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In the Absence of Absalon
In the Absence of Absalon revolves around an unnamed investigator, a set of keys and a townhouse. He is investigating a series of disappearances: of his colleague, Marguerite; of Harold Absalon, the Mayor’s transport advisor, whose disappearance Marguerite had been investigating prior to his own disappearance; of Richard Knox, the owner of the townhouse, who had fallen out with Absalon before disappearing; and of Absalon’s wife Isobel, who is glimpsed, partially undressed, in an upper storey bedroom as the investigator approaches.
Pursued from all sides and seemingly losing his mind, what the investigator discovers, as he enters the house, is both familiar and utterly devastating.
Pursued from all sides and seemingly losing his mind, what the investigator discovers, as he enters the house, is both familiar and utterly devastating.
- GenresFiction
224 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2017
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June 26, 2020
Re-read in 2020. With the distortion of time caused by Covid-19, this brilliant novel is more pertinent than ever. Upgrading to 5 stars.
From the outstanding longlist for the 2017 Republic of Consciousness Prize for 'gorgeous prose and hardcore literary fiction' from small, independent presses.
In the Absence of Absalon is the 2017 follow-up to Simon Okotie's wonderful Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon, published in 2012, and together they constitute the most delightfully original books I have read this year.
Both are publised by Cromer-based Salt Publishing, one of the UK’s leading independent small presses. They are ’committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature ... We find great stories, make them gorgeous and share them with you. You simply can’t have life without a little Salt.’
Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon, focused on Marguerite, an investigator on the track of the eponymous transport advisor to the Mayor. But Marguerite made little progress in the 200 pages of the novel, since these were mostly taken up by his meticulous and conscientious pursuance of any train of thought of even tangential relevance to its full and detailed conclusion. As the novel ended he was attempting to escape a Routemaster bus, convinced that he was being pursued by Harold Absalon's wife, Isobel, and some cronies, after she had spotted him tailing her.
In this novel, Marguerite has also gone missing in the midst of his investigation and our unnamed main character, another investigator, is now looking into Marguerite's absence, believing that also holds the key to the case of the missing Harold Absalon.
As the novel opens he is approaching a town house owned by Richard Knox, a new character introduced into the mix , a former colleague of Harold and possible lover of Isobel.
Our detective regards Marguerite as his senior and mentor and has clearly taken Marguerite's investigative techniques to heart. Indeed by comparison, Marguerite's progress seems positively rapid. In his 200 page story he at least managed to enter a hotel, evade the receptionist and take the lift to the top floor to confirm the presence there of Isobel Absalon, wait outside the hotel for her to leave, attempt to follow her, only for 'his cover to be blown' and then in turn flee from her, both on to and off a bus.
Whereas his mentee spends the first 50 pages removing a key from his pocket, a key which doesn't even prove necessary, and by the novel's end has only managed to enter the townhouse and take a few steps inside.
A taste of his methods of proceeding comes when he doesn't find the key in the pocket he expected and wonders if he is wearing a different set of trousers (actually his other trousers since he only owns two). He reflects that the two trousers show different levels of wear, despite being worn, by him, a similar number of times, and why this might be. 'There were a number of possibilities here, as always,',one of which is that both are second-hand so may have been differentially worn when he acquired them. This leads him to contemplate the phrase second-hand and to decide it is misleading. Indeed, he decides, clothing could only really be first hand if it had somehow been shed ready-to-wear by an animal. This leads him on to contemplating one-piece items of clothing such as wet-suits and then how, despite the 'suit' in the name, a wet-suit is not suitable as a piece of business attire - unless of course one was for example enquiringf about buying a diving-equipment shop and wishing to demonstrate to the existing proprietor one's genuine interest in the area. In turn he decides that , outside of such specific circumstances, the visible wearing of a rubber item of clothing is not conducive to the effectiveness of a business meeting. Except even that rule has a flaw:
As with Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon, the narrator adds his (or her - although the clues point increasingly to his) own perspective in the footnotes, and increasingly implicates himself (I will stick with the male pronoun) in the story.
Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon has a brief flirtation with a meta-fictional element where the narrator at one point suggested any readers on the same bus as Marguerite might like to intervene, but generally Marguerite was mentally recording his observations in preparation for possible future cross-examination. Here this element comes to the fore, with the narrator addressing the collective readers as fellow investigators following either metaphorically or possibly even literally in the main character's footsteps. And the detective himself senses that, although doesn't understand how, his thoughts are being observed, which makes him wish to be all the more meticulous and perhaps account for his relative lack of progress vs. his mentor, at least measured in physical activitiy completed per page of the book.
The book is, if one is in the frame of mind for this sort of think (and I certainly was) also very funny, in part as the narrator and the investigator are more self-aware: my favourite line:
Highly recommended and I am confident even now in saying one of my books of 2017. 4.5 stars - perhaps only quite 5 because there is an element of repeating rather than fundamentally developing the 2012 book.
Having said that I would be only too delighted to read more of the story of Harold Absalon. Given the fact that the author writes a new installment every 5 years and the pace of progress of the investigators in each novel, I look forward to discovering what really happened in around 2112.
From the outstanding longlist for the 2017 Republic of Consciousness Prize for 'gorgeous prose and hardcore literary fiction' from small, independent presses.
In the Absence of Absalon is the 2017 follow-up to Simon Okotie's wonderful Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon, published in 2012, and together they constitute the most delightfully original books I have read this year.
Both are publised by Cromer-based Salt Publishing, one of the UK’s leading independent small presses. They are ’committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature ... We find great stories, make them gorgeous and share them with you. You simply can’t have life without a little Salt.’
Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon, focused on Marguerite, an investigator on the track of the eponymous transport advisor to the Mayor. But Marguerite made little progress in the 200 pages of the novel, since these were mostly taken up by his meticulous and conscientious pursuance of any train of thought of even tangential relevance to its full and detailed conclusion. As the novel ended he was attempting to escape a Routemaster bus, convinced that he was being pursued by Harold Absalon's wife, Isobel, and some cronies, after she had spotted him tailing her.
In this novel, Marguerite has also gone missing in the midst of his investigation and our unnamed main character, another investigator, is now looking into Marguerite's absence, believing that also holds the key to the case of the missing Harold Absalon.
As the novel opens he is approaching a town house owned by Richard Knox, a new character introduced into the mix , a former colleague of Harold and possible lover of Isobel.
Our detective regards Marguerite as his senior and mentor and has clearly taken Marguerite's investigative techniques to heart. Indeed by comparison, Marguerite's progress seems positively rapid. In his 200 page story he at least managed to enter a hotel, evade the receptionist and take the lift to the top floor to confirm the presence there of Isobel Absalon, wait outside the hotel for her to leave, attempt to follow her, only for 'his cover to be blown' and then in turn flee from her, both on to and off a bus.
Whereas his mentee spends the first 50 pages removing a key from his pocket, a key which doesn't even prove necessary, and by the novel's end has only managed to enter the townhouse and take a few steps inside.
A taste of his methods of proceeding comes when he doesn't find the key in the pocket he expected and wonders if he is wearing a different set of trousers (actually his other trousers since he only owns two). He reflects that the two trousers show different levels of wear, despite being worn, by him, a similar number of times, and why this might be. 'There were a number of possibilities here, as always,',one of which is that both are second-hand so may have been differentially worn when he acquired them. This leads him to contemplate the phrase second-hand and to decide it is misleading. Indeed, he decides, clothing could only really be first hand if it had somehow been shed ready-to-wear by an animal. This leads him on to contemplating one-piece items of clothing such as wet-suits and then how, despite the 'suit' in the name, a wet-suit is not suitable as a piece of business attire - unless of course one was for example enquiringf about buying a diving-equipment shop and wishing to demonstrate to the existing proprietor one's genuine interest in the area. In turn he decides that , outside of such specific circumstances, the visible wearing of a rubber item of clothing is not conducive to the effectiveness of a business meeting. Except even that rule has a flaw:
Indeed he now realised (in fact this thought had dawned on him as the previous thought was unfolding, but he had not been able to think that current thought while the previous thought was unfolding for fear (albeit unconscious) of impeding the previous thought from unfolding in full) (but now the current thought, in expressing this 'bridging thought' if one can express it in that way, has been lost, so the unconscious care that he had lavished on the initial thought is somewhat undercut by the loss of the current thought, as it was previously known but which should now be known as the next thought, should it reappear in nascent form in his mind, which he hopes it does, to distinguish it, that is, from the current thought (previously known as the 'bridging thought', which, in taking so long to unfold has taken over from the previously current thought in all-including name) that (ah! it's there again!) even if the rubber clothing in question is not visible (which is not to say that it is invisible, just to say that it is not visible to the meeting attendees - it is underneath other items of (non-rubber) clothing, say, or underneath the meeting room table) that does not mean that its ability to undermine the conduction of effective business is diminshed.It perhaps says more about me than about the book, or rather about by affinity for the book, that on first reading this passage I felt instinctively that there was one right bracket too few which, on detailed inspection, does indeed prove to be the case, the omitted bracket perhaps nestling most naturally to form a double bracket after "name)".
