Friday, July 3, 2015

Review: War of the Encyclopaedists

War of the Encyclopaedists 
By Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite
Scribner May 2015
448 pages
From the library 

War of the Encyclopaedists

Mickey Montauk and Halifax Corderoy are best friends with plans to conquer graduate school together. They decide to throw one last incredible party before they move to Boston. It will be their final party as "The Encyclopaedists," joining bashes that were themed around things like monocularity. But this will be their last night of normality in more ways than one - Mickey learns that his National Guard unit is being deployed. After he leaves for Baghdad, the two friends communicate via Wikipedia, as they update and edit their joint article on The Encyclopaedists.

Mickey is predestined to have the more interesting of the two storylines, because he goes off to war while Hal goes to snowy Boston. But even Mickey and his platoon must find some sanity in days that are either mind-numbing boredom or terrible tragedy. Their days mostly consist of running a security checkpoint and wondering why, exactly, they are there. But before you worry that this story will just be centered around hipster dudes with a side dish of war, I am happy to report that there are also female characters to be found within these pages. There are some complicated geometric shapes that emerge between the two friends and Hal's girlfriend Mani and his roommate Trish.

This is one of those books where readers, or at least this reader, really want to yell at characters. The people in this story are doing stupid and selfish things and you know the repercussions will not be good. But as often as Mickey and Hal drove me crazy, I saw the reality in their actions. I understood being out of college and expecting the world to work a certain way. I could see why they lashed out when their lives looked so very different from the ones they imagined.

War of the Encylopaedists is undeniably at least partly autobiographical since authors Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite mirror their characters. Robinson received his MFA from Hunter College and Kovite was a platoon leader in Baghdad. Their story, or at least the story of Mickey and Hal, is painfully self-aware as their characters discover just how little they knew about the world and themselves. It will be interesting to see just what these two talented writers cook up individually and together.

6 comments:

  1. I started this one and set it aside pretty quick because the tone wasn't working for me at the moment. I've been wanting to get back to it, but I think you nailed what was kind of nagging at me about the characters. I think with a different mindset (and maybe just a different time from when I originally picked it up) I could enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The characters can definitely be unlikable, but I thought the story was interesting. Let me know if you give it a second try!

      Delete
  2. The plot you describe is not what I expected this book to be about. And I'm not sure it's a book I would like. But it'll be interesting to see what these authors write next.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure it's my usual fare either, but I was intrigued by friend far apart keeping touch via Wikipedia. I wonder if their next book will be together or if they will write separately.

      Delete
  3. This book isn't something I would typically read, but it sounds interesting. I'm particularly intrigued by the connection between the authors and the characters in the book. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to read an interview where they talk in depth about what was pulled from their experience and what came from their imaginations!

      Delete