Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A cautious recommendation, 6 Sep 2002
Picture This is, for me, one of a triumverate of great novels penned by Heller (Catch-22 and Something Happened being the others), but also shows why many consider him a one novel wonder. It is a wry look at the 20th century western world, which is examined by implicit contrast to the warmongering of pre-Hellenic Greece and the rampant capitalism of Rembrandt's Holland. The focal 'action' is Rembrandt's attempts to paint his 'Aristotle contemplating a bust of Plato' (or something similarly titled - I can't quite remember) and Heller uses this as a tableaux to examine these distant yet not too different worlds. And that is about it.Those who appreciate Heller's humour can hear him chuckling away in the background as he deconstructs modern America. The wit is acerbic, dark and dry and there are no 'laugh out loud' moments. He views ancient Greece and renaissance Holland not as historical entities but as contemporaries, alive and well in the twentieth century. For him the past is most certainly not another country, and this book is, for me, a beautiful exposition of our modern way of government and society. As in his other books, Heller manages to be both poignant and funny. Despite being a very clever work, it is not immensely scholarly and is very readable and accessible to anyone, I think, prepared to put up with Heller's usual slow and relentless pace. These are both the joys and, for many, the problems with Heller. There is no plot to speak of, a humour that could easily bypass people not familiar with him, a very pedestrian pace, a potentially disorientating jumping between scenarios and periods, and repetition of material. Fans of Heller's other work will be familiar with this and know that this is where his strength lies. People less familiar (or perhaps those who have only read Catch-22)can quickly get annoyed with it. I would recommend this book to anyone, but with caution. It is not 'a good laugh' and it is not 'a good story' and if you have struggled with Heller in the past I don't think that this is the one to convert you. For His fans it is a must.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
admirable boobs , 10 April 2007
There are those who might suggest that this novel is lacking in certain things that could be deemed necessary to a novel - a significant plot, for example. I say, and it's robbed from Heller himself, that the object of debate is not debate - that is to say that the object of a novel is not necessarily to be a typical novel. This could be seen to be a didactic novel, a exercise in politics, in philosophy, in humanity. And it's damn funny! For those in the know, those with a keen sense of the absurd, and those with a sense of humour, not depressaholic to be sure, this is packed, loaded and bursting with inimitable Heller magic. Rembrandt is genuinely pathetic and cringeworthy, Socrates is one of the most admirable boobs ever portrayed, and Aristotle stands apart as a commentator of the sharpest intellect.
If you love Heller, hate Heller, or have never heard of him, this is a very funny and clever novel. If you want to learn about Rembrandt, screw Sarah Emily Miano, Tracy Chevalier or even Simon Schama - read this instead.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for Heller fans., 1 Feb 2007
As the reviews before mine have already stated more accurately then i could the premise of this book i wont deal with that aspect. I will however tell you that this book is a far reach (intentionally of course) from Catch 22 so do not expect even a similar style of writing, this book is only periodically satirical and is more about the author humorous insight into a set of histories so in depth and long that for most people would have no starting point. This is a highly enjoyable book but is not as easy to read as Catch 22, its a tougher subject but in the end is worth every moment. It would be easy and obvious for me to recommend this book only to Heller fans who understand his writing or history buffs who understand the subject but i will however recommend it to everyone as its a hidden gem that anyone with even a passing interest in industrial, hellenic or artistic history should give a go.
Enjoy.
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