Scan barcode
spenkevich's review against another edition
4.0
Whenever I spend time in a new city, I always look to see if their art museum has a Leonora Carrington piece there. If so, I make sure to go see it. While recently at the Art Institute of Chicago I was gazing at their Carrington sketch while thinking about how interpretive surrealist art can be and how much we frame our own narratives around it. Her work certainly offers a window into the bizarre, a single moment in a world of ghosts and monsters of which you can expand the horizons in the landscape of your own mind. Though Carrington’s art was not simply confined to that which can be framed upon the wall as words were another artistic medium in her repertoire and The Hearing Trumpet from 1974 is a novel that defies being easily framed by categorization or description. It is a book of mysteries, of cults, of subverting the narratives that oppress, of undoing the world and ushering in a new one. ‘We must do eccentric things,’ [a:Olga Tokarczuk|296560|Olga Tokarczuk|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588949514p2/296560.jpg] writes in her afterword and eccentricity is certainly at home in this work of an aging woman named Marian cast off into a care facility run under a cultish creed and sinister patient care regimen. Being an “eccentric” is cause for punishment, but as Marian soon learns, those who step outside the norms are often unflatteringly reframed by the narratives of those in charge and that there can be real power found in resisting those norms. A beautiful surrealist and subversive tale that is as beguiling as it is bewildering, The Hearing Trumpet is an awakening to the joys of freeing ourselves from the framing of others and reshaping reality into something new.
Carrington’s painting “The Magical World of Maya” is not about the novel but the visuals aren’t far off from the final portions of the book
Carrington was no stranger to having your own life poorly framed by those in power. After her lover, artist [a:Max Ernst|59654|Max Ernst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1615329095p2/59654.jpg] (who was 46 when she met him around the time she turned 20) was captured by the Nazi’s, Carrington’s father had her committed to an asylum on claims of insanity. It was a label she would spend her life mocking, writing about it at length in [b:Down Below|31171199|Down Below|Leonora Carrington|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681065087l/31171199._SY75_.jpg|7358195]. The surrealist art movement to which she belonged had a fixation on ideas of “madness,” with [a:Hans Prinzhorn|1070339|Hans Prinzhorn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]’s book of studies on art by mental health patients, [b:Artistry of the Mentally Ill: A Contribution to the Psychology and Psychopathology of Configuration|2395564|Artistry of the Mentally Ill A Contribution to the Psychology and Psychopathology of Configuration|Hans Prinzhorn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1204929700l/2395564._SX50_.jpg|2402581], becoming a major inspiration to the Paris surrealists. [a:André Breton|54133|André Breton|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1651473348p2/54133.jpg], the founder and primary theorist of the surrealist movement, was particularly—and rather unfortunately—fixated on mental instability as a pathway to freedom of artistic expression though he also romanticized the concept of “hysteria,” a rather misogynistic diagnosis often used to repress women. He was fascinated with physician Jean-Martin Charcot, who’s photographs of patients writhing was said by Breton to be an idealized woman’s form (all this horrificness of exploitative “hysteria” studies by Charcot is fictionalized in the rather interesting novel [b:The Mad Women's Ball|56969561|The Mad Women's Ball|Victoria Mas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630155588l/56969561._SY75_.jpg|71077493] by [a:Victoria Mas|7813232|Victoria Mas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] which I read recently) and Breton wrote ‘hysteria is not a pathological phenomenon and can in every way be considered as a supreme means of expression.’ In his novel [b:Nadja|110457|Nadja|André Breton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1693303068l/110457._SY75_.jpg|106443], Breton creates an idealized surrealist woman, which seems like a prototype of today’s “manic pixie dream girl”: a woman undergoing a mental breakdown being romanticized for ignoring social norms and conventions. Though the real Nadja, who had an affair with Breton, was quickly discarded by him and institutionalized. Surrealist women were more objects for men’s artistic lusts, exploited and left to suffer.
