Bite-sized book reviews
Bite-sized book reviews
Nicholson Baker’s “The Mezzanine” provides a deep dive into the seemingly mundane yet fascinating world of ordinary life through the lens of a single lunch hour. This novel, with its microscopic examination of daily routines, turns an ordinary escalator ride back to an office after a lunch break into a rich exploration of thoughts and reflections. Baker masterfully captures the stream of consciousness of his protagonist, whose thoughts flit from the design of milk cartons to the intricacies of shoelaces. There were so many thoughts the narrator had, in detail, that were completely relatable and at the same time can’t say I’ve ever stopped to “think” about it. For example, after finishing a cookie and milk, he crumples up the bag that the CVS worker put the snack in and stuffs the crumpled sack into the whole in the empty milk carton and remarks on how he “took an obscure satisfaction in the inside-outness of this achievement.” I love that. The whole (short) novel is filled with little literary gems like that. A unique read, almost felt voyeristic getting that detailed of a look into someone’s mind.