“The Body Artist” by Don DeLillo

“The Body Artist” by Don DeLillo is simply a rare escapade into the world of literary realism. There is so much harmony in this book that it I found it difficult to disassociate myself from the hypnotic force of its words.

The novel is a very comprehensive observation into the psyche of a lonely widow whose profession is to paint the reality of her feelings, emotions and experiences via her artistic skill – the capacity to manipulate her own body in performances during which she enacts her own personality as well as those of her dead husband and a ghost. But it really doesn’t matter what the story is about and I can’t stop repeating this ever since reading Franzen’s “The Corrections”. The realism of these highly effective magicians (DeLillo, Franzen, Auster) dubbed writers by the society, is so captivating that the only reason I pick up their books is to immerse myself in the pure texture of words. With these types of books there is no need to compose a thrill ride, or mystery, or some bizarre supernatural occurrence. There isn’t a need because the construction of their works is supernatural itself. I may be sitting down, or laying down, or walking when I read or listen to these books, but I might just as well be blind, or a prisoner, or a king somewhere, it simply wouldn’t matter, because every time I’m instantaneously transformed into a giant ear, a colossal eye, an infinite brain whose only task is to acquire and process, and feed on the beauty of their words. And so that’s all. This book, like the rare few out there is a precious gem. It should be studied, it should be a required material in schools, it should be praised. I highly recommend it.

- by Simon Cleveland