One of the most satisfying things in the world is a fresh, unbroken book spine. The next most satisfying thing is a book spine that will never break because it's actually a box that looks like a book.
That is exactly the kind of packaging that comes with The Unfortunates, an experimental novel by B.S. Johnson. The book itself is about a sports journalist experiencing an onslaught of painful memories about his now deceased friend as he attempts to finish a report. What's unique about it is the way the book is organized. The chapters or "sections" are unbound, allowing and even encouraging the reader to rearrange them in any order.
According to the forward by Jonathan Coe, Johnson's purpose for this strange presentation was to immerse the reader in the nonlinear fashion in which the memories occur. Johnson admitted that the sections take away from this effect, but he also commented that, "... even if it was only marginally nearer, then it was still a better solution to the problem of conveying the mind’s randomness than the imposed order of a bound book."
Possibly the strangest way to present a book, and I would love to read it for myself. However, with 27 sections, it's unfortunate that most people probably wouldn't take the time to explore all the different combinations of sections.
Hi! I just wanted to let you know you were nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award! ☺️ https://breathinginfreedom.blogspot.com/2024/11/encouragement-just-when-i-needed-it.html