Errata

by Jacob Smullyan

Fiction. Jacob Smullyan's ERRATA, a series of thirty tiny, enigmatic stories and essays by the author of DRIBBLE, is a text, or so it itself claims in its opening lines, that consists solely of errors. Towards its end, after we have experienced the existential agonies, both climactic and quotidian, of several apparently overlapping characters ("S.," "Z.," "Sanders," "Zander"), and drunk innumerable cups (or are they cupolas?) of coffee, it comes to assert that error may be a mode either of revelation or delusion. Which process is at play here? Can we decide? And if, as the text elsewhere states, we can neither seek truth nor illusion, can we seek anything at all--even to exit this maze? Or can we, like another character, only patiently mediate their interminable dispute as a form of prayer, with no purpose, perhaps, other than obedience to fate, or a certain subterranean satisfaction in behaving according to a deep intuition, an inner voice, "the only peace we have"--or is that another of the book's deliberate errors? Tantalizing, allusive, and harrowing, ERRATA is a meditation on the psychology of scepticism and on the role of art in addressing the essential paradox of suffering and joy.

72 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2017

About the author

Jacob Smullyan is a classical pianist, software engineer, publisher, and other things.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem! Its brief (68 pages' worth) linked stories and essays at first reminded me of eastern European noir and paranoia, but I've settled on mixing in zen koans to that trope. I've read this four times and each read brings grins. Follow Z (ander) and S (anders) through confusion at being captured by "rebels," through musings at coffee shops where cups of coffee mysteriously change into inverted cupolas, through musings of existent and non-existent memories and friends. A perfect book to while away time on a subway or at a doctor's--or heaven forbid, a dentist's. This compact production is part of a series entitled "Sagging Shorts" from Sagging Meniscus Press. I will eagerly dig into more of them.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word errata means a list of corrected errors appended to a book or published in a subsequent issue of a journal. The title is misleading. This very slim petite book contains thirty opinions that hint at but does not deliver any philosophical thought. Book font size and length allows even the slowest reader to finish the book.

Goodreads Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[C Patrick Daily · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mashup of ideas and thoughts. I can see what the author was going for, but in execution it was just too muddled to be an enjoyable read, even though it's pretty light weight, it tries too hard to be deep and misses the mark most of the time. I received this book as a goodreads giveaway.

[Wendy Jensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I don't understand the essential paradox of suffering and joy as I didn't understand the stories and essays.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.