A review by wojoy
G. by John Berger
3.0
OK, this was a tough reading. It took me two months to finish it. Why? Because it tries to express the reality of the character not in a timewise progression, but as one can experience the reality dictated by the biases of human consciousness. The processing of the senses, the recalled memories, it is like an instant, a section in which the brain works its magics for a moment. It is like computational sampling methods which move the object forward in space rather than in time. Maybe he tries to mock our general reading experience or perception as if time moves forward in the fiction we read, although all the plot is timeless and spread out in front of us.
There are many aspects of this book, one can comment on. I like the historical background. The atmosphere of 19th and 20th centuries... I like that it is similar to a bildungsroman as we observe the flourishing of the main character. However I think, as a reader I’m still lacking a grasp on the main character G. He is told to be Don Juan, but I couldn’t see his motives clearly. Nihilism, hedonism, loneliness, rage?? I couldn’t connect the child G with the adult G in my mind.
In conclusion, it’s definitely an experimental novel which requires a playful approach towards reading.
There are many aspects of this book, one can comment on. I like the historical background. The atmosphere of 19th and 20th centuries... I like that it is similar to a bildungsroman as we observe the flourishing of the main character. However I think, as a reader I’m still lacking a grasp on the main character G. He is told to be Don Juan, but I couldn’t see his motives clearly. Nihilism, hedonism, loneliness, rage?? I couldn’t connect the child G with the adult G in my mind.
In conclusion, it’s definitely an experimental novel which requires a playful approach towards reading.