3 out of 4 stars
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Mousehead is a story written by BC Derbyshire and is his first novel. It is about the journey through life of a man named Aubrey Mousehead. He is a man who is quite different from other men, and who seems to follow a path that not everyone takes. It is a fictional book that belongs in the Other Fiction genre.
The story describes Aubrey Mousehead in several phases of his life. It describes his childhood, living a lonely life in a house full of books. It describes Mousehead in his youth, taking inspiration from his Aunt Dorothy, a lady who broke away from the mould that society placed her in and lived in a caravan in the yard, and according to her own will. It describes his life in London, which is basically a life of drinking, trying to write poetry that will inspire and change the world, and at the same time discovering himself. It is here that he makes friends, meets strange characters and falls in love. The book also describes ‘The Patient’ whom I supposed to be Mousehead himself. Finally it describes an elderly Mousehead who seems to be going mad. He always feels that the black flower of insanity wants to engulf him. His thoughts are very strange, and it seems that he lopes into thoughts of the past, which we see in the descriptions of his younger life.
The character of Mousehead is well formed, and the story illuminates his character through all the phases of his life. It highlights how he grows from a young boy to a man and the things he thinks about. It shows how he thinks deeper thoughts than the average man, and how he searches for the essence of life, tries to live according to the ideals he has set out for himself, and the man he finally becomes.
The book is set out in a very haphazard way, although I think that is what the author intended; to give the impression of the fanatic thoughts of Aubrey Mousehead. The story jumps from one scene to another and from one time period to another. This happened so often, that it sometimes made me confused, and I had to concentrate extra hard in order to keep track of the storyline. The story is set mostly in the 50s and 60s and a lot of the ideas that were popular for young people during that time period is discussed, such as freedom, truth, love, and living an idealistic life.
I am giving the book a three out of four stars because the story was well written. However, I found it daunting to read at times due to the chaotic feel of the book as well as the intense philosophical ideas that were thrown around. I think that the book did not suit me personally, although I am sure many others will find it profound, meaningful and enriching. .
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Mousehead
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