Or is it?
As mentioned in an earlier post, I recently read David Markson’s The Last Novel, and I was deeply impressed. Markson has written a series (is ‘series’ the right word? I don’t know) of—oh, let’s just call them novels—a series of novels that are more collections of literary trivia and anecdotes with the barest of narratives woven in.
The novels include Reader’s Block, This Is Not a Novel, Vanishing Point, and The Last Novel, the last of which being the only one I have read.
Everything you read about Markson will mention that he has invented his own personal style, and now I have mentioned it, too, but that’s because he has: he has found an original way of telling a story in a time when most readers and writers would have thought that impossible. It is, of course, very postmodern. The best word for the structure of this style is ‘collage.’ He reads and finds interesting stories/trivia about writers, artists, musicians, philosphers, and then he writes these down in his own words on index cards, which he then rewrites until he has captured what feels like the right voice. These little snippets
The thought of Rembrandt’s bankruptcy, at fifty. Of his possessions—his paintings—being sold for whatever pittance they might bring. Of Rembrandt himself being evicted from his home.
Rembrandt.
are often about death, the material struggles of artists, or the public’s ignorance/failure to recognize genius.
One wonders if this makes him especially popular with other writers.
Anyway, the book was great fun to read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading and art. I wasn’t familiar with a lot (most) of the historical figures he alludes to, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the stories in any way. All you really need to know is that they’re important and you probably should know about them.
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