Andrew was telling about this Bernhard fellow for quite some time. On Friday he brought one of his books out with him, I read the first page and was interested. I picked up two books on Saturday. The first I took on, “the Voice Imitator”, was chosen because it is a book of 104 short stories in 104 pages. I was told that Bernhard’s other books are hard to read given that he does not use paragraphs, chapters, or any other breaks in telling his story.
I started reading it while I was walking to the lab from the library and became completely immersed. The guy definitely has an obsession with death and mortality but in a funny, ironic way not an ‘I want to shock you’ way. The book was wonderful.
I started reading Yes two days ago. The first sentence is 2 pages long. I read in multiple times, wanting to savour what he wrote. Getting into the book now, I’ve adjusted to a different rhythm of reading necessary to take it all in. He is very repetitive but it better paints the picture of the main character’s (told in first person) obsessions. I have never read something that depicts so well a state of anxiety and not panic anxiety, but the anxiety that we all have day to day. It is like reading the own voice in my head, but this time it is questioning and worrying and thinking in another time and place.
Will reading this make me feel insane? Probably not. Through the thoughts of the main character he is painting a story. Painting not telling because it is not linear and ordered. It is like he is adding stroke after stroke wherever and whenever he feels more colour or information is needed.
It’s a hard one to put down. I can’t say, okay just one more chapter.