As with Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon, the narrator adds his (or her - although the clues point increasingly to his) own perspective in the footnotes, and increasingly implicates himself (I will stick with the male pronoun) in the story.
Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon has a brief flirtation with a meta-fictional element where the narrator at one point suggested any readers on the same bus as Marguerite might like to intervene, but generally Marguerite was mentally recording his observations in preparation for possible future cross-examination. Here this element comes to the fore, with the narrator addressing the collective readers as fellow investigators following either metaphorically or possibly even literally in the main character's footsteps. And the detective himself senses that, although doesn't understand how, his thoughts are being observed, which makes him wish to be all the more meticulous and perhaps account for his relative lack of progress vs. his mentor, at least measured in physical activitiy completed per page of the book.
The book is, if one is in the frame of mind for this sort of think (and I certainly was) also very funny, in part as the narrator and the investigator are more self-aware: my favourite line:
‘taken as read’ being the form of words that our investigator perhaps fears most of any form of words that he can think of.And oddly, despite the deliberate lack of concrete progress on the case itself due to the relentlessly pursed digressions, the story does start to develop quite intriguingly, with more becoming clear about the relationship between Harold Absalon, Richard Knox and the unnamed narrator, all of which circle around the seemigly seductive Isobel Absalon.
Highly recommended and I am confident even now in saying one of my books of 2017. 4.5 stars - perhaps only quite 5 because there is an element of repeating rather than fundamentally developing the 2012 book.
Having said that I would be only too delighted to read more of the story of Harold Absalon. Given the fact that the author writes a new installment every 5 years and the pace of progress of the investigators in each novel, I look forward to discovering what really happened in around 2112.
June 4, 2020
RE-READ DUE TO ITS LONGLISTING FOR THE REPUBLIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS PRIZE
This book is published by Salt Publishing “an independent publisher committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature …. advocates for writers at all stages of their careers … [ensuring] that diverse voices can be heard in an abundant, global marketplace.” They have twice been Booker longlisted, most recently in 2016 for The Many and recently received a Costa First Novel shortlisting for The Clocks in This House All Tell Different Times.
This book is a sequel to the brilliantly original Whatever Happened To Harold Absalon?, a lengthy book but one whose plot could be reproduced in its entirety in a brief paragraph (and was in my review).
Clearly the author has decided that the pace of that book was inappropriate and has slowed it down for this book.
The sequel features an unnamed detective is carrying out “his investigation into the disappearance of his colleague, Marguerite, last seen on the trail of Harold Absalon, the Mayor’s transport advisor, who had been missing”. At the start of the book the investigator is approaching a townhouse, owned by Richard Knox, who Harold was known to have fallen out with before his disappearance. He believes he is being closely followed by Harold and that the house holds the key to resolving the mystery of his disappearance. By the book’s end he has walked up to the gate of the townhouse, looked for and found in his trousers the keys to the house, found that the apparently padlocked gate is not secured, walked up to the door which is opened by Harold’s wife Isobel, walked towards the stairs resisting the distraction of a ringing phone by then changing his plan when he hears a baby crying.
The narrator has been trained and mentored by Marguerite and is similarly meticulous in his thoughts – unlike Marguerite his thoughts are typically more focused on the actual case in hand though and (with the exception of rate Marguerite digressions into areas only very tangentially related to his investigation (one particularly entertaining one starting with a reference to whether Isobel is free to leave, quickly departing by route of the ease of leaving a non-dinner party into a four page discussion of what the concept of cooking and preparing means in the context of the three types of pizza (take-away, shop bought and home-made))) are often related to the his physical progress and the motions of his body.
