7/2/2023 0 Comments Danielewski mark![]() ![]() Then there’s the east Los Angeles street gang, and the criminal in Singapore, and the computer scientists in Marfa, all of which may or may not be related, but since the sections are so inscrutable, it probably doesn’t matter anyway. The sections with Xanther are by far the most interesting ones in the novel, largely because they are the only coherent ones, despite Danielewski’s insistence on punctuating them with (endless (nested (parentheses))). ![]() Her parents have planned to surprise her with a dog, but on the way to pick it up, she and her father encounter a small kitten, sick and stranded in the rain. The heart of the story, such as it is, belongs to Xanther, a sweet but troubled 12-year-old girl living with epilepsy. There are also some scenes in Marfa, Texas, (in accordance, one supposes, with a law mandating the small town be mentioned in every hip novel, whether or not it makes any sense). “Happen” might be too strong a word, actually – although the story abruptly switches locations to Singapore and Mexico at various points, it’s impossible to tell what’s going on, or why. Readers who dig deeper, though, will discover that there’s a little more to it: a Los Angeles girl finds a kitten, and then several other seemingly unrelated things happen. The basic plot of The Familiar is this: a Los Angeles girl finds a kitten. ![]()
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