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Available
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Publication
Canongate Books Ltd (2006), Edition: First edition, Hardcover, 288 pages
Description
Victor Pelevin, the iconoclastic and wildly interesting contemporary Russian novelist who The New Yorker named one of the Best European Writers Under 35, upends any conventional notions of what mythology must be with his unique take on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. They have never met, they have been assigned strange pseudonyms, they inhabit identical rooms that open out onto very different landscapes, and they have entered a dialogue they cannot escape - a discourse defined and destroyed by the Helmet of Horror. Its wearer is the dominant force they call Asterisk, a force for good and ill in which the Minotaur is forever present and Theseus is the great unknown. The Helmet of Horror is structured according to the way we communicate in the twenty-first century - using the Internet - yet instilled with the figures and narratives of classical mythology. It is a labyrinthine examination of epistemological uncertainty that radically reinvents the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur for an age where information is abundant but knowledge ultimately unattainable.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member akosikulot-project52
This book is a total mindf*ck. - Thoughts on The Helmet of Horror by Victor Pelevin (translated from Russian by Andrew Bromfield)
Here’s the thing: I don’t know what to feel about this book. It frustrates me; it frustrates me to no end after reading. You see, I didn’t get it. No, that's not
So why am I so frustrated? Why don’t I just altogether hate the book and be done with it? Because it’s so good, that’s why – it is dark, it is funny, it’s subtle, it’s shrewd. It loses you and then pulls you back again and then loses you again, but this time it is you who forces yourself back in it. It is a labyrinthine book about labyrinths – actual and imagined, in all shapes and sizes and meaning – and nothing gets crazier than that.
Pelevin’s modern (and nothing says modern more than a chatroom conversation by virtual strangers, from different backgrounds and with different issues in life) adaptation of the story of the labyrinth, the Minotaur (half man, half bull), Ariadne and Theseus, The Helmet of Horror gets weirder and darker and seemingly confounded as it progresses. It reminds me of the movie Saw, only minus the bloodshed and more of a psychological thriller of sorts. “I shall construct a labyrinth in which I can lose myself, together with anyone who tries to find me,” so it begins, opening up a cyberworld devoid of time and true identity, and touches on aspects of religion, philosophy, politics, technology, even love. “In fact, the whole cycle is simply the circulation of now in various states of mind, in the same way that water can be ice, or the sea, or thirst.”
And yet, with all that heaviness, Pelevin nevertheless threw in some irony and humor for good measure – moments that allowed for one to breathe in-between lines. Mind you, though, these were inserted by Pelevin in the long-winded conversations so discreetly, so as not to mess with the whole somber, mysterious mood of the book. A sampling:
“Dead people don’t hang around in chat rooms.”
“People go bald because they have no choice, but they shave their heads out of self-respect.”
“If you had genuinely free choice, the results could be pretty miserable.”
“If we start worrying about spies, pretty soon the world will be full of them.”
And my favorite, on the subject of free will – not only because the analogy is funny, but because it’s so true, too:
“Life’s like falling off a roof. Can you stop on the way? No. Can you turn back? No. Can you fly off sideways? Only in an advertisement for underpants specially made for jumping off roofs. all free will means is you can choose whether to fart in mid-flight or wait till you hit the ground. And that’s what all the philosophers argue about.”
This book deserves a re-read – one day, when I’m ready enough to devour the book entirely, and not just nibble on the surface. And if this is how Pelevin leaves me after reading his books – babbling and confused – the by Jove, bring it on.
PS. The title isn’t a quote from the book – I couldn’t find one (or if there was one, I’d have missed it) to fully encompass what the book is. Also, it really is a mindfuck.
PPS. Look out for Romeo-y-Cohiba and IsoldA - they’re my favorite of the bunch of online misfits.
Originally posted here.
Here’s the thing: I don’t know what to feel about this book. It frustrates me; it frustrates me to no end after reading. You see, I didn’t get it. No, that's not
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true, because I did, really, generally get it. But that’s the thing, see – it’s the surface things that I understood, but for anyone who’s ever read Victor Pelevin, there’s always more to his books, and The Helmet of Horror is no exception. Merely understanding does not cut it.So why am I so frustrated? Why don’t I just altogether hate the book and be done with it? Because it’s so good, that’s why – it is dark, it is funny, it’s subtle, it’s shrewd. It loses you and then pulls you back again and then loses you again, but this time it is you who forces yourself back in it. It is a labyrinthine book about labyrinths – actual and imagined, in all shapes and sizes and meaning – and nothing gets crazier than that.