Overall a hugely enjoyable and at the same time thought provoking book and one very much in the unique style of its predecessor. Comparing it to that there are negatives and positives.
On the negative side, at times the physical descriptions shaded at times into a level of tedium I did not experience in “Whatever Happened …”. The book also makes, like the paragraph above extensive use of brackets, but, unlike the paragraph above does not seem capable of correctly un-nesting them, by omitting the use of double (or triple) closing right brackets. Only a mathematical pedant would notice this - but of course this is exactly the type of book a mathematical pedant enjoys!
On the positive side, the much stronger aspect of this book compared to the first, is the greater sense of meta-narrative in a number of senses: the unnamed narrator refers at times to what the investigator may be doing during chapter breaks; the investigator himself is aware (without understanding the mechanisms) that his thoughts and actions are somehow being monitored; the footnotes relate even more closely to the case than before; the narrator himself starts to get involved in the book, in particular as it ends following the investigator into the room where they baby seems to be crying “determined, once again, to understand the circumstances of his disappearance”.
As a result the real conceit at the heart of this series - examining the very idea of sheer complexities of life and how they can be rendered in fiction, comes out more strongly.
This and its predecessor are highly recommended.
This book is published by Salt Publishing “an independent publisher committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature …. advocates for writers at all stages of their careers … [ensuring] that diverse voices can be heard in an abundant, global marketplace.” They have twice been Booker longlisted, most recently in 2016 for The Many and recently received a Costa First Novel shortlisting for The Clocks in This House All Tell Different Times.
This book is a sequel to the brilliantly original Whatever Happened To Harold Absalon?, a lengthy book but one whose plot could be reproduced in its entirety in a brief paragraph (and was in my review).
Clearly the author has decided that the pace of that book was inappropriate and has slowed it down for this book.
The sequel features an unnamed detective is carrying out “his investigation into the disappearance of his colleague, Marguerite, last seen on the trail of Harold Absalon, the Mayor’s transport advisor, who had been missing”. At the start of the book the investigator is approaching a townhouse, owned by Richard Knox, who Harold was known to have fallen out with before his disappearance. He believes he is being closely followed by Harold and that the house holds the key to resolving the mystery of his disappearance. By the book’s end he has walked up to the gate of the townhouse, looked for and found in his trousers the keys to the house, found that the apparently padlocked gate is not secured, walked up to the door which is opened by Harold’s wife Isobel, walked towards the stairs resisting the distraction of a ringing phone by then changing his plan when he hears a baby crying.
The narrator has been trained and mentored by Marguerite and is similarly meticulous in his thoughts – unlike Marguerite his thoughts are typically more focused on the actual case in hand though and (with the exception of rate Marguerite digressions into areas only very tangentially related to his investigation (one particularly entertaining one starting with a reference to whether Isobel is free to leave, quickly departing by route of the ease of leaving a non-dinner party into a four page discussion of what the concept of cooking and preparing means in the context of the three types of pizza (take-away, shop bought and home-made))) are often related to the his physical progress and the motions of his body.
Overall a hugely enjoyable and at the same time thought provoking book and one very much in the unique style of its predecessor. Comparing it to that there are negatives and positives.
On the negative side, at times the physical descriptions shaded at times into a level of tedium I did not experience in “Whatever Happened …”. The book also makes, like the paragraph above extensive use of brackets, but, unlike the paragraph above does not seem capable of correctly un-nesting them, by omitting the use of double (or triple) closing right brackets. Only a mathematical pedant would notice this - but of course this is exactly the type of book a mathematical pedant enjoys!
On the positive side, the much stronger aspect of this book compared to the first, is the greater sense of meta-narrative in a number of senses: the unnamed narrator refers at times to what the investigator may be doing during chapter breaks; the investigator himself is aware (without understanding the mechanisms) that his thoughts and actions are somehow being monitored; the footnotes relate even more closely to the case than before; the narrator himself starts to get involved in the book, in particular as it ends following the investigator into the room where they baby seems to be crying “determined, once again, to understand the circumstances of his disappearance”.
As a result the real conceit at the heart of this series - examining the very idea of sheer complexities of life and how they can be rendered in fiction, comes out more strongly.
This and its predecessor are highly recommended.
