Customer Reviews

Desolation

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Monologues can be an effective approach to novels (Tabucchi, Hrabel,Tuck and Kolitz come to mind). However, to be effective the reader needs to be sympathetic/empathetic to the speaker or the problem. Unfortunately, for the first two-thirds of this novel Samuel Perlman was a bitter, uninteresting character. However, the last third places Perlman's isolation/desolation into a broader existential, Jewish, Kabbalistic context. Finally, his issues become issues of humanity - how to create a life, a persona to stave off desolation.

The author provides a very consistent voice and a dry humor that makes the novel an enjoyable read.

Yasmina Reza is the author of the Tony Award winning play "Art" and it is evident from the beginning paragraph of this debut novel that this author is very familiar with the stage. Written in monologue form, the story gives voice to the ravings and complaints of an old man named Samuel Perlman. Samuel is complaining most of the time about his adult son, from whom he feels estranged. This is a son he feels is lazy, "rotting in leisure", and who has no ambition or passion in his life. In analyzing his son's misguided life, he starts to reflect upon his own life, his marriages, love affairs, and close friendships. Could it be he is terrified of his own daily monotony? Loneliness, solitude and Samuel's inability to escape his own unhappiness or daily routine are perhaps his greatest enemy?

This is a brilliantly written first novel that is humorous funny, sad, heartbreaking, uplifting and disturbing all at the same time. You get a sense of just how fragile life is and how hard it is to escape one's final destination. One has to look beyond the complaints of Samuel to really know him. Excellent. Highly Recommended!

Joe Hanssen

Written in the form of a monologue, this short novel is about the life, disappointments and losses of an old man. Disappointed at his son for lacking ambition and embracing mediocrity, the narrator shares his thoughts of his life, his friends and the events that shaped his life.

The novel and the language are interesting. However, I did not feel any compassion or sympathy towards the character. He is an old man bitter with disappointment at everyone around him. Yet, he himself, despite his talks of thriving in conflict and turmoil, has avoided conflict all his life and continues to do so with his wife, dauther and her family. While he does not claim he is perfect he also does not take any responsibility for anything or anyone.

While the monologue technique was interesting, I found the book mediocre.

This was very good reading. Without trying to parse it one way or another-that would take a more intelligent mind-I'll simply state that it captivated, kept me curious and took me on the ride.
Essentially a monologue, Desolation is like the last gasp of a man compelled to express himself as he turns into the void. He talks to his son, wife, friends, lovers in a confessional and passionate tone.
Yasmina Reza is a remarkable writer. I particularly appreciate her ability to unify brutish-masculinity, transcendant poetics and harrowing visions of the beauty of small things. Left me with a vivid feel of Paris, French-ness, fatherhood, marriage and the function and futility of philosophy.
Short and remarkably written.