Interestingly enough, it may be appropriate that I did read an abridged version, as the plot of this story has to do with how people who take hold of an author's literary collection after they die can mess around with the works without him being able to have a say. I'm not saying that's what happened here. He might have approved this abridged version before he died. But it would be especially ironic if it was the case.
Ever seen a scene from a movie about the reading of a will... but the dead man happens to do it over video tape? All the people who were closest to him sit at a table as if he is looking right at them, and, for the first time in his life, he gets to say anything he wants to them, good or bad, and they have to just put up with it. I can't say for sure, but I feel like I have seen something like this once or even twice in my life, and there is a good chance that that movie or just the scene or scenes may have been based on this book. I can't know for sure, but this book is that scene up, down, right, and left. It is the pinnacle of what that whole premise is.
And to make matters more interesting, it is about an incredibly talented, rich, and very eccentric writer. I could, at the very least, relate to him as a writer, but I certainly could not relate to him being rich. A lot of people see writers as rich, because they get published and then they get money for it. I'm a writer of some pretty weird stuff, but I don't make good money for it. So I can't be very eccentric. All I can be is weird.
Either way... this story is about a man like that divvying out his millions to about four different people. It's only really entertaining because of the fact that it's done in such an interesting way--through video tape. It was a BetaMax tape too. Cool. I like BetaMax.
If you want to know more about this book, it's a decent recommend. Yes, I have no reason to not recommend it. Just know what you are getting into. It is about the death of a writer and the reading of his will. That's all it is, and it will never be more than that... unless you read the non-abridged version. I don't know what's in that one, and I still don't care. I'm done with Harlan Ellison.
This blog was written on September 5, 2024.
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If the deceased protagonist is based on the author himself, the title tells us much about him. It seems his cynicism and atheism went hand-in-hand... as it always does. I assume his cynicism is what annoyed you, and ultimately killed your interest in his work.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he was not a fun author to explore. Although some of it was great.
DeleteAs a writer, it would be interesting to get an author's actual perspective. A character will see things differently than the one who made them. By speaking directly to the audience, you can communicate more than just the story.
ReplyDeleteYes!
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