July 24, 2020
NOW RE-READ DUE TO ITS INCLUSION ON THE REPUBLIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS LONG LIST
In The Absence Of Absalon is published by Salt Publishing which says this on it's website:
"Salt is one of UK’s foremost independent publishers, committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature. We are advocates for writers at all stages of their careers and ensure that diverse voices can be heard in an abundant, global marketplace."
In The Absence Of Absalon is a follow up to the weird and wonderful Whatever Happened To Harold Absalon?. It is equally, possibly more, weird and wonderful.
In Whatever Happened..., we followed investigator Marguerite as he travelled up and down in a hotel, walked the streets and got on and off a bus. That is all that happened in that book, but we learned a lot about the thoughts that went through Marguerite’s mind during that 20-30 minute period.
Marguerite was investigating the disappearance of Harold Absalon. Now Marguerite has disappeared, too!
As the book begins, an unnamed investigator is approaching a town house. By the end of the book he has walked through the gate, up the path and into the house where he hears a phone ring and runs into a room. That's it in terms of action.
However, like its predecessor, this book is not concerned with plot or action. It is concerned with the digressive thoughts of the unnamed protagonist who has picked up the search for Marguerite and Absalon. In the course of the journey up the path and into the house, we are treated to discourses on such topics as getting a key out of your trouser pocket, second-hand and worn clothes, the difference between raising your arms and putting up your hands, dead matches vs. dead locks, bought pizza vs. delivered pizza, central locking in cars, how to tell one side of the road from the other, answering the phone in a house with multiple phones (all connected to the same line, all connected to different lines or some combination of connections).
Our investigator cannot leave any stone unturned in his attempts to explain everything. At one point, the author even notes
‘taken as read’ being the form of words that our investigator perhaps fears most of any form of words that he can think of.
Everything has to be thought through and all the options considered.
…people die all the time, but let it not be said that he brought anyone’s death forwards significantly by not just taking an extra moment to define, as precisely as he possibly could, the terms that he was using to express himself during his thought processes.
On starting this book we immediately notice two things. Firstly, the narrative style remains the same as the previous book. In the other book, this was the over-analytical stream-of-consciousness of Marguerite. Now it is the same but for a different person. Is this significant? Secondly, the meta-narrative that was there in the first book is brought immediately into the foreground and becomes one of the most significant aspects of the book.
Very early on, we read (the author is addressing us, his readers):
He had a strong suspicion that others, like ourselves, were breathing down his neck.
Indeed, at one point, there is discussion about how we can all fit into the small area outside the house. Then we read:
…he was to provide sufficient and appropriate detail about the building in question to allow one or more of the less experienced detectives following in his footsteps as it were and with access, somehow (he wouldn’t go into that now), to his mental case notes and files, to make a name for him- or herself, as it is known in some quarters, by solving the mystery of the disappearance of Marguerite, last seen in pursuit of Harold Absalon, the Mayor’s transport advisor, before anyone else – including himself – had done so.
In a “normal” book, the reader has access to the thoughts of the characters, as provided by the author who writes down those thoughts. When we read, we accept that that the author has created those characters and has put those thoughts into their minds in order that he can write them down and tell us a story. Here, suddenly, the main character is aware that others (the author, us as readers) somehow (he doesn’t know how) have access to his thoughts.
The meta-narrative continues to build when the author suggests that the reason we don’t see the investigator going to the toilet could be that he does that in the breaks between chapters. And:
This period of waiting is included so that you can take in the following passage, just into your mind, that is, without acting upon it, with him not being aware, remember, of how this transfer of thoughts, if that is what it is, can possibly be taking place.
This book takes some of the ideas that began to be developed in the preceding book and evolves them into something far more mature and sophisticated. If the multiple digressions and obsessions don’t annoy you, then you will find many laugh out loud moments and be left with some ideas about literature that you can think about for many days after you finish. I appreciate that this will not be a book that everyone will enjoy, but I really liked it.
My thanks to Salt Publishing for a free copy of the ebook.
In The Absence Of Absalon is published by Salt Publishing which says this on it's website:
"Salt is one of UK’s foremost independent publishers, committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature. We are advocates for writers at all stages of their careers and ensure that diverse voices can be heard in an abundant, global marketplace."
