Nick Cave AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL Novel, Aschehoug. Translated
from English by Herbert Svenkerud.
Surrealistic horrornovel and a
mythic-visionary epic.
Reviewed by ELIN BRODIN
This burlesque novel is Nick Cave's second literary publication. The
Australian multi-artist, who has also appeared in various movies, is
probably best known for his efforts as a rock-artist in the groups The
Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds - and his fame as vocalist, lyricist and
soundtrack-composer was hardly an obstacle when it was necessary to create
publicity around his latest creative efforts: Many of the most positive
reviews occured in magazines that for the most part deals with music.
The publisher presents "And the Ass Saw the Angel" as a Surrealistic
horror-novel and a mythic-visionary epic". This is perhaps a fair
description, even though it might seem a bit high-flying in this context.
One thing is certain: the horror-effects are fully present, and we
recognise the macabre views from the authors earlier songwriting.
The main character of the novel is the physically handicapped and mentally
confused Euchrid, the son of an alcoholic mother and a sadistic, twisted
father who has dedicated his life to refined abuse of animals. The child
is treated very badly, and is terribly harrased in his nearest
surroundings. Euchrid's growing up is a gigantic story of suffering,
thouroughly painted with, at times, an almost parodic amount of
blood-dripping adjectives.
His surroundings are not less bizarre. Euchrid's hometown is a
fictional Southern town, governed (terrorized) by religious fanatics, who
will walk over corpses to protect their principles. At it's best, the book
sizzles with a crazy and weird apocalyptic mood that reminds you of
Latinamerican fiction. Some passages show intensity and lushness, and one
does not get the impression that the author has any speculative motives.
The novel has its entertaining sides, and you can detect a sincere
nerve to it.
Still - as a whole, this project is too pompous and fuzzy. The author
lacks self-discipline. Effects and powerful symbolism is poured out
without being put in perspective or context; the reader is bombarded with
myths, frightening images and strange events that ought to have been
presented and built up in a far more conscious way. Even though Cave has a
basic linguistic talent, he has to be more self-critical if he is to apply
it effectively. This nightmarish story indicates a vivid imagination, but
sometimes the depictions of horror have no other function than that to
make the reader ill at ease. The magazine Elle has printed that this book
represents "the second greatest story ever told". Such a claim can easily
become counter-productive: one becomes embarrassed, and wonders how many
storys the reviewer has read. "And the Ass Saw the Angel" has its funny
elements, but if you want to put it forward in some sense, it must rather
be as the most grotesque and crazy story that you have read for quite a
while.