Theories
of Forgetting
Lance Olsen. Fiction Collective 2,
$22.95 paperback (384p) ISBN: 978-1-57366-179-9
[[there.]]
Lance Olsen. Anti-Oedipus Press. $13.95
paperback (142p) ISBN: 978-0-9892391-3-4
Lance
Olsen’s books Theories of Forgetting and
[[there.]] are works of radically
different type united by their convention-defying formats and their (sometimes
uncomfortable) intimacy. Theories of
Forgetting is a novel in two halves, two narratives that bisect the book
horizontally, never letting you forget one while reading the other. [[there.]] is a book in fragments,
echoing David Markson, bursts of observation and contemplation written while
Olsen was at the American Academy in Berlin. Reading them together amplifies
Olsen’s skill at constructing narratives in unexpected and innovative forms.
Theories of Forgetting is
the story of a family: a husband, a wife, and their daughter and son, told
through mysterious manuscripts and marginalia. The characters try to connect to
each other, to hold on to themselves, or to disappear entirely, amid a world of
lurking dangers including a quickly-spreading, terrifying disease called The
Frost. The book is complex and disorienting, requiring and worthy of intense
concentration and effort. The mystery of what has happened to his characters is
as compelling as Olsen’s command of each interlocking aspect of the story.
[[there.]] is about countless things,
each note building on or jumping off of the last, covering vast terrain in
Olsen’s mind. The book builds a picture of its writer through art, language,
literature, and travel. It shows how travel, and the powerful memories of
travel, can draw out aspects of ourselves. In Theories of Forgetting, Olsen (through his character Alana) writes,
“People don’t take trips. Trips take people.” It is significant that Olsen wrote [[there.]] while away from home because in it, place and experience
become as important as identity.
When
writers experiment with the textual form of their work, they run the risk of
alienating the reader from the story. If the format is too obtrusive, it can
keep the reader from becoming invested, from sinking past the surface. Not so
with Theories of Forgetting and [[there.]], which are as engrossing as
they are challenging. They invite exploration deeper and deeper into the text
on a quest to fit the many intricate pieces together. (2014)
Purchase Theories
of Forgetting HERE.
Purchase
[[there.]] HERE.
Reviewer bio: Taylor Breslin graduated from the
University of Pittsburgh in 2012. She lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She is
on Twitter: @taylorbreslin
