Being There by Jerzy Kosinski
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Book Reviews of Being There
Book Review: it quit while ahead
Summary: 4 Stars
"Being There" is a cute little book, a modern day fable. Chance (later christened "Chauncey Gardiner", a misunderstood form of "Chance, the gardener") has lived for forty-some years in an abbreviated world. There, he tended the garden of the Old Man, ate his food, and watched television. When the Old Man dies at the beginning, Chance is thrust into the world outside with no tangible proof of his existence: no birth certificate, tax statements, library cards, etc.Dressed in the Old Man's elegant suits, Chance becomes drawn into the 1960's world of WASP-y social privilege: businessmen, journalists, the President. His simple statements about his garden or the seasons are understood as eloquent, moving metaphors for The Economy or Statesmanship. Repeated in the mouths of politicians and reporters, Chance's words take on a wholly different sort of meaning from that which he originally intended. Thus, the book's premise: that a man can be thrust into the spotlight by the compellingness of his image.
Chance is a mirror, as it were, in which others see only those meanings which they give to him. Moreover, he is a sympathetic figure, explicitly described as within himself, confident, and so a touching hero in today's multimedia age. With all the talk of cameras, looking and penetration, Kosinski's novel could probably delight a film theorist (television is the medium through which Chance learned of the world, and through which he filters his experiences when in the world). For the rest of us, this two-hour read is clever, amusing, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
Book Review: Be Here. Now.
Summary: 4 Stars
When humans are not "talking past" one another, they're busy trying to "read" the other person or figure an entranceway for their own personal agenda. Rather than developing a genuine appreciation of another - requiring time and effort - too many of us are already mentally asking, "What can (identity) do for me?" In a culture keyed to instant gratification and focus groups, who has time to cultivate a genuine understanding of someone else on this planet?
"Being There" presents us with a human being who enjoys the serenity of knowing who he is and living in the moment. His conversations are factual and honest, his dealings with the self-absorbed are courteous to a fault and his approach to interpersonal relations is camera-like, taking in as much of someone as possible and trying to fathom "the complete picture". Where politicians try to separate a candidate from his negatives, Chauncey seeks to imbue the famous he meets with as many characteristics as he can discern - not ascribe notions to them, but simply capture the whole of their personality to take their "full measure". And he attempts to do so despite his limited mental capacity.
When Chauncey strolls into the garden at the end of this odyssey, he's at peace. The colors, sights and sounds of the world's natural state surround him, and he is at one with them. It's connectedness, being "in the zone", and few of his more "gifted" contemporaries could ever appreciate what he has discovered.
This is a thoughtful little book that rolls around in the back of your mind.
Book Review: being there
Summary: 4 Stars
Being There by Jerzy Kosinski; London: Black Swan,1983 (19711), 111 pp., L5.99The novella "Being There" written by Jerzy Kosinski in 1970 is about a retarded man called Chance who has been living isolated in his rich benefactor's house as a gardener since he was a child. Therefore he was only educated by TV. After his benefactor's death, he is flung into the real world, the world of sex, money and power. After a car-accident he gets the chance to live with EE and her husband Ben Rand who is very ill. As Ben Rand is a famous financier, Chance gets in contact with the President of the USA and with other important persons so that he becomes a famous media superstar himself although he does not really know what he is saying; the people interpret his words like they want. Kosinski has already seen the development of media, especially of TV in our society 30 years ago. Today many things are shown on TV in a way that everybody can find something he is interested in. TV is always a topic to talk or discuss about. But many people, especially children and teenagers are influenced by TV. This goes so far that some people even do spend nearly their whole leisure in front of their TVs'. In our opinion it is not very realistic to become an important, famous member of society without really being educated. As it is exaggerated on purpose, the book is interesting to read because it deals with a very topical problem everybody should be confronted with. For these reasons we recommend "Being There".
Book Review: Being There
Summary: 4 Stars
Being There by Jerzy Kosinski, London: Black Swan 1983 (1971) 111 pagesThe novel "Being There" is about a retarded person called Chance who has been living isolated from the outside world at an Old Man's house since his birth.When the Old Man dies he is confrontated with the real world, which offers new opportunities and obstacles to him.With the help of a couple called "Rands", he is in the position to lead a life in which he's made popular and famous by TV.
This novel is written well and in an easy understandable language so that everybody is able to understand the content.It is a criticism on American Society and its culture.It is shown very well which role TV plays in the Americans' everyday life.First the protagonist spends most of his time with watching TV which is a substitute for any kind of relationship for him.Later he even gets in a TV show and becomes very famous. It is very interesting to read how a person, in this case even a mentally disabled one, can be made up by the media, especially by TV. His whole image is made by the media and people do not care whether it is right or not. A negative point to make on the novel is that there is no real action in it, so it seems to be long-winded sometimes. Further more it is very exaggerated and hardly to believe.But without this exaggeration the content and the message would not come over so clearly.
Book Review: Brief, yet entertaining satire
Summary: 4 Stars
A friend recommended Jerzy Kosinski to me, so I thought I'd start with a fairly familiar title, though I have yet to see the movie. "Being There" is quite short, though the story is by no means short on style and quality. Kosinski offers a powerful, unlikely hero in Chance, whose simple philosophies on tending a garden are misinterpreted by people around them as guidance for controlling the national economy. It is amusing to read how all these well-educated, self-important people twist Chance's words to suit their own purposes and beliefs, so much that this simple-minded gardener is, in the course of a few days, one of the most admired men in the nation!I also like Kosinski's take on the media, as presented through Chance's love for television -- he accepts a name change to Chauncey Gardiner (as accidentally heard by EE Rand), thinking that is standard for people on television to do. The scene in particular where Chance is invited on a program to speak is fun to read, as Chance wonders how he will translate physically onscreen. Though this book was written twenty years ago, it still speaks to us today as a good satire on media and American culture, and how we tend to make heroes of people who do not necessarily fit the mold. It would have been interesting to see this work translated today, with the advent of cable television and the Internet.