Thinks...

Written by David Lodge, if nothing else this book is probably the ultimate exploration into the idea of the ‘stream-of-consciousness’ mode of writing. Whilst it, for a large portion of the book actually, distances the reader: we’re never wholly invited or inspired to insert ourselves into the world that Lodge is describing, it actually is an engaging read once you get over the first few chapters and fall into the swing of it. 

Recently widowed novelist Helen Reed has taken a teaching position at Gloucester University. Whilst at a dinner party with various members of the faculty she is introduced to Ralph Messenger, the rock star of Cognitive Research and reputed womanizer. Immediately she finds him an engaging character and she soon develops a strong friendship with him and his wife Carrie. For a while their friendship is strictly platonic, focused and fuelled by the heated conversations Helen and Ralph have about human consciousness. Helen resists Ralph’s advances on principal: respect for Carrie and respect for her late husband Martin, but her resistance shatters when dramatic events take place and hidden truths come to light, confirming what Ralph is always telling her: “we can never know for certain what another person is thinking.” 

Essentially, this is a book all about consciousness with both sides of that stupid and pointless binary ‘art vs. science’ being represented: Ralph in the ‘science’ corner and Helen in the ‘art’ corner. What centrally distances the reader is the almost ham-fistedly contrived way (well, one of them) that Lodge metafictively writes. In some way or other, this book continually comments upon itself as a work of fiction and thus, the ‘stream of consciousness’ becomes a little void as the book, particularly in Messenger’s assigned chapters, makes it known that there is no true stream of consciousness in literature because it really is always censored and contrived. 

Whilst the arguments and points that Lodge raises are valid and fascinating in some way or other, there is a vibe of trying too hard. Notably, this is most apparent in Messenger’s chapters as it’s written in the way that is supposed to imitate someone saying their thoughts aloud as they occur him. It’s particularly ham-fisted and obvious in the first chapter, but the jaggedness does die down halfway through, which is sort of counterproductive as the point of the that method of writing is to illustrate the erratic nature of consciousness. 

However, this is the only really bad thing I have to say about this book. The rest of it is written in journal entries from Helen, third person omniscient narration in the present tense, and emails. Ultimately the characterisation, narrative progression, basically everything is achieved through the various methods of writing that Lodge engages in as well as the grammar and sentence structure (especially in the emails sections, the use of language is very illustrative of character). The writing, ultimately, is what makes this book and whilst the story itself isn’t overly engaging or even new, the way in which Lodge tells it compels you to keep flipping the pages so you have to give it kudos. Plus, its metafictive novelty and its open comments upon the own themes it’s addressing make it fun and kind of witty. 

Filled with infidelity, drama, romance, comedy, science, and art, Thinks… is a book that I began reading with a grain of salt and wasn’t immediately impressed with the writing or the characters, but perseverance proves once again to be rewarding and I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I initially thought that I would.