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The Doll
The cult novel of early 1990s Prague.
Set somehwere in Europe, The Doll interweaves the stories of three couples in search of transcendence. At the center are two children, Cathy and Thomas, who travel to Spain to erect the largest doll in the world — a symbol of aspiration that diminishes as the work progresses. Grotesque descriptions of sex and drunkenness illustrate the futility of any form of striving toward a goal. A nod to the greats of Modernism, The Doll is a swirl of languages, hallucinations, and visions that create a dreamlike atmosphere of mystical import.
Set somehwere in Europe, The Doll interweaves the stories of three couples in search of transcendence. At the center are two children, Cathy and Thomas, who travel to Spain to erect the largest doll in the world — a symbol of aspiration that diminishes as the work progresses. Grotesque descriptions of sex and drunkenness illustrate the futility of any form of striving toward a goal. A nod to the greats of Modernism, The Doll is a swirl of languages, hallucinations, and visions that create a dreamlike atmosphere of mystical import.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 15, 2020
The publisher's description of this novel is accurate only to the point that any description of a novel intent on defying most novelistic conventions can be accurate. In the early pages three pairs of characters do indeed materialize within the text. The first two are young companions, each supposedly only five years old yet both of whom look and act much older. An accident befalls the boy and the girl goes on without him, yet he later returns. The second two are siblings, a girl and boy half a year apart in age. The boy is in love with his sister. The third two are lovers: he age 20 and she age 38.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part alternates rapidly between the various character arcs without any transitions. We learn background information on most of the characters in a roundabout way. In the second part several characters undergo radical transformations or evolutions. The storylines begin to slowly converge, the delineations between them melting away as the pairs diverge and join with others to form new pairs. New characters also enter the narrative. Stream-of-consciousness interludes mark this second part, at times reading like word salad—impenetrable coded language beyond my ability to parse.
The text seems to rest on a rich mythic underlayer. A figure called the Yellow Prophet recurs throughout the book. It reminded me of the King in Yellow, both for its vaguely menacing presence and for its tendency to never quite materialize to a satisfactory degree. At least one character appears to evolve into another mythical figure.
There is a theme of frustrated incestuous love, as well as a generalized focus on sexuality. The characters drink heavily to dilute their forbidden desires. No one is content, at least not for long.
If I had to compare this book to another book, the only one that comes immediately to mind is Gellu Naum's Zenobia. These two works share a similar rhythm and flow alternating between disorientation and lucidity, as lovers repeatedly join and separate, losing and finding themselves and each other. There is a feeling of circularity to these texts, of having completed some type of seasonal journey, even if it doesn't fully materialize on the page. One turns the final page feeling like closure has occurred yet unsure exactly in what way.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part alternates rapidly between the various character arcs without any transitions. We learn background information on most of the characters in a roundabout way. In the second part several characters undergo radical transformations or evolutions. The storylines begin to slowly converge, the delineations between them melting away as the pairs diverge and join with others to form new pairs. New characters also enter the narrative. Stream-of-consciousness interludes mark this second part, at times reading like word salad—impenetrable coded language beyond my ability to parse.
The text seems to rest on a rich mythic underlayer. A figure called the Yellow Prophet recurs throughout the book. It reminded me of the King in Yellow, both for its vaguely menacing presence and for its tendency to never quite materialize to a satisfactory degree. At least one character appears to evolve into another mythical figure.
There is a theme of frustrated incestuous love, as well as a generalized focus on sexuality. The characters drink heavily to dilute their forbidden desires. No one is content, at least not for long.
If I had to compare this book to another book, the only one that comes immediately to mind is Gellu Naum's Zenobia. These two works share a similar rhythm and flow alternating between disorientation and lucidity, as lovers repeatedly join and separate, losing and finding themselves and each other. There is a feeling of circularity to these texts, of having completed some type of seasonal journey, even if it doesn't fully materialize on the page. One turns the final page feeling like closure has occurred yet unsure exactly in what way.
January 10, 2018
This is maybe my favourite novel of all time. I keep coming back to it, over the years, and also Kye. A huge influence. I need to read his novel Ashtrays!! I want to read everything, and anything, by Lukas Tomin. Lukas Tomin, Donald Barthelme, and Lydia Davis. The greatest!!!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews