Being There (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Jerzy Kosinski
- First Published: 1971
- Type of Work: Novel
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: Language or languages, United States or Americans, Twentieth century, Fame, Speech, Gardens or gardening
Kosinki's third novel, Being There, is a fable about a perfect language, one that captivates the listener while revealing nothing of the identity of the speaker. The book, Kosinski's shortest, continues his analysis of the embryonic writer testing one new language after another until he discovers the one that both ends his victimization and confers power. Chance, the protagonist, is a simpleminded gardener at a rich man's house. The garden is a refuge: “It was safe and secure in the garden, which was separated from the street by a high, red brick wall.” Chance has no...
[The entire page is 619 words long]