Pelevin’s modern (and nothing says modern more than a chatroom conversation by virtual strangers, from different backgrounds and with different issues in life) adaptation of the story of the labyrinth, the Minotaur (half man, half bull), Ariadne and Theseus, The Helmet of Horror gets weirder and darker and seemingly confounded as it progresses. It reminds me of the movie Saw, only minus the bloodshed and more of a psychological thriller of sorts. “I shall construct a labyrinth in which I can lose myself, together with anyone who tries to find me,” so it begins, opening up a cyberworld devoid of time and true identity, and touches on aspects of religion, philosophy, politics, technology, even love. “In fact, the whole cycle is simply the circulation of now in various states of mind, in the same way that water can be ice, or the sea, or thirst.”
And yet, with all that heaviness, Pelevin nevertheless threw in some irony and humor for good measure – moments that allowed for one to breathe in-between lines. Mind you, though, these were inserted by Pelevin in the long-winded conversations so discreetly, so as not to mess with the whole somber, mysterious mood of the book. A sampling:
“Dead people don’t hang around in chat rooms.”
“People go bald because they have no choice, but they shave their heads out of self-respect.”
“If you had genuinely free choice, the results could be pretty miserable.”
“If we start worrying about spies, pretty soon the world will be full of them.”
And my favorite, on the subject of free will – not only because the analogy is funny, but because it’s so true, too:
“Life’s like falling off a roof. Can you stop on the way? No. Can you turn back? No. Can you fly off sideways? Only in an advertisement for underpants specially made for jumping off roofs. all free will means is you can choose whether to fart in mid-flight or wait till you hit the ground. And that’s what all the philosophers argue about.”
This book deserves a re-read – one day, when I’m ready enough to devour the book entirely, and not just nibble on the surface. And if this is how Pelevin leaves me after reading his books – babbling and confused – the by Jove, bring it on.
PS. The title isn’t a quote from the book – I couldn’t find one (or if there was one, I’d have missed it) to fully encompass what the book is. Also, it really is a mindfuck.
PPS. Look out for Romeo-y-Cohiba and IsoldA - they’re my favorite of the bunch of online misfits.
Originally posted here.
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LibraryThing member beserene
I've been making my way through the Canongate myths series and have been surprised at the diversity of styles represented therein. Victor Pelevin has provided yet another surprise, perhaps the most dramatic yet. His retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is written entirely in chatroom
Taking the reader in circles, in similar fashion to that of Borges' "Garden of Forking Paths"--the debt to Borges is acknowledged from the beginning--though significantly more awkward, Pelevin seems to want us all to ponder the labyrinthine limitations of our individual lives. Unfortunately, having been caught up in the cutting-edge feel of the text, the reader (who is, after all, a product of the isolating technological faux-connections that Pelevin seems to be skewering here) has little patience for the philosophical contemplation prompted by the reversal at the end of the book.
The best satirists use irony and exaggeration--they stretch the boundaries of convention from within--but Pelevin has invested too fully in the meta-tech nature of this world to successfully satirize it. What results is profoundly pointless, in a very hip, post-modern way. While I appreciate the cleverness of the attempt, I doubt that I'll be reading "The Helmet of Horror" a second time.
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format. If that sounds annoying, be reassured that it is something that the reader quickly adjusts to and it does promote a sense of immediacy and spontanaiety that is rare in a novel. The format, with its abundance of white space, makes this a quick read; unfortunately, its not as satisfying as one would expect in something that is so perfectly devourable. Taking the reader in circles, in similar fashion to that of Borges' "Garden of Forking Paths"--the debt to Borges is acknowledged from the beginning--though significantly more awkward, Pelevin seems to want us all to ponder the labyrinthine limitations of our individual lives. Unfortunately, having been caught up in the cutting-edge feel of the text, the reader (who is, after all, a product of the isolating technological faux-connections that Pelevin seems to be skewering here) has little patience for the philosophical contemplation prompted by the reversal at the end of the book.
The best satirists use irony and exaggeration--they stretch the boundaries of convention from within--but Pelevin has invested too fully in the meta-tech nature of this world to successfully satirize it. What results is profoundly pointless, in a very hip, post-modern way. While I appreciate the cleverness of the attempt, I doubt that I'll be reading "The Helmet of Horror" a second time.