In The Absence Of Absalon is a follow up to the weird and wonderful Whatever Happened To Harold Absalon?. It is equally, possibly more, weird and wonderful.
In Whatever Happened..., we followed investigator Marguerite as he travelled up and down in a hotel, walked the streets and got on and off a bus. That is all that happened in that book, but we learned a lot about the thoughts that went through Marguerite’s mind during that 20-30 minute period.
Marguerite was investigating the disappearance of Harold Absalon. Now Marguerite has disappeared, too!
As the book begins, an unnamed investigator is approaching a town house. By the end of the book he has walked through the gate, up the path and into the house where he hears a phone ring and runs into a room. That's it in terms of action.
However, like its predecessor, this book is not concerned with plot or action. It is concerned with the digressive thoughts of the unnamed protagonist who has picked up the search for Marguerite and Absalon. In the course of the journey up the path and into the house, we are treated to discourses on such topics as getting a key out of your trouser pocket, second-hand and worn clothes, the difference between raising your arms and putting up your hands, dead matches vs. dead locks, bought pizza vs. delivered pizza, central locking in cars, how to tell one side of the road from the other, answering the phone in a house with multiple phones (all connected to the same line, all connected to different lines or some combination of connections).
Our investigator cannot leave any stone unturned in his attempts to explain everything. At one point, the author even notes
‘taken as read’ being the form of words that our investigator perhaps fears most of any form of words that he can think of.
Everything has to be thought through and all the options considered.
…people die all the time, but let it not be said that he brought anyone’s death forwards significantly by not just taking an extra moment to define, as precisely as he possibly could, the terms that he was using to express himself during his thought processes.
On starting this book we immediately notice two things. Firstly, the narrative style remains the same as the previous book. In the other book, this was the over-analytical stream-of-consciousness of Marguerite. Now it is the same but for a different person. Is this significant? Secondly, the meta-narrative that was there in the first book is brought immediately into the foreground and becomes one of the most significant aspects of the book.
Very early on, we read (the author is addressing us, his readers):
He had a strong suspicion that others, like ourselves, were breathing down his neck.
Indeed, at one point, there is discussion about how we can all fit into the small area outside the house. Then we read:
…he was to provide sufficient and appropriate detail about the building in question to allow one or more of the less experienced detectives following in his footsteps as it were and with access, somehow (he wouldn’t go into that now), to his mental case notes and files, to make a name for him- or herself, as it is known in some quarters, by solving the mystery of the disappearance of Marguerite, last seen in pursuit of Harold Absalon, the Mayor’s transport advisor, before anyone else – including himself – had done so.
In a “normal” book, the reader has access to the thoughts of the characters, as provided by the author who writes down those thoughts. When we read, we accept that that the author has created those characters and has put those thoughts into their minds in order that he can write them down and tell us a story. Here, suddenly, the main character is aware that others (the author, us as readers) somehow (he doesn’t know how) have access to his thoughts.
The meta-narrative continues to build when the author suggests that the reason we don’t see the investigator going to the toilet could be that he does that in the breaks between chapters. And:
This period of waiting is included so that you can take in the following passage, just into your mind, that is, without acting upon it, with him not being aware, remember, of how this transfer of thoughts, if that is what it is, can possibly be taking place.
This book takes some of the ideas that began to be developed in the preceding book and evolves them into something far more mature and sophisticated. If the multiple digressions and obsessions don’t annoy you, then you will find many laugh out loud moments and be left with some ideas about literature that you can think about for many days after you finish. I appreciate that this will not be a book that everyone will enjoy, but I really liked it.
My thanks to Salt Publishing for a free copy of the ebook.
June 2, 2017
In the Absence of Absalon, by Simon Okotie, is a book unlike any other I have read. Its protagonist is an unnamed investigator who is looking into the disappearance of his colleague, Marguerite, last seen on the trail of Harold Absalon, the mayor’s transport advisor, who has also disappeared. The reader is regularly reminded of these core facts.
The story, if it can even be called that, opens with the investigator standing outside a townhouse. By the close he has negotiated the entrance gate, traversed a small area between this and the front door and entered the house. The means by which he succeeds in these feats, and the digressive thoughts that go through his mind as he does so, are described in assiduous detail.
The investigator is confident of his ‘unsurpassed experience and training’, putting to use his ‘superior knowledge and deeply felt instinct’. The task on which he is embarking – gaining access to the house – must be achieved under pressure as he believes he is being pursued.
