A New Perspective

In The Mezzanine Nicholson Baker introduces the reader to the same, ordinary world we live in yet illustrates it from a completely new detailed perspective. Throughout their day most people don’t give much thought to their interactions beyond a minimal practical analysis yet Baker goes a step further scrutinizing every small detail, even of the most seemingly insignificant items and experiences. He goes beyond just the simple description of his life finding every encounter to be fascinating. In this regard, Baker reconstructs the world around us and gives the reader a new perspective to explore. On the surface there is nothing intrinsically special about a stapler or a sandwich with sliced olives yet Baker is able to introduce a whole new set of thoughts related to those items.

His perspective is not only exceptionally detailed but vividly artistic as well. He is able to talk about the most random objects around him for pages without losing the reader’s interest. Baker’s ability to create tangents and find rich metaphors relating to any object is what makes his perspective unique and captivating to the reader. The descriptions of olives on cream cheese as jewels or the way he relates grooves in an escalator to ice skating blades and grooves on a record give life and a sense of art to even the plainest objects.

I found myself relating to many of the experiences that Howie went through during the day. From having moments where I turned around to avoid passing someone to finding “life-hacks” to make getting ready in the morning easier, I was able to connect with him through our common experiences and thoughts. Yet his perspective still provided me with new ways to explore the world around me. Once I started reading the book, I noticed myself giving more thought to how the light reflected off of my cup on the table or how the indents in an ice cube tray really do help me fill it up quicker. It was exciting to realize that I myself started to think in depth about the small things I see everyday from a new creative perspective, giving them more attention and consideration than I ever had before.

Comments

  1. MitchellSeptember 10, 2020 at 11:56 AM

    I like the way that Baker describes Howie's various "life hacks" (long before that term was originated) as "competencies" that he's developed without being fully conscious of them: if we observe our daily behavior, especially the less remarked upon stuff, we'll find that we've developed a whole range of little tricks that get us through the day. He mentions the trick he learned from his mother, holding a pillow with her chin and opening the pillow case under it, to drop it in. This is exactly the way I put a pillowcase on a pillow, but I have no memory of being *taught* to do it this way. I recognize myself in his description.

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  2. Lorenzo PantanoSeptember 17, 2020 at 4:21 PM

    I totally relate to this because ever since I read the book I have been noticing small things that I haven't noticed before or I have seen something and thought "oh, that was in the book!". I don't think any other book has had such an impact on my daily life and that's why I think it's super interesting.

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  3. locally locayleeSeptember 17, 2020 at 8:32 PM

    I like your analysis of how Howie relates to people. It seems to me he is living the same life as us, just in a different font. He deeply understands the meaning of the saying, "stop to smell the roses" and I think this book illustrates it very well. I agree that it's also interesting to look at things in our life the way he does. It gives a new twist, or zest to regular things I think.

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  4. AnyaSeptember 19, 2020 at 11:06 PM

    Something that I think is really interesting is that Howie seems to be aware of how readers will be able to relate to him. He doesn't ask the reader whether or not they understand what he's talking about. When he addresses the reader, he outright assumes that he or she will be able relate to his experiences and opinions and understand the way he thinks.

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  5. Zachary's History as Fiction BlogSeptember 21, 2020 at 1:57 PM

    Yes, there are several moments where I'm like, "huh, that is relatable, and I've never really thought of that before (or spoken about it with anyone else)." And I guess that adds to the book, because its something I think we all get a kick out of as we discuss the book with one another. It definitely reminds me about all of these intricacies in life I had never considered and completed before, because so much of it is so inate.

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