Customer Reviews

The Catastrophist

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A catastrophic reaction is defined as the disorganized behavior that is the response to a severe shock or threatening situation with which the person cannot cope. In Lawrence Douglas' "Catastrophist," the protagonist, Daniel Wellington, experiences a series of subtle catastrophic-type reactions to everyday life stressors (family, career, travel etc.). It is not entirely clear why Daniel is having these reactions. The author suggests that these may be part of the protagonist's generalized anxiety. The reactions are not violent displays of emotional turmoil such as predicting the end of the world, seeing unrealistic danger or doom in a situation or a total psychiatric breakdown. Rather, these catastrophic reactions are introspective and eat away at Daniel until they ooze out in the form of self-destructive behavior that is never consummated but yet harmful. Most of this behavior is in the form of flirtations that lead nowhere until one day he foolishly sends a sexually explicit e-mail to a former student and gets in trouble at work for possible sexual harassment. Another such "ooze" is Daniel's careless lies to the press and public about being a child of a Holocaust survivor. He does this at the pinnacle of his career in Berlin after making an important speech and being named to a prestigious Holocaust Memorial Board of Directors. He is eventually found out and forced to resign. The worst of these episodes is falsely leading his wife to believe that he was having affairs. In each of these three areas, he reacts to his fear of the worst (professional failure, sexual harassment charges and jealousy over his wife) by a disorganized, passive-aggressive and self-destructive behavior that paradoxically causes the worst to happen where it would not have been otherwise. Funny and tragic, the novel explores our fear of failure and loss and how our responses to these fears, if dysfunctional, can actually bring them into being. The author's technique is subtle, plot patiently developed and main characters realistic. This is also a real syndrome and the story is plausible and sound, full of humor and pathos.

This is a hilarious romp through male mid-life crisis told with dry comic wit by its intelligent, neurotic protagonist. While the setting (and the butt of several acerbic jokes) is academia, the theme is universal and the focus is the personal life of Professor Daniel Wellington. It is the unique comic voice of this character that makes this story so entertaining.

This is a memorable book, incredibly funny with serious underlying themes related to marriage, family, self esteem and struggles with inner demons. Douglas uses language very creatively. I loved the book and would highly recommend it.

A good beach read for those who can't stomach mass-market paperback pap. This is an often funny, sometimes fiercely sad, tale of the fairly likeable Daniel Ben Wellington who cannot seem to make the correct move in almost anything he undertakes. It speaks to anyone who has been mildly aware of how "chance" tends to rule our lives to a greater degree than most self-help poseurs acknowledge.

This novel is a pleasure. Written with sharp wit and fine attention to detail, "The Catastrophist" follows the meteoric rise and tumultuous fall of Daniel Wellington, star professor of art history at fictional Franklin College. As he travels between conferences and consulting jobs in London and Berlin, Professor Wellington confronts, in quick succession, a series of self-destructive lies, a crumbling marriage, and the stress of rapidly approaching fatherhood. Things get very bad before they get good again.

The book is squarely in the campus novel tradition of Kingsley Amis' "Lucky Jim" and David Lodge's "Small World," and ably lives up to the standards of both: it is exceedingly funny. Yet my sense is that "The Catastrophist" wants to do more than either of these predecessors - it goes a bit deeper with plot and character development, and can put aside the comedy for a rich narrative moment.

All said, very smart and most enjoyable. Very much worth reading.

Lawrence Douglas' novel is a wonderful tale about a neurotic, intelligent, self-aware, and seriously likeable professor named Daniel Wellington. Daniel's life begins to crumble when his wife announces her pregnancy; his ensuing emotional paralysis, professional self-sabotage, and flirtation with adultery make for a poignant, hilarious, and ultimately immensely insightful portrayal of human foibles. It is a galloping read and although it is an academic novel in the tradition of David Lodge and Philip Roth -- not shabby company to keep! -- it is a true original.

I thought "The Catastrophist" might be another first novel by an academic. I gave it a chance, and by the second page, I was "hooked". The main character reads like a train wreck with a colorfully described internal life that captures a self-depreciating good humor. Professor Douglas offers a take on modern culture that mixes insight with derailment, then adds dry wit with a bit of animalistic vitality thrown in.

The Catastrophist's turn of phrase is laugh-out-loud funny.

P. 33 "Gradually I lost the ability to distinguish between my original dread and my dread of my dread. My anxiety reflected back on itself, like an object trapped between two mirrors."

The female characters, the supporting male characters, the incidents, locations and dialogue are all very ...varied. The supporting characters remain unique unto themselves. They could be the Cheers/Seinfield casts that carry on to spawn their own shows and develop their characters (Frazier, Lilith, Julia Dreyfus, Kramer, etc.) long after Cheers/Seinfield has vanished.

A disappointing quality of novel rests in Daniel Wellington's state of non-maturation. He doesn't seem to learn any life lessons or mature. He just keeps on keeping on, and gets away with it, at least through page 274.

Not to spoil the ending...the other shoe doesn't drop...there is no ending. The author could easily pick up with the same character in "The Catastrophist: Part Deux", or page 275. The book didn't take a nosedive, it just glides.

"The Catastrophist" was amusing; it was entertaining. However, the potentially deep material stayed superficial. I'd hazard a guess that Part Deux would land the reader at a destination, hitting pay dirt.

At the onset, I gave ""The Catastrophist" five stars. By mid-book I had descended to four stars, and I concluded with generous three stars by the non-end. I'd round it off to a nice four stars. Professor Douglas may or may not be on to something...too soon to tell.

Of the 175 books I've read thus far this year - yes, I'm still on that insane kick - The Catastrophist is one of only 15 that I'd give a starred review to if I were still a Publishers Weekly reviewer. It's that book every intelligent reader wants to read and every intelligent writer wishes they could write: a literary novel that is so tightly written, you'd swear it belonged on the commercial shelf. Mr. Douglas has written a smart-smart first novel with fascinating characters and twisting turns that will surprise you. Highly recommended.