A review by discocrow
The Blue Guitar by John Banville
2.0
“I’m tired of the past, of the wish to be there and not here,” John Banville writes, and yet the book oozes its history. These are the dusty figures of midnight wanderings. The artist as a thief, and a far less subtle one than Siken's The War of the Foxes imagines. John Banville's novel is one of self-reflection and regret, the slow slip into complacency that we all eventually fall into and the wondering over whether there is another way. Is all art thievery? Is it possible to get something we desire without it losing its lustre? For that matter, what do we truly want? One person I spoke with heard me say John Banville's name and replied in a huff "Oh, that pretentious boor." Yes, to some he would be just that.
This is the story of Olly Orme, a painter and petty thief who has lost his inspiration to paint but gained his best friend's wife. The narrative begins with him having sequestered himself in his childhood home to avoid both his mistress and his own wife and reminisce over his own history. Slowly, the writing moves away from this focused plot to instead focus upon the intricacies of art and language itself. Why should we be shackled down by our own expectations? Why can't we show things as they truly are, but instead as we want them to be? Or in showing things as we want them to be are we truly showing them as they are? These heady thoughts tangle with the plot until the ultimate focus of the reader is on the words, the melody, the rhythm of the story itself.
The book was difficult to get through for me, but it was beautiful. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Sea, for to me The Sea is a true masterpiece and I enjoyed its more subtle approach. All the same, Banville is a glorious writer and one that I would recommend without hesitation to anyone looking for something a bit more difficult. I would caution, however, to focus more on the poeticism of his writing than much else.
This is the story of Olly Orme, a painter and petty thief who has lost his inspiration to paint but gained his best friend's wife. The narrative begins with him having sequestered himself in his childhood home to avoid both his mistress and his own wife and reminisce over his own history. Slowly, the writing moves away from this focused plot to instead focus upon the intricacies of art and language itself. Why should we be shackled down by our own expectations? Why can't we show things as they truly are, but instead as we want them to be? Or in showing things as we want them to be are we truly showing them as they are? These heady thoughts tangle with the plot until the ultimate focus of the reader is on the words, the melody, the rhythm of the story itself.
The book was difficult to get through for me, but it was beautiful. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Sea, for to me The Sea is a true masterpiece and I enjoyed its more subtle approach. All the same, Banville is a glorious writer and one that I would recommend without hesitation to anyone looking for something a bit more difficult. I would caution, however, to focus more on the poeticism of his writing than much else.