Reviews
the depiction of disintegration along with Bernhard's infamous writing style that intentionally eschews no paragraphing sense creates an absolutely surreal reading experience. the absence of clear breaks between thoughts and ideas intensifies the sense of fragmentation and chaos, mirroring the internal turmoil of the characters, to which the mind of the characters are rather formulated in quite intense narrative, immersive experience of facing the psychological battles they are relentlessly facing, its unflinching examination of the human condition and the impact of parental influence resonates strongly exceptionally to me, seamless interweaving of themes such as family, identity, and societal expectations that elevates the senses of one's deterioration and decaying aspects as one reads through it, as i bridge the universality and its rationality upon Bernhard's idea of Correction, that of the blatant obsession of Altensam, the narrator's sister, the parental and family relationship dynamics, the gradual building process of the Cone and its eventual grandeur destruction, the notion of suicide and the incessant need of it, the portrayal of madness, all of the themes manage to somehow still so relevant and ideally, resonated deeply with me, striking a chord of familiarity and vulnerability. the dysfunctional family dynamics, the weight of parental influence, and the struggle for identity were all rendered with brutal honesty, so similar to mine to the point i was freakishly stunned as i go through each word after word. after finishing it, i was left with a sense of dread but also bewilderment, as i tried to make sense of the fragmented prose and the intricate web of emotions, i realized that this bewilderment was part of the author's intent — to mirror the complexity and chaos of life itself. this haunting tale will stay with me, being one of my top favorites, as a constant reminder of the disintegration that lurks beneath the surface of our lives, and the universal parental issues that shape us in ways we might never fully comprehend.