The Hearing Trumpet is, in many ways, a subversion of that. The surrealist image of an idealized woman being young and naive is reversed with an aging woman represented as the vessel towards freedom. Here the women break social norms in order to gain agency on their own behalf. Subjected to the rules and strict regulations of the Institution and the cult underpinning it, Marian finds she must not only resist but completely wrest the narrative of life away from their control. In her book [b:Artful|15811569|Artful|Ali Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1350363516l/15811569._SX50_.jpg|21415809], author [a:Ali Smith|68992|Ali Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1620558954p2/68992.jpg] says of Carrington’s art that it ‘asks questions about imprisonment and liberation,’ and this novel and all its bizarre internal logic is all bent towards this idea.
This is a strange story, full of giant homes built to look like boots, a possible fudge poisoning murder, ancient goddesses and a plot to trigger the apocalypse and refresh existence. Marian’s fascination with the art of a ‘leering abyss’ leads her to discover the truth of her life, a scandalous life of her own agency that has been repurposed by the cult in order to silence her into the oblivion of the past by vilifying her.
Marian must carry on the quest of Abbess of the Convent of Santa Barbara of Tartarus, to find the Holy Grail (one through which Jesus was given powers by the Goddess Venus here) and trigger a new age. Change, or a metamorphosis, is the thematic key to the novel, with a whole host of erudite lore and comical misadventures swirling around it.
The Hearing Trumpet is a fascinating and funny novel, full of wonderful little quips and mind-bending moments. It does have some rather unfortunate bits of racism and the depiction of a trans woman—while likely deemed progressive and subversive for its time—is rather problematic. Though it is also a unique piece in the history of surrealism, particularly in the way it set about crafting a feminist surrealism in rebuttal to the general movement and served as a call to arms for women to resist the patriarchal framing and define themselves on their own terms. A quirky and unforgettable little adventure.
4/5
The aforementioned Carrington pieces in the Art Institute of Chicago's collection
Carrington’s painting “The Magical World of Maya” is not about the novel but the visuals aren’t far off from the final portions of the book
Carrington was no stranger to having your own life poorly framed by those in power. After her lover, artist [a:Max Ernst|59654|Max Ernst|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1615329095p2/59654.jpg] (who was 46 when she met him around the time she turned 20) was captured by the Nazi’s, Carrington’s father had her committed to an asylum on claims of insanity. It was a label she would spend her life mocking, writing about it at length in [b:Down Below|31171199|Down Below|Leonora Carrington|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681065087l/31171199._SY75_.jpg|7358195]. The surrealist art movement to which she belonged had a fixation on ideas of “madness,” with [a:Hans Prinzhorn|1070339|Hans Prinzhorn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]’s book of studies on art by mental health patients, [b:Artistry of the Mentally Ill: A Contribution to the Psychology and Psychopathology of Configuration|2395564|Artistry of the Mentally Ill A Contribution to the Psychology and Psychopathology of Configuration|Hans Prinzhorn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1204929700l/2395564._SX50_.jpg|2402581], becoming a major inspiration to the Paris surrealists. [a:André Breton|54133|André Breton|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1651473348p2/54133.jpg], the founder and primary theorist of the surrealist movement, was particularly—and rather unfortunately—fixated on mental instability as a pathway to freedom of artistic expression though he also romanticized the concept of “hysteria,” a rather misogynistic diagnosis often used to repress women. He was fascinated with physician Jean-Martin Charcot, who’s photographs of patients writhing was said by Breton to be an idealized woman’s form (all this horrificness of exploitative “hysteria” studies by Charcot is fictionalized in the rather interesting novel [b:The Mad Women's Ball|56969561|The Mad Women's Ball|Victoria Mas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630155588l/56969561._SY75_.jpg|71077493] by [a:Victoria Mas|7813232|Victoria Mas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] which I read recently) and Breton wrote ‘hysteria is not a pathological phenomenon and can in every way be considered as a supreme means of expression.’ In his novel [b:Nadja|110457|Nadja|André Breton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1693303068l/110457._SY75_.jpg|106443], Breton creates an idealized surrealist woman, which seems like a prototype of today’s “manic pixie dream girl”: a woman undergoing a mental breakdown being romanticized for ignoring social norms and conventions. Though the real Nadja, who had an affair with Breton, was quickly discarded by him and institutionalized. Surrealist women were more objects for men’s artistic lusts, exploited and left to suffer.
