The magnum opus of this acclaimed writer; and some maintain, easily a work of staggering genius. This novel covers the length and breadth of the entire 20th century, easily encapsulating the formative events of the century. In the process, he also intertwines lives that would normally be passed on by under the penmanship of a less accomplished novelist, giving depth beyond compare to the postmodern era we reside in.
Don DeLillo employs imagery that would astound the ordinary reader; metaphors, analogies, similes are tossed around like nobody's business, creating a richly woven texture that is bound to excite even the most pedantic of literature lovers. In DeLillo's tale, two lives are followed; but so many other lives on the periphery are involved that, at times, the novel is in danger of spiralling out of control as a narrative, transmogrifying into a descriptive painting.
The average reader will be hardpressed to make any sense of this work; you have to seriously peer into the details to understand how rich the tapestry of Cold War America is. The many characters who flit in and out of the plot, symbolically represent the porous borders of Cold War America, an age where no one really knew which side was which, an age where enemies changed fluidly almost at the whim of whoever was in power.
If you like Murakami, you'll like him; there's enough wordplay to keep you up all night in the deciphering trade. He endowns characters with the oddest quirks; ranging from the deranged purveyor of the skin trade to the many scientists involved. As the camera pans from character to character, one realises that, in the confusion of a Cold War America struggling to find its feet, the characters and their lives are the best guide to that momentous era.
No comments:
Post a Comment