Word: kosinski
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Fabian's sex occurs inside his VanHome, a monstrous mobile house of a half-dozen rooms, among them a tack room, skylit bedroom, and stable for his horses. The VanHome and the strange sex that goes on inside it leap out as symbols of the way of life Kosinski's characters have always sought. The impregnable quality of the VanHome, its mobility and completeness, match the character of its driver. Like the sex in his bedroom, Fabian burns wildly passionate on the inside. But like the cool metal walls of the VanHome, his shell is unforgiving...
...Kosinski idles away his non-writing time indulging in the extravagance of the ultra-rich; the result is Passion Play. Kosinski writes of possessed and spirited men jousting with civilized culture--Don Quixotes turned competent. Introduced as the world's pre-eminent polo player, Fabian, Passion Play's knight errant, is first found scrounging around New York City for a practice field. His dominant talent and penchant for revenge have driven him from the plush meadows of polo estates. Playing one on one matches with wealthy opponents, writing books about the dangers of horse-back riding, living on a retainer...
...unceasing herky-jerk action of Passion Play hints at Kosinski's attempt to harness to the novel the devices of another medium--television. This is the foremost example of the easy-to-follow, one-character plot ridden with sex and violence. The novel as a popular art form may soon smother in the voluminous fluff of television and cinema. Kosinski senses this and innovatively adopts many of the devices, the timing and pace, of TV and cinema--hence the accessibility of his novels. What's remarkable is that he manages this without in any way compromising his literary integrity...
Passion Play, however, can not claim an untarnished victory. Love never surfaces in this, or for that matter, any other Kosinski novel. Instead he confronts us with heroes like Fabian--men who want only to possess females; searing orgasm and the fulfillment of sexual fantasy develop as the closest bonds between humans...
...depravity of this attitude can't be dismissed as male chauvinism, however. Rather, it reflects Kosinski's commentary on the modern trend of individualism. We tend increasingly to draw away from others, to turn our backs on the world, on the country, on friends, and on family; ultimately, we will consider only ourselves...