Being There by Jerzy Kosinski Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Being There
Book Review: Rare case of Movie being better than the book
Summary: 3 Stars
I have long been a fan of the movie "Being There," so out of curiousity I picked up this book. First thing I noticed was that it was only about 130 pages, minus a few blanks between chapters, with not many words per page. From there I was somewhat disappointed at the character development which somehow was better pulled off in the movie. I think Peter Sellers is "to blame" for this because he added so many nuances to the main character through his economy of gestures and complete involvement in the project. I also much preferred the Eve movie character to EE of the book because the screenplay and her acting fleshed out her vulnerability much more. An example of this being her telling Chauncey that she is a "shy person," before trying to be intimate with him. I was also disappointed to find out that there was no Street Gang episode nor was there Louise's reaction to Chauncey's being on television. These two scenes, aside from the "I like to watch" scene, were some of the funniest in the picture. Last, but certainly not least, was the somewhat mysterious walking on water scene at the end of the movie which ended the picture on such a sublime note where in the book it is just politicians babbling over the next VP, before going back to the nature metaphors. Seems like the author, since he also cowrote the screenplay, did better on his second take with this idea and by combining it with the talents of Shirley Maclane, Melvyn Douglass, Hal Ashby, and Peter Sellers made it into a comedy classic.
BTW the only other picture I can say that was better than the book it was based on was "Lost Horizon," but that movie is in its own category altogether.
Book Review: Strange sarcastic story
Summary: 3 Stars
"Being there" is the story of a man whose primary interest, if not the only one, is a garden. However, this fact doesn't prevent him from becoming one of the most influential men of the country thanks to some curious events that happened to him after being hit by a car.
The role of media and society in general are exposed in this book that could have been longer and sometimes richer.
Book Review: Strangely prescient - a piece for the "post-partisan era"?
Summary: 5 Stars
Both during and after the election, I was reminded of this excellent novel. With the "light, less-filling" pronouncements of our president elect, it was time to return to "Being There".
While not 100% aligned with the recent election (no one would claim that Obama is not intelligent) it highlights how, when listening to carefully crafted rhetoric, we apply our "insightful" interpretations or biases.
Mr. Kosinsky experienced the horrors of facism and communism. Here he warns us of the danger of quick, easy-to-swallow solutions for complex problems.
Book Review: Take a Chance
Summary: 4 Stars
Jerzy Kosinski, the author of "Being There," had a long career as a distinguished author. After coming to the United States from his native Poland, Kosinski embarked on a writing career spanning nearly three decades. During this period he wrote nine novels and two collections of essays. The awards he collected over these years are too numerous to list here, but he did win an award for turning "Being There" into a screenplay. In the movie Peter Sellers played the role of Chauncey Gardiner (that's Sellers on the cover of the book, by the way). Jerzy Kosinski died in 1991.If you have seen the film version of this book, you already know what the story is about. Chauncey is a gardener for a wealthy old invalid referred to cryptically as the "Old Man." Poor old Chauncey doesn't have much going on upstairs; he cannot read or write, and his days are spent watching television and working in the garden. The Old Man adopted Chauncey when he was a small child, and maintains an iron grip over his life. Chauncey has never seen the outside world, never interacted with people beyond the gates of the house, or left any trace of himself in the outside world. He's a sort of modern day Robinson Crusoe, isolated on his own private island in the middle of our bustling world.
When the Old Man finally succumbs to his illnesses, Chauncey is left to his own devices in a world he has only seen on television. After a slight accident that occurs a few minutes after he leaves his cocoon, Chauncey finds himself quickly moving up in the world. He is "adopted" by Benjamin and EE Rand, a wealthy family. When Chauncey spouts a few vague aphorisms about gardening, the Rands misunderstand him and begin to believe that Chauncey is a brilliant, wealthy industrialist with intelligent insights into the business world. Chauncey's star continues to climb as every person who meets him, from the president to the Soviet ambassador, thinks he's a charming, insightful man. Chauncey appears on television, his quotes begin to pop up in newspapers, and his name is on the lips of everybody who is anybody. The world is going crazy for Chauncey Gardiner, while Chauncey remains blissfully ignorant of his newfound status. A large part of Chauncey's success comes from his good looks and wearing suits he took from the Old Man. If the image makes the man, Chauncey can't help but succeed.
