Brain Pain discussion

This discussion covers the first two sections, pages 1 – 74.


William Gass begins his story of small town Ohio life several decades after the main events involving Omensetter and his interactions with the townspeople. Could this be a way to comment on the transience, and ultimate irrelevance of petty human conflicts?


The Triumph of Israbestis Tott, pp. 1-29

The first section drops us into the middle of an estate sale in progress, many years after the main story. Israbestis Tott looks around for familiar faces, but realizes he’s one of the lst of his generation.

The Love and Sorrow of Henry Pimber, pp. 31-74

The second section introduces Brackett Omensetter and his family as the arrive in Gilean, Ohio. Under Omensetter’s spell, Henry Pimber rents him a house.


To avoid spoilers, please limit your discussion to these first two sections.

I am excited: I just got my copy of OL & look forward to joining in the discussion.

When I re-read the Henry Pimber section, I forgot how enchanted, or maybe even "bewitched" Henry became by Omensetter and how he lived in the world. When measured against Omensetter, Henry feels like there's no point in living any longer, unless he can learn how to live like him, but Omensetter is not going to give up the secret. Will the belt on Henry's coat be strong enough?

This is my first time reading this novel and although it didn't seem much of a brain pain at first through the first 74 pages, I found myself having to reread those first 60 pages again to get a good sense of what is going on. I was expecting a more experimental novel like The Tunnel but instead this novel is more reminiscent of Faulkner, not only because of the time period the novel is set in but also because the way it is narrated and the characters I can see being in one of Faulkner's novels.
One thing I noticed that struck my curiosity is that Omenstter's wife is pregnant, but as I reread the beginning section with Tott's narrative, there is the scene where the young couple I'd looking at the crib and something is mentioned about how he doesn't remember how Lucy became in possession of the crib and that it belonged to Omensetter for his infant that passed away. Any thoughts on this foreshadowing our did I read this wrong?

Also, a difficult passage for me was when Henry came back with his gun to kill the fox. This passage seemed to get fragmented and more of stream of conscious and I had to read out several times. Anyone else feel the same way?

Josiah wrote: "This is my first time reading this novel and although it didn't seem much of a brain pain at first through the first 74 pages, I found myself having to reread those first 60 pages again to get a go..."

I read this book earlier this year and I'm now re-reading it. I don't remember if the infant dying occurs in the book or how Lucy would have gotten the cradle. I think Gass is using the cradle as a madeleine and tea moment for Israbestis Tott, stimulating memories of times past.

Henry killing the fox seems to be about his desire to put the animal out of its misery rather than allowing Omensetter to leave it there and suffer a slow, torturous death. Henry, too, is in misery, left in a weird psychic well of his own that Omensetter refuses to help him out of. Like the fox, Henry believes he himself should be put out of his misery and contemplates how to do that.

I have to say that my second reading is definitely increasing my understanding and appreciation of the story.

This is a fabulous read so far. I'm really really loving it. Thank you for introducing me to this author.

Poor Henry. That nickname his wife calls him, Hen, terrible. From the first time she called him that, I knew he would not be ok.

April the Cheshire Meow wrote: "This is a fabulous read so far. I'm really really loving it. Thank you for introducing me to this author.

Poor Henry. That nickname his wife calls him, Hen, terrible. From the first time she cal..."

Glad you're enjoying the book. As Josiah noted, Gass owes a debt to Faulkner. The Henry Pimber section is very reminiscent of the Quentin section in The Sound and the Fury.

I saw the "Hen" nickname, but didn't think about it much, but now, it's pretty clever to give us the fox and the "Hen" story. I also liked Henry referring to Lucy as "steam".

I am about 2/3 of the way through the book now. Gass is very careful with details. The items that he describes in detail in the sale, not only provide triggers for memories but they also link to different events and episodes later in the novel.

The collection of painted china and the glass bowls also perfectly fit in with the things that my Great Aunts had and that people hung onto for sentimental reasons even if they were not useful.

He had a very good eye for details as well as being a very careful writer.