A Book That May Have Escaped From Another Book
The novel opens with a perfectly ordinary paragraph that immediately becomes suspicious. By the second sentence the paragraph admits it has been pretending to be literature for several years and would rather pursue a career in landscaping.
The narrator tries to intervene but becomes entangled in a lengthy discussion with a rug about maritime law. From this point forward the narrative adopts the confident energy of someone assembling furniture without instructions.
It is unclear who is in charge.
Plot, Allegedly Under Supervision
The story loosely concerns an inventor attempting to build a machine that organizes dreams alphabetically. This ambitious plan encounters numerous complications:
- The machine develops opinions about the letter Q.
- A supporting character is introduced solely to disagree with the weather.
- Chapter Nine forgets it is Chapter Nine and briefly believes itself to be a receipt.
- The protagonist’s mentor communicates exclusively in the subjunctive mood, which nobody has the heart to correct.
By the midpoint, the plot is less a sequence of events than a mood that occasionally files paperwork.
Verdict, Reluctantly Rendered
Despite its best efforts to remain incomprehensible, the book is oddly difficult to put down, possibly because it has quietly wedged itself between the couch cushions. Recommended for readers who enjoy narrative tension and are also comfortable not knowing what is happening.
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