I don't remember the last time I struggled as much to finish a book. 345 pages of sex, crime and drugs is not something that I would normally pick up, but I couldn't find another writer from Brazil and Rubem Fonseca's "High Art" was a highly acclaimed novel. He is considered one of the trendsetters and most important literary figures of contemporary Brazil and this novel is supposed to have captured the urban heartbeat of Brazil in the '80s most vividly.
Unfortunately it was just not for me. I am no prude, but I just cannot read pages and pages of knife fighting techniques. It is simply not an area of interest for me! And the tale itself meandered around so much - everyone was sleeping with everyone else, everyone wanted to stick a knife into everyone else's throat and everyone was looking for a videotape for no particular reason. At least the Godfather had a purpose! It also didn't help that I came to the second part of the novel after a 2 week gap during which time i had even forgotten the main character's name.
I can see this novel work under 2 circumstances 1) If Fonseca had intended this as a satire against this genre of novels, then i can see the humor behind the purposelessness. 2) If this is indeed a true reflection of '80s Brazil where drugs, prostitution and corporate criminals where going at each other with an aim to control these trades.
There are some stories which work better as movies - The Bourne series, Godfather etc and i think High Art is one of those which might have worked better as a movie than as a book.
Whew! I am just relieved that I am done with this one and can focus now on Burkina Faso and Burma!
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