There is a thread regarding Absalon’s wife and possible links to another colleague, Knox, who owns the townhouse where the action, such as it is, is taking place. The investigator’s relationship with these characters may be pertinent, although little is made clear. This is despite his determination that all thoughts and considerations should be fully understood. His obsessive punctiliousness takes up much of the narrative.
The investigator observes, makes a point, offers clarification, explores other potential meanings and digresses to comic effect.
“people die all the time but let it never be said that he brought anyone’s death forward significantly by not taking an extra moment to define as precisely as he possibly could, the terms he was using to express himself during his thought processes.”
These thought processes include a consideration of how one can tell that a car is facing the wrong direction: a field study is suggested to ensure full and proper understanding; advice is offered on safe and visible clothing for such an undertaking; detailed instructions are provided on driver etiquette when traversing narrow roads.
“Satisfied that the point had been made adequately clearly, even when judged against his more than exacting standards, he terminated this illuminating interlude so as to engage, once again, more directly, with his investigation.”
There are outpourings on the meaning of dead when applied to a bolt or a leg, a pondering on who can be said to cook a pizza that is prepared elsewhere, the means by which a key may be located and removed from the pocket of a pair of trousers that are tight fitting. The urgency with which the investigator approaches each of his tasks retains reader engagement despite how little is actually achieved.
This is sapient, daring writing that had me laughing out loud on several occasions. It is convoluted, at times dense, and often absurd. Such inversion and introspection may not be for everyone. Those who engage will revel in the wit and perspicacity of its circumlocutory perambulations.
The story, if it can even be called that, opens with the investigator standing outside a townhouse. By the close he has negotiated the entrance gate, traversed a small area between this and the front door and entered the house. The means by which he succeeds in these feats, and the digressive thoughts that go through his mind as he does so, are described in assiduous detail.
The investigator is confident of his ‘unsurpassed experience and training’, putting to use his ‘superior knowledge and deeply felt instinct’. The task on which he is embarking – gaining access to the house – must be achieved under pressure as he believes he is being pursued.
There is a thread regarding Absalon’s wife and possible links to another colleague, Knox, who owns the townhouse where the action, such as it is, is taking place. The investigator’s relationship with these characters may be pertinent, although little is made clear. This is despite his determination that all thoughts and considerations should be fully understood. His obsessive punctiliousness takes up much of the narrative.
The investigator observes, makes a point, offers clarification, explores other potential meanings and digresses to comic effect.
“people die all the time but let it never be said that he brought anyone’s death forward significantly by not taking an extra moment to define as precisely as he possibly could, the terms he was using to express himself during his thought processes.”
These thought processes include a consideration of how one can tell that a car is facing the wrong direction: a field study is suggested to ensure full and proper understanding; advice is offered on safe and visible clothing for such an undertaking; detailed instructions are provided on driver etiquette when traversing narrow roads.
“Satisfied that the point had been made adequately clearly, even when judged against his more than exacting standards, he terminated this illuminating interlude so as to engage, once again, more directly, with his investigation.”
There are outpourings on the meaning of dead when applied to a bolt or a leg, a pondering on who can be said to cook a pizza that is prepared elsewhere, the means by which a key may be located and removed from the pocket of a pair of trousers that are tight fitting. The urgency with which the investigator approaches each of his tasks retains reader engagement despite how little is actually achieved.
This is sapient, daring writing that had me laughing out loud on several occasions. It is convoluted, at times dense, and often absurd. Such inversion and introspection may not be for everyone. Those who engage will revel in the wit and perspicacity of its circumlocutory perambulations.
January 7, 2020
In the Absence of Absalon is the sequel to Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon. Although I did not read the first part of this series, I was not confused as plot is not important for this novel and Okotie explains what happens in the previous book succinctly.
With Absence… an unnamed detective is taking over his predecessor’s Marguerite’s case, which is investigating the sudden disappearance of Harold Absalon. The reason why is because Marguerite has gone missing too.
In the Absence of Harold Absalon has the most simple plot to ever grace a novel : The unnamed detective enters a gate, looks for his key, enters a house and goes downstairs.
That’s it.
