Synopses & Reviews
This is Matthew Remski's second novel. Silver is a metaphysical journey which follows the last two incarnations of the Buddha/Christ.
The book opens with the second to last incarnation, Leni Riefenstahl, at the height of her filmmaking career in 1930s Nazi Germany. The last incarnation is an ordinary man, Tyrone, who became the first person to take on the role of Ronald MacDonald, the famous mascot of MacDonald's. The novel switches back and forth between Nazi Germany and Hamburger U. in Illinois. It highlights the similarities in moral sensibilities between corporate America and fascism. The protagonists are far from their more famous incarnations such as Christ and Buddha. They are products of their times and are doomed to struggle through life, confused about their past lives, at the same time trying to make sense of their own existences, only to repeat the process endlessly throughout time while being hated and generally misunderstood by the rest of humanity. The novel culminates in an apocalyptic massacre, awash in blood and orange drink, as Tyrone is gunned down by a SWAT team in an Indiana grade school gymnasium.
Remski's signature style lies in the juxtaposition of the sacred and the derelict. At the same time the lines between what is moral and what is immoral are blurred. His writing is rich and complex and will challenge the reader to reevaluate the boundaries of the language.
Synopsis
Matthew Remski's second novel, Silver, is an absurdist eulogy for the 20th century with a cast of thousands, including Leni Riefenstahl, Dorothy Stratten, J.P. Morgan, the Silver Surfer, and Bob Barker, with cameos by a born-again-dead-again Jesus Christ. Half cartoon and half ritual, Silver asks: Does photography murder us? Is reality itself pornographic? Was Christ's tomb the first pinhole camera? Why do we feel dead? In a maze of visualizations that will enrage and enlighten, Remski tells the terrifying story of power. Power: transferred from fascism to corporate America on the backs of pin-up queens, rape victims, and misunderstood saviours.
Synopsis
Matthew Remski's second novel, Silver, is an absurdist eulogy for the 20th century with a cast of thousands, including Leni Riefenstahl, Dorothy Stratten, J.P. Morgan, the Silver Surfer, Bob Barker, and the Dalai Lama, with cameos by a born-again - dead-again Jesus Christ. Half cartoon and half ritual, Silver asks: Does photography murder us? Is reality itself pornographic? Was Christ's tomb the first pinhole camera? How did television become the mental spin-cycle of North American society? Will Bob Barker lead his audience to spiritual enlightenment through Sanka-induced hallucinations? Why do we feel dead?
About the Author
Matthew Remski's first novel was Dying For Veronica (Insomniac Press, 1997). He is the founder and original artistic director of Scream In High Park and has his Masters in theology from the University of Toronto. His first book, Organon Vocis Organalis, won the 1994 bp nichol chapbook award. His work can also be found in Insomniac Press anthologies.