Unifying Themes

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Today, I finished reading a book I picked up from a local thrift shop: John Haskell’s I Am Not Jackson Pollock. To be honest, I didn’t understand much of it, but then again, it’s really not that surprising given that I’m somewhat incapable of absorbing anything remarkably deep.

If I could, I’d give you a summary of the book, but the thing is I can’t. See, John Haskell’s work doesn’t really have a unifying theme – except film maybe. In each of the novel’s nine segments, there’s always some form of reference to film or literature, which I’m pretty sure movie buffs will be thrilled to read. Although it helps greatly if you have a good background in films and you’re well-versed in movie lingo, it doesn’t really matter much whether you know Jackson Pollock or not (and I have to admit I don’t) because Haskell describes each character he writes about, from attitude to thoughts to credentials. Although one should remember that this book is fictional, so Orson Welle’s thoughts in the novel are most probably not what he thought of in his lifetime.

I liked the book because it was something very different from what I usually read. Normally, I prefer reading what I like to call ‘descriptive books’, where things take place in the real world and not just in someone’s head (e.g. Ten Little Indians, Harry Potter, etc). Reading I Am Not Jackson Pollock was definitely a new experience for me, because most of its contents focus on things happening in people’s thoughts only.

I didn’t like the book because: 1) I couldn’t understand it; 2) I found the writing style unsteady and halting; and, 3) It really was too deep for my poor brain to appreciate. I suppose then, that I didn’t like the book simply because I’m me – and that doesn’t mean that if other people read it, they won’t like it either. Although I doubt my artist friend Maia would appreciate it either; it just lacks a certain something that’s common in the stuff Maia reads.

My favorite thing about the book is that it forces you to reflect on what each segment’s theme is. I might be wrong, but my brain tells me that theme for Narrow Road and Elephant Feelings is need – the need to be noticed, the need to be loved. My favorite ‘story’ in this book of interwoven stories is the one about Laika, the first dog in space; I think it’s really moving, the way John Haskell describes Laika’s hopes and dreams and fears in the face of such an unusual, glorious opportunity. (Yes, she’s a dog.)

Recommended for film buffs, people who want to read new things, people who like reading short stories without closure, those who do a lot of ‘after-reading’ thinking in order to guess what the message of the book is. 3 stars.