Buy it if: You want to like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but the magic carpets are too much. You need something off-kilter…but just a little.
Don’t Buy it if: You’re expecting Life of Pi 2.
I’m big on story, no point denying it. Quick dialog, action moving forward, things happening… Personally, I believe these are the things that suck you into a good book, that give you an portable escape from the real world. Wordy descriptions, emotional landscapes, prose that borders on poetry? These are all things I can admire, but you will rarely find them on my own bookshelves. And if you do, there’s a very good chance they will be adorned with a fine layer of dust.
But I do occasionally give up my pulp for a turn with the slightly highbrow crowd and in this instance it’s led to Yann Martel’s Self. Best known for the surprisingly popular Life of Pi, Martel first struck out – in novel form at least - with this ‘fictional autobiography.’ OK, not an insanely odd slant, I’ll admit. Then again, did I mention that early on in the book the character changes sex? Not on purpose, not in a Transamerica way. Instead it just sort of...happens. It seems even a book that veers so far from being plot-driven can derive its principle twist from that most basic writer’s question: What if…
And indeed, that’s a big what if. Certainly one that’s been tackled by Hollywood ad nauseam. The Hot Chick, Switch…the list goes on. (Admit it, you can think of at least three more that you’ve seen. And probably liked. It’s OK,, you’re among friends.) Yet Martel doesn’t dwell on pragmatism - quite the opposite in fact - choosing to treat the odd occurrence as a progression of life. Unexpected? Perhaps. But not shattering nor untenable. If anything, the unique change in perspective allows the author freedom to rove through male and female emotion and perspective, which is really what makes the heart of the book. Situations and interactions may catalyze the thoughts, but the thoughts themselves form the meat of the novel.
For some, this may actually be where the books falls down. If you’re hoping for a ‘tale,’ for one happening to cause another and so forth, there’s a good chance Martel is going to let you down. Even the character actions that do make it to the page are relatively droll and mundane. However, if you’re looking for crafted prose that feels a bit like poetry deconstructed and placed into the framework of a narrated philosophy, perhaps Self will provide you with the necessary means for temporary distraction. (Here’s a hint: If you found that last sentence wildly pretentious, you should probably delete this selection from your Amazon shopping cart right now.)
The joys to be found here are in Martel’s precise and well-placed wording, his very sculpted questioning of experience. Despite being a thin paperback written by a bestselling author, this is not reading to be approached lightly. If you are only searching for mild distraction with unimportant details, the pages contained within will prove ever-frustrating. But if you take pleasure in the sentence savoring and the mild euphoria of confusion that can result from unexpected perspectives, this one may be worth the risk…
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