rewards. Within each segment, Egan manages to push and pull the strings of time. As each event commences, another voice will emerge sinking us back into a different era. It is as though we are submerged in water, and Egan is slowly dragging us back up to the surface. Each character is vital to the next story. As we reader we feel as though each story is fragile. If one were to break, the whole story would come apart. Egan shows how life is a balance of people, just as dependent on the next as the one below.

Egan manages to string each voice together, becoming one beautifully constructed lyrical note. Each character has a significant view of the world. We must acknowledge that whether dead or alive or not even born yet: every voice is important. Distance becomes minute as the book provides a horizon beneath the lens of a microscope. She doesn’t let the restrictions of time or distance get in the way of her creative imagination. The reader gets the feeling that Egan is setting each character on a journey through time. In the end one character will evolve.

Most people want to learn about their family. Where they came from, how they came here, who they are. And I feel this book does so. Egan conjures up real people who are individual, who have fears, weaknesses and mistakes. People who have a past that they cannot get rid of. And a future they cannot avoid. Egan breaks the limits of time. Providing an endless past. An endless future. To essentially make every moment of the present a momentous event. 

The Airiness Of a Mobile

The Airiness Of a Mobile

“’Okay,’ she said. ‘Steal it’”.

A Visit From The Goon Squad. Chapter 1: Found Objects

We read a stolen possession.

Egan inhabits the therapist’s role in the book exploring the fundamental theme: identity theft. This position exemplifies a certain amount of control upon the story line and how it is being told, the Therapist’s voice commences distantly “’I get it’” allowing Sasha supremacy in the story. As the events commence, this voice remerges more consistently revealing Sasha’s contortion “do you think about how it makes the other person feel?” Egan is consciously criticising her own narrative style by declaring that Sasha’s first person narrative is self indulgent. Egan unveils her redirected criticism “But it isn’t because you lack empathy” Sasha comprehending the perspective of another, but ultimately trapped within her own mind.  

Sasha’s first person stream of consciousness often ascends into her desires “seize the moment, accept the challenge, take the leap, fly the coop, throw caution to the wind, live dangerously”. Sasha’s thievery deflects from societal ideals. The act provides escapism from everyday life.  Itemising this act shows her tendency to collect things which becomes increasingly significant “accelerate”.  Although it appears that Sasha may have self knowledge, Egan produced signs that this is just pretence. The “five sets of keys” may appear an insignificant number yet it accumulates the “eighty-five pens”. Keys symbolise identity. Each key is individual and provides another person with the ability to enter into their domain. Egan evokes Sasha’s yearning to acquire another’s life. Similarly the pens may be used to apply a signature or express our inner desires upon the page. Egan’s character is uncomfortable with her own identity and placed at the centre of this chapter. Egan deliberately selects the number five to exhibit Sasha’s attempt to connect two pieces, or two lives. We can almost imagine the two palms connecting. Supplementary items define this desire to conceal herself “fourteen pairs of sunglasses, a child’s striped scarf, binoculars….-eight bars of soap”. Yet these items “a cheese grater, a pocket knife” suggest an element of stripping away the skin, Sasha is in fact trying to conceal her attempt to tear away her identity.

Sasha’s self containment is reiterated symbolically “Sasha usually looked at the window, which faced the street”. Sasha fails to look outside of the window, only managing to see it as an object. The window entraps her within her own sphere whereas the therapist is able to see “‘Around the room….At the ceiling. Into space” broadening his horizon. The author is free to roam wherever he pleases, the therapist is able to see the future, the narrative is trapped within its mind, and Sasha is isolated in the present. The window “was rippled with rain” signifying the basis of her thievery, to impede time. From Sasha’s perspective water symbolises death, the ending of time “Sasha’s friend who had drowned at college”. Each instance of her thievery is triggered by a release of water “the woman whose peeing she could faintly hear” and “Sasha heard him starting to pee”. This image suggests that the water has submerged them. Sasha sees each person immersed in death. By collecting their wallets, she is suspending them in time. Further evidence lies in her lifestyle “I shower at the gym” and avoiding the “Bathtub-in-the-kitchen”. In the kitchen Sasha consumes food; sustenance to keep her living yet here lays a reminder of death. Sasha attempts to cover it with “a fitted board”, tightly entrap the memories within. Yet her date, a man she first meets “lifted it off” as if it is lightweight. Sasha perceives objects as being burdened with preserving the present. Egan’s character steals from others to preserve her present “as if she not only couldn’t move on but didn’t want to”.

The author, the therapist and the man lift off the board; Sasha’s mind becomes the vulnerable object. Her secrets are stolen to create a story for us.