I’m a big fan of art in all its forms, and this book is
indeed what one would call modern art. Metaphorical
and subliminal throughout, Helen Cova doesn’t so much write, she purges. There are many hidden messages in these short
narratives, none less than the recurrent metaphor itself, and you wonder how
much of the content in this book is therapy for its author. Indeed, Helen says as much in her book’s
preface, that the somewhat bizarrely chosen title – Autosarcophagy: To Eat Oneself
– refers to her self-immolation, or perhaps sharing that done to her by
others. I don’t really want to know what
sits between the lines in this book, firstly because it nobody’s business but
Helen’s, and secondly because the ambiguity of its underlying premise is part
of the book’s mystery and appeal. Like
any modern art installation, using any medium, it fascinates and engrosses us
because we want to study it, not because we want to know its meaning and its
secrets, then move on.
The title hints at some pretty vivid imagery, and indeed
the fantasies outlined in this controversially dark collection don’t stop there;
the themes explored are every bit as disturbing. The author has an incredibly poetic prose –
her writing is truly quite wonderful, in a manner which almost reads as
parable. The visual art which accompanies
each piece is also stunning and stylishly creative, bringing to mind great
geometrically abstract paintings, bleak and foreboding with Kafkaesque tones;
the illustrations are fantastic, and complement each narrative perfectly. The stories themselves are very bleak indeed,
with a great deal of cannibalism as a metaphor for slow destruction; believe me
when I say that they are much better than I may be making them sound. The illustrations wouldn’t look out of place
enlarged and framed on the wall, and I like them very much. In the ARC I was sent the images were all in
monochrome, and I found myself wishing that some were in colour. I don’t know if that is true of the published
version, or if I was purposely sent a smaller file, though I could understand fully
if Helen did opt for bleak, grey imagery; they certainly do reflect the book’s
almost dystopian feel.
This is a fantastic piece of work, though don’t expect it to
take up very much of your time. This is
a showcase book, one which deserves to be presented in a glossy, high-quality publication
and kept as a reference to the artists who created it. I would have no hesitation in recommending it
to those of you who like modern art, and short, thought-provoking narratives
with a dark, metaphorical undertone.