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The Art of Impossibility
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?
For many years Michael Wilson had managed to disregard the emptiness of his life, until one day every piece of his identification is stolen. His farcical attempts to renew his identity expose him to a world of relationships he can no longer avoid – a world where Mary Magellan, an unpredictable conceptual artist, becomes important in ways Michael could not have imagined. A world where Michael must rely on Larry, a disgraced professor of logic, Sam, a lonely metal head living in his basement, and Julie, a manager of the Vital Records Department who takes a VERY personal interest in Michael’s problems. Hilarious, sad, and relevant. Here is a story of psychological collapse and the possibilities that exist at the boundaries of human experience.
For many years Michael Wilson had managed to disregard the emptiness of his life, until one day every piece of his identification is stolen. His farcical attempts to renew his identity expose him to a world of relationships he can no longer avoid – a world where Mary Magellan, an unpredictable conceptual artist, becomes important in ways Michael could not have imagined. A world where Michael must rely on Larry, a disgraced professor of logic, Sam, a lonely metal head living in his basement, and Julie, a manager of the Vital Records Department who takes a VERY personal interest in Michael’s problems. Hilarious, sad, and relevant. Here is a story of psychological collapse and the possibilities that exist at the boundaries of human experience.
- GenresFiction
338 pages, ebook
First published July 28, 2012
6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 17, 2019
"Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?" - Paul McCartney
The Art of Impossibility is a deep insightful book about misfits who wander through life without many social connections. The story is in particular about one Michael Wilson who lives by himself, trades commodities from a computer at various Starbucks, and has specific routines he follows. He is also an expert at beers and ales. One day he goes to renew his driver's license and not knowing the routine brings all his identification documents with him including his passport, his birth certificate, etc. and his car is stolen on the way back. And now how can he prove who he is. He needs the birth certificate to get a passport, etc., sort of a catch-22. He's lost, adrift, getting lost on the way home.
A helpful bureaucrat at the Department of a Vital Statistics is fascinated by Michael's story (okay, she's hopelessly infatuated with this polite well-mannered man) and finds an old regulation that allows identification to be based on the affidavits of three well respected members of the community. But who does Michael know? A few guys at a local pub who may not know his name. A masseuse named Mary who stays the night and lives in a van and is kind of out of her mind. His landlady' overweight loser son who lives in the basement playing heavy metal for his new internet radio station with a listenership of zero. A drunken bum in the park who is rumored to have been a famed philosopher in a previous life. That's pretty much the list.
All these people are broken and twisted and Michael is no different. This is a tender quiet book about Michael and his quest to reclaim his identity. A fascinating case study.
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?" - Paul McCartney
The Art of Impossibility is a deep insightful book about misfits who wander through life without many social connections. The story is in particular about one Michael Wilson who lives by himself, trades commodities from a computer at various Starbucks, and has specific routines he follows. He is also an expert at beers and ales. One day he goes to renew his driver's license and not knowing the routine brings all his identification documents with him including his passport, his birth certificate, etc. and his car is stolen on the way back. And now how can he prove who he is. He needs the birth certificate to get a passport, etc., sort of a catch-22. He's lost, adrift, getting lost on the way home.
A helpful bureaucrat at the Department of a Vital Statistics is fascinated by Michael's story (okay, she's hopelessly infatuated with this polite well-mannered man) and finds an old regulation that allows identification to be based on the affidavits of three well respected members of the community. But who does Michael know? A few guys at a local pub who may not know his name. A masseuse named Mary who stays the night and lives in a van and is kind of out of her mind. His landlady' overweight loser son who lives in the basement playing heavy metal for his new internet radio station with a listenership of zero. A drunken bum in the park who is rumored to have been a famed philosopher in a previous life. That's pretty much the list.
All these people are broken and twisted and Michael is no different. This is a tender quiet book about Michael and his quest to reclaim his identity. A fascinating case study.
January 2, 2016
I am so glad I read this. A truly creative story. With Larry, Intriguing threads of philosophy... My favourite being that the more important a truth the less certain we can be of it. With Mary, Insight into the mind of an artist, roving unhinged and wounded - my favourite being the ticking watch. Other characters all believable in their randomness. And a good message that we are only alive while we are loving and loved.
May 16, 2018
Thought provoking
Littered with references to philosophy and psychology, this novel takes you on a journey of self discovery through the eyes of Michael, a socially awkward but genuine and engaging character. An insightful and enjoyable read.
Littered with references to philosophy and psychology, this novel takes you on a journey of self discovery through the eyes of Michael, a socially awkward but genuine and engaging character. An insightful and enjoyable read.
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March 10, 2020There were some good laughs but perhaps I wasn't in the right mood to really appreciate this book.
December 29, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. At times the writing was a little clumsy but nothing a good editor shouldn't fix. However, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the characters, the tale and the thought-provoking conversations.
May 24, 2016
Guy finds himself when he loses everything especially his identity, plus some philosophy on absurdity
January 17, 2016
Interesting premise but found it lacking overall tbh. Became too set in philosophy at times.
March 29, 2016
Ok...
Interesting plot which had some characters inclined to monologues, at least in their consciousness. I appreciated Sam and his sacrifices for the sake of plot continuation.
Interesting plot which had some characters inclined to monologues, at least in their consciousness. I appreciated Sam and his sacrifices for the sake of plot continuation.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews