Paddy’s choice of book this month. A fantastical novel, partially set in a mysterious city called Palimpsest, parts of which are etched onto the protagonists’ skin. The reader follows four people who journey to Palimpsest for the first time together, and are linked in their desire to return.
We had a mixed reaction in the group. Nicky isn’t a lover of fantasy in general and really struggled to connect with the book. Pete loved it; Paddy found it interesting, although it was not what he expected. I found it an enjoyable read but did have issues with parts of it.
The ornate language is the most striking feature of the book. The book is more descriptive than plot driven, and the author attempts to sustain an evocative, dream like atmosphere with each sentence. Nicky and Pete agreed that as a device, the language got irritating at times. Paddy and I thought that the book contained some beautiful writing, but I thought that at times it got over the top and silly.
Sex was an essential plot device, as the characters must sleep with someone with part of the city marked on their body. I thought at times the lyrical descriptions of sex seemed ridiculous and nominated some passages for the annual bad sex award. Paddy disagreed, arguing that the desire was well evoked in the book. I agree that emotion was better described in the book than the sexual act itself.
Paddy thought that there were far too many characters and plot strands, with a failure to realise any of them fully. I agreed, having found it difficult to follow the individual stories at times. I’m no usually bothered about how heavily plotted a novel is, but I would have liked more of a storyline. I was never sure why the protagonists found Palimpsest such an attractive place to be. Some of the stories could have been fascinating if they were more fully explored – Oleg’s ghostly sister caught our imaginations and I would have been happy for this to have been the main storyline of the book.
Pete asked what the book was for. Paddy strongly felt that the book had no hidden meaning. I thought that the author was hinting at powerful themes and symbols and an exploration of psychogeography but this was superficial. None of us could detect any subtext or hidden themes, although Pete suggested that we may just have completely missed the point! I felt like some interesting imagery was wasted at times.
Paddy felt it was best enjoyed as you would a big slice of cream torte, not expecting anything lasting and just revelling in the decadence of it. He loved reading the cultural vignettes at the beginning of each chapter – perhaps it would have been better as a collection of short descriptive passages rather than having an unsuccessful narrative grafted on. I think Paddy was a little disappointed by its lack of substance, comparing it unfavourably to Nights at the Circus which combined poetic writing with highly symbolic use of imagery.
A fun but lightweight read that promised a bit more than it delivered.
