The précis of Reinhardt's Garden seems almost AI generated to get me to buy the book. An obsessive protagonist wanders through South America jungles in search of a legendary prophet of melancholy philosophy; comparisons to Nabokov, Borges, Aira, Bernhard, and Werner Herzog; a compact 150 pages.
I enjoyed Jacov's theory that melancholy, "the unspoken and spiritual sadness of the soul, is transcendental, divine, and nothing a wise person should run from, but instead something to meet head on, to aspire to." His expressed his enthusiasm on the topic in language that reminded me of Schopenhauer, including his philosophy's ties to the First Noble Truth of Buddhism. I also appreciated how architecture of his intentionally baffling castle reflected his mind.
However, the narrative is serviceable at best. Surprisingly little time is spent in the South American rainforest, and the story of Jacov pursuing his obsession is more absurd than compelling. The vague echoes of other stories increased the uncanny feeling that I was reading a generated narrative.
No comments:
Post a Comment