The Erasers
Alain Robbe-Grillet
This is a strange book. While I expected to be thoroughly confused and maddened by the looks of the disjointed prologue, I had to give the book a shot and, on retrospect, it deserves admiration. The Erasers is a daunting venture into relative reality, a particularly strange choice for a mystery story but one which works incredibly well. The traditional mystery's questions of what happened and how the pieces fit together are elaborated upon and taken to a whole new level of relative uncertainty in this book, which mixes tense and narrative perspective so often the reader is as confused as the starring befuddled detective Wallas.
The premise of the book is simple and gripping enough, but its satirical overtones take over soon enough to keep the reader from being too emotionally invested, and thus disappointed when the mystery takes on new literary territories. Rather than focusing on its plot, which is muddled, the book functions a bit like Kubrick's classic "Dr. Strangelove": by its end, the book itself has become much more important than its own events. This effect, of course, comes about only because of spectacularly careful and artful construction, which may be frustrating for the hard-boiled mystery reader but which should dazzle and delight literary critics and those looking for something new and different.
The Erasers, while a detective story, manages to transcend genre with its satirical depiction of the entirely inept Wallas and its greater artistic endeavours. Robbe-Grillet has constructed a book that forces the reader to ask the purpose of books and the usefulness of language. Other questions, such as narrative reliability and the usefulness or cliched boredom of certain stock characters. On reflection, The Erasers seems to be as much about literature as about mystery or even itself. That is not to say, however, that the book is dry and without fun. It is often funny and, though an intellectual challenge at times, well worth the effort. The punch at the end is absolutely hilarious and somehow comes across not as contrived but as brilliant, adding to the satire but wrapping up the plot realistically, given the characteristics of Wallas and his general bungling.
The Erasers defies and defines literary conventions and weaves a carefully constructed critique through its interesting and confusing plot. Wallas and the reader are together confounded at every turn, and only the reader is trusted with the true circumstances of the plot. This book can be frustrated when first explored, but a little reflection and a second read will reveal a wealth of treasures that make it well worth sifting through the confusion and confounding maze of the narrative.
Grade: A
Alain Robbe-Grillet
This is a strange book. While I expected to be thoroughly confused and maddened by the looks of the disjointed prologue, I had to give the book a shot and, on retrospect, it deserves admiration. The Erasers is a daunting venture into relative reality, a particularly strange choice for a mystery story but one which works incredibly well. The traditional mystery's questions of what happened and how the pieces fit together are elaborated upon and taken to a whole new level of relative uncertainty in this book, which mixes tense and narrative perspective so often the reader is as confused as the starring befuddled detective Wallas.
The premise of the book is simple and gripping enough, but its satirical overtones take over soon enough to keep the reader from being too emotionally invested, and thus disappointed when the mystery takes on new literary territories. Rather than focusing on its plot, which is muddled, the book functions a bit like Kubrick's classic "Dr. Strangelove": by its end, the book itself has become much more important than its own events. This effect, of course, comes about only because of spectacularly careful and artful construction, which may be frustrating for the hard-boiled mystery reader but which should dazzle and delight literary critics and those looking for something new and different.
The Erasers, while a detective story, manages to transcend genre with its satirical depiction of the entirely inept Wallas and its greater artistic endeavours. Robbe-Grillet has constructed a book that forces the reader to ask the purpose of books and the usefulness of language. Other questions, such as narrative reliability and the usefulness or cliched boredom of certain stock characters. On reflection, The Erasers seems to be as much about literature as about mystery or even itself. That is not to say, however, that the book is dry and without fun. It is often funny and, though an intellectual challenge at times, well worth the effort. The punch at the end is absolutely hilarious and somehow comes across not as contrived but as brilliant, adding to the satire but wrapping up the plot realistically, given the characteristics of Wallas and his general bungling.
The Erasers defies and defines literary conventions and weaves a carefully constructed critique through its interesting and confusing plot. Wallas and the reader are together confounded at every turn, and only the reader is trusted with the true circumstances of the plot. This book can be frustrated when first explored, but a little reflection and a second read will reveal a wealth of treasures that make it well worth sifting through the confusion and confounding maze of the narrative.
Grade: A
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