The Hearing Trumpet is, in many ways, a subversion of that. The surrealist image of an idealized woman being young and naive is reversed with an aging woman represented as the vessel towards freedom. Here the women break social norms in order to gain agency on their own behalf. Subjected to the rules and strict regulations of the Institution and the cult underpinning it, Marian finds she must not only resist but completely wrest the narrative of life away from their control. In her book [b:Artful|15811569|Artful|Ali Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1350363516l/15811569._SX50_.jpg|21415809], author [a:Ali Smith|68992|Ali Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1620558954p2/68992.jpg] says of Carrington’s art that it ‘asks questions about imprisonment and liberation,’ and this novel and all its bizarre internal logic is all bent towards this idea.
This is a strange story, full of giant homes built to look like boots, a possible fudge poisoning murder, ancient goddesses and a plot to trigger the apocalypse and refresh existence. Marian’s fascination with the art of a ‘leering abyss’ leads her to discover the truth of her life, a scandalous life of her own agency that has been repurposed by the cult in order to silence her into the oblivion of the past by vilifying her.
‘the snooping priest…had done his best to portray her in a pernicious light, hardly distorted the purity of her original image. She must have been a remarkable woman.’
Marian must carry on the quest of Abbess of the Convent of Santa Barbara of Tartarus, to find the Holy Grail (one through which Jesus was given powers by the Goddess Venus here) and trigger a new age. Change, or a metamorphosis, is the thematic key to the novel, with a whole host of erudite lore and comical misadventures swirling around it.
The Hearing Trumpet is a fascinating and funny novel, full of wonderful little quips and mind-bending moments. It does have some rather unfortunate bits of racism and the depiction of a trans woman—while likely deemed progressive and subversive for its time—is rather problematic. Though it is also a unique piece in the history of surrealism, particularly in the way it set about crafting a feminist surrealism in rebuttal to the general movement and served as a call to arms for women to resist the patriarchal framing and define themselves on their own terms. A quirky and unforgettable little adventure.
4/5
The aforementioned Carrington pieces in the Art Institute of Chicago's collection
caramel_peaches's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
heatherrobi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
captainstarcat's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
irelivar's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
chiara_roscio's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
La prima metà di questo libro ricorda molto "Il Club dei Delitti del Giovedì" di Osman, e la seconda pare un film di Lynch. Leonora Carrington è stata una delle esponenti del surrealismo pittorico di metà Novecento, surrealismo che ha riversato tutto anche nel romanzo. La protagonista è una vecchietta ormai sorda che, detestata dalla famiglia, viene portata in un istituto per donne anziane. Quello che inizia come un giallo alla Osman si trasforma pian piano in una storia dai risvolti inaspettati e a tratti terrificanti. Un libro singolare, di cui ci si deve fidare per godersi appieno il viaggio surreale. Carrington mischia la vita delle anziane dell'istituto alle avventure di una Badessa spagnola, ai Templari, al Graal, all'era glaciale, riuscendo a convincerti che tutto ha perfettamente senso. I personaggi, con menzione speciale all'adorabile Carmella, sono fuori di testa in modo esilarante. Un viaggio allucinato che vi terrà incollati.
caitsidhe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
what a strange, unsettling, delightful book
dinoreader84's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
It wasn't bad, the narrator was excellent. I was never quite sure what was going on, though. But I had aa perfectly fine time listening.
jacobblake's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a very fun qnd imaginative read.
There is a lot of humour in the book. The main characters reflection of her age, the exaggerated characters and commitment to a surreal mythic ending are all very funny in their own way.
The abbess section around halfway through the book is a particular fun adventure in part due to being written by a third party who highly dislikes the abbess and is seeking to disavow her. Small details like this feel like a wink to the reader and the book appeals to the chaotic spark in all of us.
I've made a conscious decision to avoid decimal star scores, but I'd be strongly tempted to give this book a 3.5 as I feel it was very unique and fun read.
There is a lot of humour in the book. The main characters reflection of her age, the exaggerated characters and commitment to a surreal mythic ending are all very funny in their own way.
The abbess section around halfway through the book is a particular fun adventure in part due to being written by a third party who highly dislikes the abbess and is seeking to disavow her. Small details like this feel like a wink to the reader and the book appeals to the chaotic spark in all of us.
I've made a conscious decision to avoid decimal star scores, but I'd be strongly tempted to give this book a 3.5 as I feel it was very unique and fun read.