The back cover of this edition declares that Kosinski's book is a scathing indictment of the media culture, and there is much to back up that assertion in the book. Chauncey's fascination with television is the only way he can relate to those he meets in the larger world. When meeting people, Chauncey remembers how people act on television, and then he mimics their behavior. Since Chauncey is essentially a blank slate (no one can discover anything about him because he has no background), he resembles one of the images he loves to watch on television. Like a television character, Chauncey has no substance. He lives in the present, with no past and no future. It is up to others to fill in the details of Chauncey's existence, and this is exactly what happens when everyone around him projects their own needs and wants on to Chauncey.
A particularly annoying incident in the book concerns a sexual encounter Chauncey has with a partygoer. There is no need for this encounter to take place, and it considerably cheapens the value of the book. Why Kosinski felt this sexual encounter needed to be included is a mystery. Whatever the reason, the addition of this situation dampens the simplicity and innocence of the story.
Overall, reading "Being There" is still a treat. The movie is highly recommended as well. Peter Sellers longed to play Chauncey for years, and does an excellent job with the role. If memory serves correctly, this was Peter Sellers's last film role. If you have already seen the film, be sure and read the book as well.
Book Review: Take a chance on being there with...Chance!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
+++++
This short fiction fable was written by author and professor Jerzy Kosinski (1933 to 1991).
This comedy-drama is about a man named Chance, the gardener of a small estate that he has lived and worked on all his life. (In fact, he has never left the estate because all his needs, even meals, were provided for.) When the owner (the "old man") of the estate dies, the truthful, well groomed, well dressed but illiterate Chance is evicted.
Chance knows only about three things: gardening (his passion), watching television, and the environment of the estate where he lived and worked. That's it!!
By "chance," he becomes involved with a very successful but dying businessman and his wife. The businessman is economic advisor to the US president. Everything that Chance says is misinterpreted as profound and sage wisdom. (Even his name is misinterpreted from Chance, the gardener to "Chauncey Gardiner.")
Chance or Chauncey becomes famous in the span of a few days and he is seen as an "educated man" who can "grasp things quickly" and, among other things, soon becomes a presidential political advisor, and a media icon. He also becomes romantically involved (though he doesn't know it) with the businessman's wife.
Here's a bit of "wisdom" that Chance passes on to the president when the president asks him about the bad US economy:
"In a garden...growth has its season. There are spring and summer, but there are also fall and winter. And then spring and summer again. As long as the roots are not severed, all is well and all will be well."
The president's unexpected response to this wisdom: "I must admit, Mr. Gardiner...that what you've just said is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I've heard in a very, very long time...Many of us forget that nature and society are one!"
The very ending of this book has Chance famous. Despite his international fame, there is only one main thing on his mind. The very ending of this book ends with the following:
"Chance...stepped into the garden. Taut branches laden with fresh shoots, slender stems with tiny sprouting buds shot upward. The garden lay calm, still sunk in repose...Now and then, boughs rustled and gently shook off their drops of water. A breeze fell upon the foliage and nestled under the cover of its moist leaves. Not a thought lifted itself from Chance's brain. Peace filled his chest."
Finally, there is a movie called "Being There" (1979) starring the late Peter Sellers as Chance. (That's Sellers as Chance on the front cover of this book.) This movie's screenplay was written by Kosinski. Even though this movie differs in some respects from the book, it's still a great movie. Sellers gives a stand-out performance, perhaps one of the best in his interesting career.
In conclusion, this is a unique novel that presents a different type of story--a story not to be missed!!!
(first published 1970; 7 chapters; main narrative 140 pages)
+++++