Firstly, I am hugely impressed with it’s ambition. It’s trying to play in the same field as Infinite Jest & Gravity’s Rainbow. Does it succeed… No, but it’s not for lack of trying. It deals with issues of public vs. private persona, the cult of celebrity, capitalism vs. art, and man’s desire for immortality. And it does so with very lyrical passages that spiral out in fine detail with numerous POV shifts so when you done with a chapter you’re not sure how you got there from where you began (see also IJ & GR).
However, the book is less than 300 pages and in such a tight space this style doesn’t work nearly as well. Ideas are left on the table only partially explored, characters who had large arcs are left to wither, and some ideas presented seem to strike you without subtlety. I feel like this book needed at least another 500 pages of breathing room to explore the world and all the ideas presented.
All in all, I would recommend it to the people who enjoy experimental and contemplative fiction, and not just if you have an interest in Jim Carey. As a memoir, I did learn a bit more about Jim Carey’s life, but only in so much as it served the larger themes. This book was clearly trying to explore something greater than one man’s life. I would NOT recommend it to the average reader who just wanted to learn more about Carey.
Has anyone else out there read this book?
by WintersNight