Roxanne reviews Antkind by Charlie Kaufman
I instinctively knew I’d like film director Charlie Kaufman’s first work of fiction, Antkind. I was not daunted by the 700 pages even after seeing his bloated movie Synecdoche, N.Y. Reason being, Charlie’s a genius and due to his prowess, mere mortal minds will never be able to fathom it all. Look at the late great David Foster Wallace for instance, we can marvel, all the while scratching our heads in mystification.
And as usual, my gut instinct was correct. Antkind is metafiction on top of metafiction, but unlike the aforementioned D. F. Wallace’s Infinite Jest, all of the layers of Antkind are accessible. I jumped into bed nightly for a giggle before sleep, as Charlie’s sense of humor encompasses painful truth wrapped up in a joke of our own human folly.
If you choose to accept this reading challenge, here are just some of the rarified segments you’ll enjoy:
The main character’s (B. Rosenberg Rosenberger) humorous road trip to St. Augustine, Florida.
His marvelous find of a 30+ hour previously undiscovered film from the early 1900’s.
His bi-racial relationship with a movie star.
His quest for memory recall under hypnosis.
His ability to not only remember movie scenes, but be part of the film inside the memory.
Mix in an attitude of sardonic wit, movie trivia galore, his main character’s disdain for movie critics and certain directors, plus unbelievable profound insights on our current society and life’s bitter-sweetness and you have scratched the surface of Antkind.
And I hope some readers will join my Movie Lover’s Book Club on September 30th where we will relish in the wonder of Charlie Kaufman’s Antkind world. But don’t be alarmed, the book’s breadth pushed me to have two book club meetings. Hence, the first half of the book will be discussed on the 30th, and the second half at the end of October. Click here for more information and to reserve a spot in the book club.
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