The Blot

Firstly, the guy can write. But that's probably what frustrated me most about this book. The opening hundred pages or so, where the protagonist is describing his affliction and is actively playing backgammon is very engaging and well written but the remainder of the book just meanders on and on and on.Had a good idea but didn't know how to use it.

An interesting novel, with some good set pieces. The last third is a lot less engaging and the story peters out - maybe that's realistic but less fulfilling! It also tends at the end toward male middle aged wish fulfillment a little. Generally, for me, it was a bit of a let down compared to his other works.

Perfect in Every way

This book was named A Gambler's Anatomy when published in the US in 1916. Lethem has written eight other novels. His co-author, Lawrence Rickels is a Professor of Art and Theory. Lethem's novel is full of curiosities. It flits between ideas and themes. The novel is about backgammon, gambling, facial surgery , travel overseas, political resistance and tiny burgers. The hero is Alexander Bruno, a backgammon expert who travels all over the globe to win large sums of money off wealthy men who think they are good backgammon players.As the tale opens, our hero is experiencing a blot on his vision that soon causes him to collapse in a Berlin street after a game. A doctor diagnoses a tumour growing behind his face. Bruno goes home to California to have it removed by a gifted surgeon called Behringer. The removal of the tumour is described in detail. This foreshadows telepathy. Bruno we learn, can read other people's thoughts but of late this has proved very difficult. After the removal of the tumour, he finds that it was blocking his telepathic powers. They now come flooding back. There is a great deal more including burgers, a guru's cult, a prostitute, films galore and politics. This unfortunately means the novel although well written lacks depth.The dialogue is sharp, the characters are strong, the themes are fascinating but the novel lacks shape. The author explains that a blot is a backgammon term meaning a single unprotected playing piece. It represents loneliness, the curse of talent. It is a reminder that great talent has to be harnessed if it is too reach the heights.

There is a real absurdist bent to this delightfully weird book. We follow our protagonist, Alexander Bruno as he gambles his way through Singapore and Berlin, has life changing surgery and muses on the benefits of telepathy. The characters here are definitely larger than life and they would all be the most interesting person in the room at any dinner party, so to have them all interacting is really good fun. Alexander is appealing and charismatic, without being arrogant or irritating, and as we learn more about his back story, his debonair lifestyle is even more impressive. The prose is elegant and funny and the narrative moves at a good pace, keeping the reader's interest through a series of increasingly bizarre events. This is a great read and strikes me as the kind of book that will just get better the more time you spend with it.I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.