However with Okotie takes these everyday actions to new dimensions. All the actions, from patting the pockets to find the key to each step the detective takes is told with meticulous detail with the odd diversion.
I am a huge fan of books which focus on the minutiae of life, at times I was reminded of Nicholson Baker or Tom McCarthy but I felt that Okotie stands out as his obsession with detail comes out humorous and there were times I chuckled at the frozen pizza digression or how the detective thought about frisking.
Weirdly enough, despite this book being more an exercise on using Ockham’s Razor to obsessive levels, Okotie does drop some clues which actually do shed light on the mystery. Most of the time though this done through footnotes provided by the narrator of the book and it does pique curiosity.
In the Absence of Harold Absalon is a book that stands out and it is worth noting that it was longlisted for the amazing Republic of Consciousness Prize. There is nothing like it.Really my only gripe is that this mystery will probably be solved by the time I hit my 75th year (2053)
With Absence… an unnamed detective is taking over his predecessor’s Marguerite’s case, which is investigating the sudden disappearance of Harold Absalon. The reason why is because Marguerite has gone missing too.
In the Absence of Harold Absalon has the most simple plot to ever grace a novel : The unnamed detective enters a gate, looks for his key, enters a house and goes downstairs.
That’s it.
However with Okotie takes these everyday actions to new dimensions. All the actions, from patting the pockets to find the key to each step the detective takes is told with meticulous detail with the odd diversion.
I am a huge fan of books which focus on the minutiae of life, at times I was reminded of Nicholson Baker or Tom McCarthy but I felt that Okotie stands out as his obsession with detail comes out humorous and there were times I chuckled at the frozen pizza digression or how the detective thought about frisking.
Weirdly enough, despite this book being more an exercise on using Ockham’s Razor to obsessive levels, Okotie does drop some clues which actually do shed light on the mystery. Most of the time though this done through footnotes provided by the narrator of the book and it does pique curiosity.
In the Absence of Harold Absalon is a book that stands out and it is worth noting that it was longlisted for the amazing Republic of Consciousness Prize. There is nothing like it.Really my only gripe is that this mystery will probably be solved by the time I hit my 75th year (2053)
October 9, 2020
I really did try hard with this book, I really did. I found it totally blocked my intellect with it's microcosmic plot and lack of progression. An author can produce great text but this does not mean they can write a great novel. A plot is still very important. A book without a plot can be very boring. Is a novel there just for the gratification and ego of the author? If it is published this is an indication that the author wants it to be read by others, so it needs to be accessible. I tried so many times to read this book, and now have just given up on it.
August 10, 2020
An entire 'detective fiction' written in the pseudo-objective style of the Ithaca chapter in Ulysses, with obsessive S.Beckett style attention to banal anatomical description and repetitive motions. Why not? Not sure what the point is, other than a sustained exercise in style, and the comic absurdist effect that comes through that. QUite unusual and original.
May 21, 2021
extremely confusing
September 20, 2017
This is the sequel to Whatever Happened To Harold Absalon?. If you've read that one, you know what to expect. These are books for lovers of Dada (Auguste Bolte (eine Doktorarbeit)* *) mit Fußnoten is an early precursor of Okotie's books), lovers of games like Hitman GO who would enjoy reading very detailed solutions to the puzzles, or fans of minimal music.
The sequel has much in common with the first book, but there are intriguing differences. The world outside the novel intrudes (the narrator suggests that the protagonist goes to the toilet between chapters), and the protagonist begins to reflect about his existence as a narrated person. Then, the little that happens happens even more slowly, with a keen sense of irony. Again, you need to be the type of person who likes this kind of humor. Reading a detailed description how somebody ascends stairs is not for everybody.
Finally, there will most likely be another sequel. I am wondering if time will slow further down, like in Achilles and the tortoise, leading to novel without physical end.
The sequel has much in common with the first book, but there are intriguing differences. The world outside the novel intrudes (the narrator suggests that the protagonist goes to the toilet between chapters), and the protagonist begins to reflect about his existence as a narrated person. Then, the little that happens happens even more slowly, with a keen sense of irony. Again, you need to be the type of person who likes this kind of humor. Reading a detailed description how somebody ascends stairs is not for everybody.
Finally, there will most likely be another sequel. I am wondering if time will slow further down, like in Achilles and the tortoise, leading to novel without physical end.
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