Only Revolutions II

            I am giving myself time to digest between reads so I do not get burnt out on the symbolism and prose of the book. My reaction is still generally the same, I love it for what is does differently, but still am hesitant to call it amazing because it is so different.

The book does have two sides to it, and is readable the first time through on either side. There is something to be said for the way the book is composed, I would not call it poetic, but it has a very poetic structure, which is odd because it reads like a novel. At first this is rather disorientating, but it becomes a very effective way to present the story and a feat like that is quite brilliant.

            It is also very well written and the only other book I could compare it to would be Dr. Seuss. It uses language and diction in a way that sounds pleasant and appealing to make a real life situation seem like a fairy tale and worthy of affection and praise.

            I hate making comparisons to House of Leaves, but Only Revolutions is much easier to digest, it does what it has to do and nothing more. Rather than fill itself with extraneous sections of information it gives the feeling and tension of a situation without betraying the story it so artfully crafts.

            The main problem at the moment is the cliché love story that Only Revolutions tells. It is disappointing that it is so beautifully structured and written and tells a story about two teenagers taking drugs, getting into fights, and many other angst ridden and familiar themes. This might however be purposeful and may turn into something more as the book goes on.

Only Revolutions I

I have a love hate relationship with this book. As I did with House of Leaves; I love it because it is completely different and makes me think about the architecture of a book itself and how it effects the reader’s interpretation of books in general. With text crammed into the sides and written upside down it is easy to be totally enveloped in the “experience of the book”.

However my love is also my problem with Only Revolutions and House of Leaves. At what point does it stop being an experience and just become bullshit. Maybe, I am just being cynical when I flip a page and think he did this just because it looked cool or just so it would be bizarre. House of Leaves felt full of its self. Like the weird kid at school who knows they are weird and parade it around like it is something to be idealized. I loved House of Leaves do not misunderstand me; some parts of that book are absolutely brilliant. However having to dig through bullshit to get the brilliant parts mars them, when Only Revolutions does it so much more easily.

Only Revolutions is a much more modest book than House of Leaves and I appreciate it more for that. When I read it I am able to get involved with the structure, composition and architecture and be a part of it rather than observe it though its strangeness.

The problem still persists in Only Revolutions of it being a little too much to be taken seriously. I understand it being an experience and I understand why it set up the way it is. I am only fifty six pages into it and I am waiting to see if the architecture leads to something brilliant or if it simply parading around to be different for different sake.