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LibraryThing member the_hag
I don’t know if I would have read more in this series had I read Helmet of Horror and/or Lion’s Honey first…I liked Helmet more than Honey…but it not on my list of things I could read over and over. The idea of the labyrinth being both a physical thing AND being the internet (specifically a
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chat room) is certainly intriguing and novel…but the whole thing sort of confused me. I suppose that was rather the point…the tale itself is something of a labyrinth and the tread being something of an in joke with the chat room/message board response system. Overall, I’d say it was well done and I’m sure if I were to read it again, I’d be able to pull more meaning out it, because I was left with the feeling that I’d missed something…so maybe down the line when I get my own copy, I’ll reread it and see what else it brings to me. Looking forward to the next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
A re-telling of the Minotaur myth set in an internet chat room. A series of people wake up in single rooms with no contact to each other besides an internet chat room where their screen names have been picked for them. It seems there are moderators who will not let the captives reveal anything
They begin to explore their external surroundings when their doors open. It seems they are trapped in a physical labyrinth as well with no way into anothers area. Two of them think their areas meet so they start to seek ways to reach each other. Meanwhile some stay in their room and discuss the situation and try to figure out what is going on.
This was very trippy but really thought provoking. Definitely something that needs a re-read as I think I missed quite a lot the first time. It is much more of a philiosophical discussion than a straight novel set out like a play.
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personal about themselves, like their real name and where they are from. One screen name is Ariadne and she has been having dreams of the minotaur which she tells to the others as they wait for Theseus to appear and rescue them.They begin to explore their external surroundings when their doors open. It seems they are trapped in a physical labyrinth as well with no way into anothers area. Two of them think their areas meet so they start to seek ways to reach each other. Meanwhile some stay in their room and discuss the situation and try to figure out what is going on.
This was very trippy but really thought provoking. Definitely something that needs a re-read as I think I missed quite a lot the first time. It is much more of a philiosophical discussion than a straight novel set out like a play.
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LibraryThing member AHS-Wolfy
Produced for Cannongate's The Myths series and recreating and updating to modern times the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Written in the form of posts to a bulletin board, the reader (or lurker) follows along as the posters tell of their experiences having found themselves alone in a room with
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just a keyboard and screen for company. All they can do is post to a single thread and any form of personal information is censored by moderators. Exploring their environment reveals they each have their own part of a labyrinth and further information is relayed via dreams to Ariadne, one of the posters, who then relates to the rest of the group. There is a lot of philosophising about their predicament and the reality of it all and I'm not very adroit at weeding out the information in this form so no doubt have missed a whole heap of stuff that would have helped make sense of what was going on. I'm not even sure a re-read would help me that much. Even so, there was enough here to keep me whizzing around the next corner to see what was there. Show Less
LibraryThing member lysne
This is a book I need to think about for awhile. It was odd, and new, and lots of things to think about...
LibraryThing member greeniezona
I have an uncorrected proof of this book from such times as I used to pinch such crumbs from Jessa's table. As it has been languishing on my shelves for many years, that makes it a good candidate for my to-read challenge, and reading Winterson's Weight not long ago sparked my interest in the
I knew really nothing about Theseus and the Minotaur before reading this book, which I'm sure didn't help anything at all. In this book everything is up for interpretation: who is Theseus? Who is the Minotaur? What is the labrynth? What is reality? It is written as a chat room transcript, and we are to believe it is populated by people trapped in near-identical rooms with no memory of how they got there and computers that do nothing but provide access to this particular chat. But, as with everything online, what can you really believe?
Many aspects of this book were interesting. Some were bewildering. Some I didn't get I'm sure because I wasn't familiar enough with the myth behind it, some seemed more like the pompous philosophizing of college students too self-important to bother learning to fully explain their theories -- other people's bafflement just proving to them their own superiority. Maybe that was supposed to the the point and it was just too... deep for me, but I ended up feeling for most of the book that meaning was disappearing around a blind corner, just out of my grasp.
If that was the point, it just may be brilliant.
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Canongate Mythology series. So here we are. I knew really nothing about Theseus and the Minotaur before reading this book, which I'm sure didn't help anything at all. In this book everything is up for interpretation: who is Theseus? Who is the Minotaur? What is the labrynth? What is reality? It is written as a chat room transcript, and we are to believe it is populated by people trapped in near-identical rooms with no memory of how they got there and computers that do nothing but provide access to this particular chat. But, as with everything online, what can you really believe?
Many aspects of this book were interesting. Some were bewildering. Some I didn't get I'm sure because I wasn't familiar enough with the myth behind it, some seemed more like the pompous philosophizing of college students too self-important to bother learning to fully explain their theories -- other people's bafflement just proving to them their own superiority. Maybe that was supposed to the the point and it was just too... deep for me, but I ended up feeling for most of the book that meaning was disappearing around a blind corner, just out of my grasp.
If that was the point, it just may be brilliant.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
288 p.
ISBN
1841957054 / 9781841957050
Local notes
A cyber-age retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.