Only Revolutions
by Mark Z. Danielewski
Pantheon
2006
Grade: B+
When the new novel from Mark Z. Danielewski comes out, it could become one of the greatest books you will ever read, or an unbearable piece of pretentious jargon to be put down after the first few pages. But no place in between. Similarly, if you are a fan of his previous novel, House of Leaves, and are waiting for a sequel, you're in for a big disappointment. In fact, it's likely that Only Revolutions won't fulfill any of your expectations for the novel, quite simply because it is nothing like anything you've read before.
Only Revolutions tells the tale of Sam and Hailey, two teenagers who are “allways sixteen”, who travel magically form the American Civil War to the Iraq War and beyond, narrated by themselves. Each one of the 360 pages of the novel is split, with the lower half text being upside down. This is because the novel has two beginnings, on both sides of the physical book. One half of the text tells Sam’s version of the events, the other side is Hailey’s. Every 8 pages, you’re supposed to turn the book upside down and read the other side of the book, thus jumping from Sam’s point of view to Hailey’s and so on. Additionally, the inside margin of each of the pages is filled with historical notes, always relating to the main story (which is written completely in free verse).
I liked the book, but I can't honestly say I loved the book. As I have said earlier, Only Revolutions is nothing like any book you have read before. This is not always a good as it may sounds. It takes some time to get used to the rhythm, and even then I found myself at times lost in the words and narrative. Besides, all the secret codes and acrostics that made House of Leaves are back in Only Revolutions, but this time around you don’t have any clues or hints about where they are or what they might mean.
Only Revolutions is an overly ambitious work, and hard to read. A lot of critics and readers who have problems with formal experimentations are simply going to loathe the novel, and casual readers might be frightened by the scope of the book. I admire MZD's courage for trying to push language and form the farthest he could, and, if you are the kind of reader who is willing to tackle its difficulties, Only Revolutions is an extremely rewarding lecture, with a heart-wrenching finale.
by René