The Recognitions by William Gaddis (novel #193)

Originality is a device that untalented people use to impress other untalented people, and protect themselves from talented people... ~ excerpt from The Recognitions

Ugh!

How do I begin to describe this novel? I thought to begin with, it is the most awful novel I’ve read, but that would be very opinionated. 

Indeed! In my opinion, it’s awful.

For starters, reviews were highly critical when it was first published, but when Gaddis' second novel J R won National Book Award, The Recognitions was re-reviewed in much more positive light. Hmmm, rather a critique of the critiquing set, in my opinion, but I think they got it right the first time.

It is a very difficult read, and it isn’t just me. Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, a title which pays homage to Gaddis’ novel, says The Recognitions was “by a comfortable margin, the most difficult book I ever voluntarily read.” I’m no simpleton, but I’ll admit, I don’t like to work at reading novels. I want to be transported. So in the slightest nod to no accounting for taste, I’ll admit, if you love a challenging read, you might like The Recognitions.

But that’s not the only thing I disliked. None of the characters are believable. I’ve lived on three continents, and traveled to over a dozen countries; I've been around, and I’ve never met ONE SINGLE soul, like ANY of Gaddis characters. Several of them are losing their minds. (Many synopsis mention one character losing his mind) No, there are at least three, maybe more, and the rest are complete flakes. Yes, EVERY one. Not a single well-adjusted soul in the book.

Gaddis seems to hold everyone, except himself, in contempt. Perhaps he loathes himself as well, I’m not sure. He seems to despise religion, capitalism, art, and society. His sole argument for his contempt is the fact that he holds them in contempt. 

Ugh!

There isn’t a single coherent storyline, but I believe there is a single complex theme. Admittedly, I didn’t “work” to understand it. I read every one of the half-million words, mostly to have read every word, to check this one off the list. But still I think I caught the theme: something to do with recognizing the authentic vs the pretentious. There is a counterfeiter, a plagiarist, a forger, and dozens of unoriginal bohemian caricatures. And mirrors; lots and lots of mirrors. Mirrors come up frequently, far too often to be accidental, as does the word "recognition". When any of these pretentious souls, catch their reflections, willingly or accidentally, in the mirrors. Do they recognize themselves?

I can’t recommend it. I won’t reread it, and I may drop the remaining Gaddis off my TBR.

I hate to be so critical. I can almost hear the fans, and see them looking down their nose at me with a smug grin and derisive chortle..."Just because you don't get it, doesn't mean it isn't profound."

True! And just because no one understands someone, it doesn't make them an artist. 

Sorry.

My rating 1 1/2  out of 5 stars

 

 

This novel satisfies “a 20^th Century classic” (1955), in the Back to the Classics 2022 Challenge.

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