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The Age of Wire and String
 
 
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The Age of Wire and String (Hardcover)

by Ben Marcus (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Flamingo (3 Nov 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0002256509
  • ISBN-13: 978-0002256506
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 150,751 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Synopsis

A bulletin from a parallel universe where the relations between words and things are utterly changed.
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars excellent in conception, sagging in execution, 6 Jan 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Age of Wire and String (Paperback)
The "age of wire and string" initially strikes the reader as a wholly impenetrable onslaught. Words are detached from their conventional meanings, syntax is choppy and frequently highly ambiguous, and it is often difficult to discern quite what the subject of each chapter (or prose poem, of sorts) might be. However, perseverence does reap benefits. It soon becomes clear that, although to a great extent Marcus' apparent purpose is at least initially to disorientate the reader, the new meanings of his words do seem to have fairly fixed meanings. That is to say, they tend always to be used in similar ways with other similarly dislocated words, such that "Thompson" comes to denote some sort of godhead, "weather" a threat, a fear of violence or of exposure, and "the family" a subterranean refugee race.

Once these initial realisations are made, the import of the book becomes clearer. The peculiar style (a kind of hallucinatory collage of National Geographic articles, encyclopaedia entries and users manuals), the strangely brutal combination of spurious objectivity and occasional shocking instances where the reader is addressed directly, or an entry is written in the first person, and the stuttering nature of the book stemming from its series of incredibly short bulletins, makes a kind of sense. Indeed, the reader becomes more able to appreciate the humour and pathos of the book's concerns.

Its impact comes from the relationship between the aquired meanings of his words and the consequently alien landscape that they portray, and their conventional meanings which seem to denote some horrible family tragedy, possibly revolving around the narrator's brother, Jason Marcus.

The main problem with the book in my view is that it seems to rely too heavily on this one dynamic; the tension between invented language and the conventional usage of words. For most of the course of the books length the reader's interest is sustained by the slow revelation of the the book's logic. However, even despite later attempts to vary the formula, the idea's seem overworked, and the format repetetive. This is not to say that the book does not have considerable value, and it is heartening to see that there are till writers prepared to push the envelope, and publishers willing to support them. Not a masterpiece then, but a fascinating American curiosity. I look forward to Marcus' next work with high hopes.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Something to inspire and set alight your creativity., 11 Jan 2001
By D. Kenworthy "Maraque" (London UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I stumbled upon this book whilst rummaging through the back street shops in Richmond. The title struck me first as strange, although after a quick flick through before purchase I became aware that this was not the strangest thing about this book. Ben Marcus plunges you into an intricate description of society through the eyes of an almost clinical observer. Although the emotion drips from the page interspersed with random punctuation, the tone remains cold and detatched, something that keeps you alert to the images he is portraying. He never allows the reader to become too involved in the effect of the words, this allows a liberating and quite unique read. I found the book useful for inspiration. As a theatre director I often need to verbalise the images I have in my head, which are quite often as bizzare as Mr Marcus'. His form and language, although almost alien, commuincated more than conventional prose, it was magical. Ben Marcus has created his own language, his purpose - to create an image of society in the future - although this is never stated in the book. He leaves the interpretation of this book up to the reader. This is only my reading others will find new and exciting versions when they read this book. In that sense the work becomes like theatre. No two readings will be the same. I recommend this book to anyone looking for words, looking for a way to communicate ideas and passions that they feel restrained by. Go forth and be inspired!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, 21 Jul 2007
By B. Smith "cynicalrealist" (Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Age of Wire and String (Paperback)
The use of constraint and utter economy to produce intense feelings of sadness, triumph, awe and love in the reader. One of the best books I've ever read, so there...
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