“Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi” by Geoff Dyer
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Review by Ant Stone from Trail of Ants.
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi
Dyer begins by inviting the reader to Venice, to shadow disillusioned hack, Jeff Atman while he undertakes a commission to cover the opening of one of the art world’s most coveted exhibitions, the Biennale. The Jeff in Venice portion brilliantly captures a timetable of never-ending parties, led by Atman’s magnetic penchant for debauchery. The introduction of American belle, Laura is the catalyst to elevate the jolly from a flaccid jaunt into personified-gonzo, as we observe Atman being sunk by sin-dazzled nights and risen heroically by Italian coffee.
The innocence of a Venetian backdrop becomes the perfect contrast for the voyeur within us. Throughout a moment in time where lustful art combines with artistic lust, it’s hard to ignore the literary craftsmanship involved in the recreation of one of the world’s most-deservedly famous cities.
The continuation to secondary novella Death in Varanasi is a clever, yet clear twist. Dyer repositions the reader to a first person perspective, and removes all personal references – including his name – to the main character. Could the male journalist discovering Varanasi actually be Jeff Atman, emerging from a cloud of risotto and cocaine? There’s barely time to decide as you’re led through the lively labyrinth of Varanasi and set afloat on the holy Ganges. The migration from Venice to Varanasi is remarkably easy to digest, and as Dyer peels back the two facades he leaves a liberal trail of subtle links between the stories. The coverage of Jeff in Venice fills us with presumptions that are easily – perhaps mistakenly – applied to the lead character of sister story, Death in Varanasi. While on one hand we’re kept at distance to decide, we’re simultaneously shoved and pushed into a spiritual – almost stereotypical – Indian journey. The main characters retain strong links while the supporting cast attain a fellowship that threads the tales together.
While the Venetian segment is a hedonistic binge, the Varanasi tale becomes both a warm and welcoming journey of self-discovery as well as a despairing account of self-loss. Readers won’t fail to admire the detailed in-depth knowledge that Dyer imparts creating a sideline of residual education.
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi
***
Review by Eric Daams from TravelBlogs.
How many times have you heard of someone who ditches their job and sets out to travel the world, proclaiming: “There’s more to life than sitting behind a desk from 9 to 5.”
Our thirst for travel, it seems to me, is often birthed out of this thirst for more. More meaning. More purpose. More life.
In Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi
Jeff Atman is a disenfranchised, irreverent journalist who is disillusioned with his job and his life. Against the backdrop of Venice and the Biennale, we watch him skip from party to party. Drugs, alcohol, sex: this is his life. But in his burgeoning relationship with Laura, we find kernels of desire for something to elevate life above the everyday.
There are hints that the protagonist in the second novella is Jeff Atman, but the point is moot. We’re not supposed to know. Rather, by making the central character nameless, Dyer seems to be implying that the thirst for more – subtly expressed in the first novella and sharply apparent in the second – is a universal hunger.
The book has its crass points, especially in the first novella. It’s also brimming with cynicism. But through the layer of cynicism emerges a story that is brilliantly crafted and surprisingly poignant.
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Posted by Gretchen on March 19th, 2009 in Book Reviews.
