135 pages of nothing?
Nicholson Baker's 135-page collection of thoughts follows a character named Howie up an escalator. That's it, no drama, no superhero or villain, no love story, just a normal dude going up an escalator. This begs the question, "Why the heck is it 135 pages long?" and the same question I had when first introduced to the book. The Mezzanine breaks this status quo of books having to be elaborate stories with complex characters and plot devices to keep the reader engaged. Baker keeps us engaged through his observations and unique ability to defamiliarize the reader from everyday objects and experiences. If the story were a hamburger, the plot would be the buns, and his elaborate observations and digressions would be the patty and the toppings. As not the strongest writer myself, I find his ability to turn such ordinary things into a 10-page dissertation so interesting, and quite frankly, I'm a bit jealous. In this blog, I would like to share an excerpt from the book where he does a really good job of this.
One of the most impressive examples of these incredibly long digressions is his footnote about a doorknob. Howie encounters one on page 27 when he is about to leave his office and notices himself resting on the doorknob. Howie can't help but to reflect and critique the modern doorknob by starting his footnote with, "Too modern-looking, really to be called a doorknob. Why can't office buildings use doorknobs that are truly knob-like in shape?" (Baker, 27). To an everyday regular person, the design of a doorknob is so insignificant; millions are turned, pulled, and yanked. But Howie is different; he finds it absolutely necessary to bring light to the fact that modern doorknobs have deviated from traditional designs and that he doesn't like them. He soon uses the rant about doorknobs to segue into a heartfelt story about him and his dad. How his dad kept a collection of ties and was well respected for it. As Howie grows up, he makes his own money and buys his own tie. His father compliments the tie, and it all culminates when his tie fits right in with the rest of his father's ties. It's a really touching story, and it takes you away from the main story of the Mezzanine for a few minutes. This is the heart of the Mezzanine; the plot only serves as the soil for Howie's mind to grow many plants and flowers in the form of digressions.
Overall, I would say the Mezzanine was a unique experience and definitely takes some getting used to. Howie's thoughts are not always super clear, and it is very easy to get lost and maybe even fall asleep if you aren't paying attention. But looking back, I think I enjoyed the unique style of the Mezzanine and its break from traditional plots and stories. The lack of action and suspense is made up for with Howie's intricate thoughts and intriguing stories, which stem from a very basic and mundane plot line. Big ups to Baker for being able to extend such an insignificant time frame into 135 pages and big ups to you for reading this blog. I give this book 5 big booms out of 13 escalators.
Baker, Nicholson. The Mezzanine. Grove Press, 2010.
Hi Alberto, great blog! I agree that the Mezzanine takes a while to get used to. The first several chapters are kind of a drag, but once you've gotten used to Baker's unique style, you start to appreciate Howie's weird tangents and insights. Big ups to you for writing this blog. I give this blog 6 big booms out of 7 shoelaces.
ReplyDeleteHi Rojanjo! I thought this blog post did a great job highlighting Baker’s ability to make a novel so interesting even without an actual plot. I especially liked how you phrased it at the end of paragraph 2 when you said, “the plot only serves as the soil for Howie's mind to grow many plants and flowers in the form of digressions” (Rojano). I thought the doorknob example was a good way to show how Baker entertains his readers with his “mini-stories” that stem from his mundane escalator plot. I give this blog 9 big booms out of 10 Panasonic three-wheeled vacuum cleaners!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am also a little jealous of Baker. Especially now as I’m trying to write my pastiche… He makes it seem so effortless and just goes on and on and on. And I'm just wondering how in the world he’s still going on about this random thing that no one really cares about, and somehow, in the process, making me begin to care about it too? I definitely see why this book would get some criticism because of its unusual style, which I agree takes getting used to. But I think you wonderfully highlighted how, in fact, it is truly an impressive work of literature, and if we all manage to stay awake and read closely, there is a lot to appreciate and admire. I give this blog 10043242 big booms out of 403454 diamond-shaped milk carton spouts.
ReplyDeleteWhen you first start reading this book, you flip ahead and think "There's no WAY he can get 135 pages out of this material!" By the end of the book, you realize it could in fact be a lot LONGER than it is! This is the nature of digression--it can potentially be infinite. The observation about doorknobs leads to some surprisingly deep and personal material, a short story buried in a footnote, but of course it's possible to keep going even further with this chain of digression. The closing repeated line "It fit right in!" works well as an ending, and it nicely conveys Howie's personal excitement at coming of age in this particular category, but of course it would be possible to keep going from here--pondering why it's so significant to him to share his father's good taste in ties, maybe get into more memories about borrowing a tie from his dad, or even something about his crazy iced-coffee making. There's ALWAYS another level to digress to, and you'll get to explore this potential yourself with the pastiche!
ReplyDeleteHey Alberto, great blog! I agree with your point that the plot's simplicity allows Howie to more easily explore his thoughts and stories about the most random things. Your example shows how something so ordinary and uninteresting, like a doorknob, can be transformed into a complicated object with a story. It's amazing how this book is 135 pages long! I give this blog 9 doorknobs out of 10 ties.
ReplyDeleteHi Alberto, your title sort of reminds me of Henrys blog at a first glance. I like your doorknob example, and that is one of the things that stood out to me when reading the book. I think that the doorknob is a good exmple of how Howie is able to morph his thoughts into totally unrelated topics without it seeming out of line when he does. I also enjoyed your varied vocabulary throuought this blog. Good stuff dude!
ReplyDeleteHello Alberto! I do agree that Baker's talent of digression is rather staggering, my writing might never be able to compete! Interestingly, I have found myself wondering about doorknobs before, though not about their modernity. I find myself curious with the mechanics of the different types of locks, and the doors with levers compared to those with true knobs. Though I didn't relate to Howie's heartfelt story about ties, it was fun to relate to him about the not quite so mundane doorknob!
ReplyDeleteHey Alberto, what a nice blog. To be honest, I had a similar view on the book on how I didn't understand why it was so long and why someone would make a book on such insignificant stories. But I like your view on this type of writing style as not just some writing we don't understand, but more of a skill that is very hard to replicate.
ReplyDeleteHi Alberto! I agree that after understanding the premise of the book, I couldn't understand how it was so long. Most of it seemed like it would be worthless to write a book about without the drama. My favorite part of you blog was when you said "If the story were a hamburger, the plot would be the buns, and his elaborate observations and digressions would be the patty and the toppings.", i think that encompasses the books. Great job!
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