Review of What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
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Sarvesh J Yadav
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Review of What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
[Following is a volunteer review of "What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?" by Neal Bialostosky.]
Picture a literary mash-up where Franz Kafka’s absurdism and George Orwell’s political skepticism are all mixed with Monty Python’s irreverence. That's the wonderland Neal Bialostosky brings you into when you read his play "What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?"
This is a story that breaks the boundaries of a typical dystopian story. In the eponymous city of Paradise, the novel distorts the familiar setting with an odd aura. Imagine bureaucracies run by utterly preposterous regulations; a TV star turned politician who makes such unbelievable statements seem perfectly logical; and people trapped in a well-orchestrated manipulation-progress-catch-22 plot. The whole book looks like a patchwork of different viewpoints. Ben Collins, a disappointed city employee beaten by the chaotic system, and several other characters dispense with a grim picture of this society permeated by fancy tales as we listen in on their stories. The clash of these personalities and their weird lives is when the satire works.
Bialostosky's approach isn't based on just a cold warning. He yields to absurdity as his weapon. This is certainly not George Orwell's 1984's austere, gray world. Instead, it is bright, cheerful, and sometimes downright funny. Dreams of veggie talking, a chatbot with the most useless advice, and scenarios that are pretty close to slapstick draw a cartoonishly dismal picture.
The writing is characteristically bawdy, and Bialostosky pulls no punches. The narrative oftentimes seems to veer somewhere else. Expect tangents, dream sequences, and what might seem like non-chronological storytelling. However, give it time. It's a style choice, not slovenly writing. The character starts to develop as the story unfolds, making you equally intrigued to find out what this odd puzzle in the book is all about. Don’t go for this textbook with the sole expectation of a straightforward story. Expect an immersive world-building experience with dark undercurrents and mature themes spreading outward. The book also gets philosophical; technology, like everything else, is a tool.
"What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?" is esoteric. I found the book well-edited and liked its appearance because it was error-free. Those who enjoy absurd humor with their social criticism will find the experience a challenging and quirky intellectual's dream. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.
******
What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Picture a literary mash-up where Franz Kafka’s absurdism and George Orwell’s political skepticism are all mixed with Monty Python’s irreverence. That's the wonderland Neal Bialostosky brings you into when you read his play "What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?"
This is a story that breaks the boundaries of a typical dystopian story. In the eponymous city of Paradise, the novel distorts the familiar setting with an odd aura. Imagine bureaucracies run by utterly preposterous regulations; a TV star turned politician who makes such unbelievable statements seem perfectly logical; and people trapped in a well-orchestrated manipulation-progress-catch-22 plot. The whole book looks like a patchwork of different viewpoints. Ben Collins, a disappointed city employee beaten by the chaotic system, and several other characters dispense with a grim picture of this society permeated by fancy tales as we listen in on their stories. The clash of these personalities and their weird lives is when the satire works.
Bialostosky's approach isn't based on just a cold warning. He yields to absurdity as his weapon. This is certainly not George Orwell's 1984's austere, gray world. Instead, it is bright, cheerful, and sometimes downright funny. Dreams of veggie talking, a chatbot with the most useless advice, and scenarios that are pretty close to slapstick draw a cartoonishly dismal picture.
The writing is characteristically bawdy, and Bialostosky pulls no punches. The narrative oftentimes seems to veer somewhere else. Expect tangents, dream sequences, and what might seem like non-chronological storytelling. However, give it time. It's a style choice, not slovenly writing. The character starts to develop as the story unfolds, making you equally intrigued to find out what this odd puzzle in the book is all about. Don’t go for this textbook with the sole expectation of a straightforward story. Expect an immersive world-building experience with dark undercurrents and mature themes spreading outward. The book also gets philosophical; technology, like everything else, is a tool.
"What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?" is esoteric. I found the book well-edited and liked its appearance because it was error-free. Those who enjoy absurd humor with their social criticism will find the experience a challenging and quirky intellectual's dream. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.
******
What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
