The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker
by Jenners • 08/20/2009 • 4 Stars, B Authors, M Titles • 13 Comments
My Favorite Reads is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The idea is to write about some favorite books
that you read before you started blogging!
The Mezzanine
by Nicholson Baker
The Book Description
From Library Journal: Baker’s first novel recounts one afternoon in the life of an office worker named Howie; or, more precisely, an afternoon in the life of Howie’s mind. There are more digressions, asides, and tiny facets than one can imagine fitting into an afternoon or a short novel, for that matter. Each “real” event or action, getting onto an escalator, for instance, is surrounded by the narrator’s meditations on any number of thoughts or processes spawned by that event. A notable departure from traditional novel form is the extensive use of often lengthy footnotes, wherein many of the digressions take place. The line between the footnotes and the main text in fact tends to blur, with the reader drawn repeatedly into the highly detailed odysseys of the footnotes and then pulled back out. A very funny, enjoyable novel by a writer whose work frequently appears in The New Yorker.
Why I Liked It
I really have no idea how I stumbled on this book in the first place. All I know is that I loved it and it made me laugh out loud. Not because it is funny ha-ha, but because it is so ridiculously focused on the small oddities of life. I guess I found myself laughing at the ridiculousness and trueness of the narrator’s observations — and the seriousness of purpose he applies to things such as why shoelaces seem to break around the same time.
In many ways, this book is like a Seinfeld episode — it is about “nothing” but “everything.” The book is not your standard novel in any way, shape or form. Nothing really happens. The narrator breaks a shoelace, goes to get a replacement on his lunch break, and heads back to the office. Along the way, he makes detailed observations (many chronicled in the footnotes) about every little thing he sees or thinks about — often leading him to reveries about his childhood.
This book always sticks out in my mind because I remember reading it on an overseas flight and I ended up laughing hysterically and being unable to stop. Not to say the book is that funny but there was something that tickled my funny bone and I started laughing and got out-of-control about it. You know how it is when you laugh in a confined place or where you shouldn’t and it gets worse and worse because you know you need to stop but you only laugh more? It was like that. But it might have been jet-lag warping my little brain as well. Anyway, I think this is a little gem of a book.
I don't think this is a book I ever would have picked up on my own, but you make it sound great! I think my husband would really like this because he loves Seinfeld.
I can totally relate to the thing about laughing when you're in an inappropriate place. It's happened to me so many times, most memorably in 7th grade math, where I was reading a note from a friend and laughed so hard that the teacher stopped the class to ask me if I was okay. That was totally mortifying – which of course made me laugh harder.
I've never heard of this! This is the great thing about the blogosphere – you keep stumbling across things out of your own little box.
I have not heard about it, but most check it out
So you recommend this book for people with jet lag?
Hey Jenners,
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You say this reminds you of Seinfeld…from your description I also immediate thought of The Office. I don't know that I'd pick this up if I saw it in a bookstore, but you've made it sound very appealing. I'll keep my eye out for it!
You can find my My Favorite Reads post here.
Sounds like a very fun way to spend time on an airplane!
I'll have to add this to my list!
This sounds really interesting and different. I'll have to look for it.
hilarious…laugh out loud…Seinfeld-like…tickled funny bone…
sounds like a winner in my book.
Sounds like a quirky, fun read!
This sounds pretty neat – thanks for the review.
I haven't read this. You comment about the jet lag gave me a giggle this morning. Sometimes a book is great because you've read it at just the right moment.