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Product Description
Books in Canada
Martel plays with sexual conventions, the implications of gender; he shakes the kaleidoscope regularly so that the pieces, though the same, always re-form into an unexpected pattern. He embraces diversity, and in a voice that doesn't falter, explores the complex issue of identity, how one's language, culture, and body coalesce into that elusive idea called "self". And he's not afraid to take chances, discuss bodily functions, the physicality of being human. (His description of menstruation is probably the most explicit ever included in a novel.)
He also plays with language, at times placing a column in English down one side of the page with a translation or "addition" in a parallel column. For example, alongside a scene describing Self's relationship with her lover Tito's Hungarian parents, Martel tells-in Hungarian-the story of Bluebeard, providing a surprising subtext to what to the eye appears a merely a translation of the English. The writing itself is imaginative and vigorous. Consider, for example, Self's view of German: "With its words as long as novellas, its syntax like a mediaeval cathedral and its grammar like Einstein's science, German became my favourite foreign language."
In short, Self is a deceptively simple title for a work that is as complex as the word itself. Eva Tihanyi(Books in Canada) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"This is an exhilarating piece of fiction, as bold and original as anything I've read in a long time." -- Charles Foran, Montreal Gazette
"A powerful story, punctuated by humour and tragedy in much the way real life is. -- Like Rohinton Mistry and Michael Ondaatje, Martel is a brilliant storyteller." -- Vancouver Sun
"Superb -- Masterfully written. -- Martel has an almost otherworldly talent. -- He is a powerful writer and storyteller, almost a force of nature." -- Edmonton Journal
"Yann Martel wonderfully represents the child's universe as a seamless whole...A penetrating, funny, original and absolutely delightful exploration.... [Martel] is a natural and often brilliant essayist and expositor, with a knack for aphorism and a rich cultural and literary foundation." -- Globe and Mail
"So vigorous and confident and sure-footed...so compelling, that Self's education does end up being part of the reader's. Like all good educations, it is hard to forget, once absorbed." -- Toronto Star
"Engaging...There's some real insight here....Self is filled with things that sound a lot like the truth...now and again you encounter things that read so true, the sound they make resonates for hours, or even days. Self is still ringing in my ears." -- Hour Magazine
"Mesmerizing...Linguistic treats dance across the page, and the subject -- a young person's life -- careens between the remarkably realistic and the wildly imaginative.... Martel is a gifted writer: his language saunters and soars.... Martel addresses important issues and does so creatively and seriously. He deserves to be read." -- Calgary Herald
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Most helpful customer reviews
11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Fantastic beginning, degenerates into awful!,
By Pascal (Edmonton, Alberta) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Self (Paperback)
The beginning of the book gets 5 stars. It was well written, original, with a delicious narrative style which kept me turning the pages. For someone who distractedly reads 4-5 different books at the same time, this book (at least the first half) was soon the only thing I was reading. Frequently I would come across some great prose, and wonder why I had never heard of this writer until he won the booker prize. This impression, sadly, didn't last long. Half way through the novel (incidentally soon after the character realizes he's actually female) it suddenly started to badly degenerate. Not only did it became mechanical and obsessed with female bodily functions (fell into the trap), but also centered around the boring unoriginal theme of the writer within the writer ..(yawn). It can only possibly keep interested the most adolescent of minds. I don't care to make a generalization about male writers assuming female first person - but Yann did not do this well. I started skimming, skipping entire chuncks of pages. Eventually I stopped altogether. If you must buy this book, go to page 180, rip the book in half. Only buy the first part!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed, yet unforgettable,
By
This review is from: Self (Paperback)
"Self" is one of those books that can only either be:
a) loved, but not really respected b) respected, but not really loved For me, it was the former. "Self" is written in the same thoughtful, reminiscing, vividly autobiographical style as "Life of Pi", but while "Life of Pi" was like a perfect fairy tale - balanced, linear, and cohesive - "Self" is a jaunting, jerking ride through scenes of extraordinary poignance and others of near banality. This is a good read for those wanting a more personal, gritty work from Martel. "Life of Pi" leaves you comfortably excluded (although fascinated), while "Self" forces you right into the fray. Martel's portrayal of a character learning gender and sex from within a vaccuum is both deviously amusing and often heartrending. The greatest flaw in the book isn't, in fact, the unseemly plot (Martel seems to be a master at hatching those effectively) but the loss of the stubborn, interested, wistful child we love at the beginning of the book and lose to adult details in the end. Go into a bookstore, read a chapter from the early half and chapter near the end, and decide for yourself before buying.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely Metamorphosis,
By
This review is from: Self (Paperback)
A playful walk through an interesting and understandable transformation of a human being. It's delightful to watch this character's reaction to the world and its inhabitants. Writing style is almost flawless, full of oddly brilliant metaphors, amusing transitions (or lack thereof), and heartbreaking sincerity. This title is my favorite piece from Martel, followed closely by The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios.
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