The Biographer's Tale is kind of like Possession run through a distorting prism. It's a lot weirder and has no conventionally satisfying structure, but it's got lots of odd academic stuff like Possession.
English Music follows a boy in the 1920s whose dad is a kind of magician. The boy falls into these seizures periodically during which he has dreamlike experiences in the mode of various classics of English literature and art and music. The chapters alternate between his regular life and these bizarre episodes. Very strange but cool.
Another excellent post! I love bizarre-premise stories, especially when they're followed (all the way) through. I haven't read the novel on which it's based, but the movie La Moustache (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moustache_(film)) does its premise justice.
Great reflection again! - Novel(s) that I’d categorize as both bizarre premise and aesthetically bad. - What about "Naked Came the Stranger" by Penelope Ashe: brilliantly poor; "The Eye of Argon" by Jim Theis: "the ultimate samizdat." - Then, I just came across this but haven't read it yet: "The Stupid Classics Book Club" in Elisa Gabbert's "Any Person Is the Only Self: Essays." I bet her examples are subtle. ?
I absolutely adored this novel, so much so that I tried the algo-based “what should I read next?” None of the recs came close to the blend of erudition, humor, and heart. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them! Also, a lovely essay. Thanks for sharing.
I’ll have to check this book out.
A couple of novels with bizarre premises or maybe similar vibes come to mind: Peter Ackroyd’s English Music and The Biographers Tale by A. S. Byatt.
I haven’t read either of these but I love Possession
The Biographer's Tale is kind of like Possession run through a distorting prism. It's a lot weirder and has no conventionally satisfying structure, but it's got lots of odd academic stuff like Possession.
English Music follows a boy in the 1920s whose dad is a kind of magician. The boy falls into these seizures periodically during which he has dreamlike experiences in the mode of various classics of English literature and art and music. The chapters alternate between his regular life and these bizarre episodes. Very strange but cool.
Thank you! “Lots of odd academic stuff” is my jam
Another excellent post! I love bizarre-premise stories, especially when they're followed (all the way) through. I haven't read the novel on which it's based, but the movie La Moustache (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moustache_(film)) does its premise justice.
Omg this film looks amazing
Great reflection again! - Novel(s) that I’d categorize as both bizarre premise and aesthetically bad. - What about "Naked Came the Stranger" by Penelope Ashe: brilliantly poor; "The Eye of Argon" by Jim Theis: "the ultimate samizdat." - Then, I just came across this but haven't read it yet: "The Stupid Classics Book Club" in Elisa Gabbert's "Any Person Is the Only Self: Essays." I bet her examples are subtle. ?
Thanks for these! I am a big fan of Gabbert’s.
Beautiful! And I happen to have been re-reading “The Sellout” this morning! What a great post, cheers.
Thank you! I think about The Sellout all the time it’s so good
Thanks Natasha for your analysis of this type of novel. I always enjoy your essays.
Nabokov's Pale Fire comes to mind as a great novel with a bizarre premise. Or at least a bizarre form. I can't think of a bad one.
The origin story of the memory room is also in Mantel's Cromwell trilogy; Cromwell uses the technique.
Agree on Pale Fire—I haven’t read the Cromwell trilogy
This was such a smart, interesting read!
Thank you!
Makes me think of The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci - almost exactly the same method?
I’m not familiar—thanks for sharing!
I absolutely adored this novel, so much so that I tried the algo-based “what should I read next?” None of the recs came close to the blend of erudition, humor, and heart. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them! Also, a lovely essay. Thanks for sharing.
It’s so good! Have you read The Netanyahus? I tend to be skeptical of blurbs, but not this one—there’s a real kinship.