Being There by Jerzy Kosinski
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Book Reviews of Being There
Book Review: Being Here
Summary: 5 Stars
After watching the film several times over the years -- but before reading the book -- I concluded that Being There was a prime candidate for one of the rare instances in which the cinematic version of a story was superior to the literature it was based on. The story is so simple and so much of it is communicated by expressions, gestures, and tone of voice that it seemed unlikely that the written word would be up to the task.
Instead, finally reading this thin but ambitious effort showed me again that good writing trumps good cinema almost every time.
To be sure, the film is good cinema. And the talented duo of Peter Sellers and Shirley McLean are so convincing in their silver screen roles that it is hard to imagine the characters they portray looking and sounding any different than the way they were played in the film (my effort to disassociate them from the story wasn't helped by the fact that my edition of the book has Mr. Sellers larger than life on its cover).
Yet the book takes the story to another level. Chance, the main character, is still a fortunate simpleton, But in the book author Jerzy Kosinski can reveal what is happening in his head, the swirling and disconcerting mystery that even the most obvious events seem to someone like him. These passages add an unexpected depth and darkness to the story, which is without most of the comic relief so prominent in the film.
The end result is a book that isn't the wry comedy with precision timing I expected after knowing the film so well but rather a biting and trenchant satire about the culture of modern media, politics, and business, and of the gullible nature of a people far too eager to follow anyone they think may be willing to lead.
Book Review: Marterpiece Farce
Summary: 5 Stars
Chance was a gardener for a very rich man. He did not know where he was born or who his parents were: all he knew was his garden and his room--and his T. V.. T. V. was all he knew about life. He never learned to read or write. A maid fed him everyday and all he did was tend his garden.
One day, his master died and as since there were no beneficiaries to the estate, lawyers come and Chance, unable yo prove his employment--for that matter who he is-- is forced to leave the house for the first time in his life.
He packs a suitcase with belongings of his prior master's clothes--and within a few feet from the house he is involved in an car accident with EE, the second young wife of Benjamin Rand--a business magnate and an adviser to the President of the USA.
To prevent a scandal, Chance is asked to recover at the Rand's from his injuries. This chance accident makes Chance hang out with the President. Chance gets to advise him on the economy as if he were tending his garden. This sound so profound and fresh that Chance--under the new name of Chancey Gardiner--becomes a celebrity. As he becomes a bigger personality, Chance gets TV interviews and mixes with ambassador--no one can figure amything about his past.
Jerzy Kosinskt's masterpiece farce is a fascinating read and a convincing metaphor that the best politicians are those that have no skills or background. Considering George W. Bush election and re-election it may not be so fictional at all.
Book Review: a deliciously wicked satire on America...
Summary: 5 Stars
As most folks probably recall, 'Being There' was a Peter Sellers film some twenty years ago with the memorable line "I like to watch". The film was well done, both funny and sad in equal measures. Most folks probably don't realize the film was based on book by the late Jerzy Kosinski, written some ten years earlier. I decided to see how the book compares with the film. I'm delighted to say it fairs very well indeed.
'Being There' is a short novel about an illiterate, dim-witted man who had done literally nothing in life but garden. During his life he has engaged in limited social intercourse, and none of the other sort of intercourse. But his life completely changes when his guardian dies. Thrust into the world, the rich and beautiful people he meet view him as deep thinker ... interpreting his gardening statements as profound metaphores. He becomes an overnight sensation.
Taken as a story by itself 'Being There' is just ordinary. The prose is adequate as are the characterizations. But 'Being There' is a scathing satire on how the most undeserving become stars in America. Clearly one can become a celeb without an ounce of intelligence or talent.
Bottom line: if you enjoyed the film you'll really enjoy the book.
Book Review: Why he walks on water
Summary: 5 Stars
To keep this brief. I am a great fan of Being There and have been so for several decades. I would like to express my opinion about the significance of the last scene in the move where Chance walks on water. I believe this to be a complete surprise ending that opens up an entirely new perspective of the book. If anyone has seen the brilliant and hilarious Monty Python's "Life Of Brian" they can appreciate the concept of people perceiving realitly to suite their own desires. "Life of Brian", which came out around the same time as the novel/movie "being there", depicts the Roman empire at the time of Chirst with a demoralized frustrated population of jews desparately seeking a Messiah to end their misery. Brian of Nazareth, a regular innocent joe, is choosen to be the Messiah by a group of people that interprets everything he does as magical and holly. There are several parrallels to "Being There" where Chance, an innocent and dim-witted bystandard, is mistaken by a desperate and corrupt society to be their next "Messiah" and leader. Hence. he walks on water at the end of the movie.Book Review: Being there
Summary: 5 Stars
In keeping with a postmodern perspective, I am willing to entertain multiple interpretations of this story. But I cannot help but think that despite the many potential understandings about this work, there is a most important lesson to be learned.
How did a simple-minded gardener--"dumb as a jackass" according to his maid Louise--become Chauncey Gardiner? The heir to a billionaire's fortune. A media guru. An advisor to the president of the United States. A potential presidential candidate himself. Maybe even a prophet. Was there something innately great about Chauncey? Maybe. But probably not. Being there begs the question, "Being where?"
Being there is about three things: location, location--and location! Chauncey Gardiner, upon getting hit by the Rand's car, was in the right place at the right time. But the lesson goes beyond a mere bump on the leg by a billionaire's fender. Chauncey Gardiner's greatness lied not in the man but, rather, in the relationships of people who chose to define him as great. Simply put, Chauncey Gardiner was a socially constructed reality.