"Immaterial."
Joshua Cohen's Book of Numbers is one I picked up for work, not pleasure. Well, kind of... I mean, reading for work is still pleasurable. But holy moly, was this one a tough dig. This is metafiction, folks. The author, Joshua Cohen, gives us two unreliable narrators, both named Joshua Cohen. The first Cohen is a ghostwriter who gets contracted to write the other Cohen's - known as "Principal" - autobiography. Principal is a successful tech guru, founder of Tetration, a combo of Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Principal wants to tell his version of Tetration's rise to fame and some of the shadier events that happened along the way. Written after the founding of WikiLeaks and around the time that Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning became household names, Book of Numbers is an exploration of the benefits and pitfalls of life in the Digital Era. Who are we when our access to the Internet is stripped away? Spirituality, sexuality, and everything at the core of human nature has been digitalized. Our history, our psychology - it is all right at the tips of our fingers, clacking away on our keyboards. I'm not gonna lie - this is a difficult read. There are a lot of references that you will have to Google - 'tetrate', as it is in the novel. A modest understanding of certain religions (Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam) is necessary for getting through this brick of a book. The highlight and simultaneous low-light of the novel comes when Principal gives his first-hand account to Cohen. His linguistic style is lofty and vague yet computer-esque. Siri might give you a more emotive statement. Since this is metafiction, the reader might liken Principal to real-life examples, namely Steve Jobs. Oh, and Principal is dying of pancreatic cancer. Late stages, incurable by technology. Just like Jobs. The irony of having built a life around technology yet having it be totally unable to save you... Man. Think about that one for a spell. In the end, the reader gets the conclusion they can see coming once Principal starts his narrative. If you are able to sift through the references and endure Principal's often nauseating narrative, then you will likely find the end to be rewarding. Do I recommend this read? Yes, but conditionally. Don't pick it up if you want a quick read. If you get it, have a pen handy, and write away in those margins. (Don't feel bad about doing it; it's a sign that you're engaging with the book!) You will find things you need to 'tetrate'. You will have to rely on Google. And... that's part of the point. Where to find Joshua Cohen's Book of Numbers online: Amazon
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