I'm really not sure what my feelings are on this book. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but really didn't care for others. I can see it appealing to a limited audience, who like the sort of haphazard action the characters take.
Four D is actually four stories in one, loosely related to each other through the characters emotions and also what I consider their mental delusions. The first story involves a man who lives in a world where things disappear and a being/person/something named Space is a companion for him. Things are fleeting there but happiness must be found somehow. The next story has Elise, who is lost in a place of rooms with no way to get out. Or at least none that she's found yet. But she knows that she has to keep going. The third story, possibly my favorite out of the four, has Luidgi, a man who has become bored with life and just wants to find some happiness and excitement. It leads him on a path to self destruction that almost has him spiraling out of control. The last story, and the shortest, I'm still not sure what it really was about. It went quick and seemed to involve a person that encounters a supernatural being that shows him different visions/things that change his perspective on life.
I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. In Space, he is just plain mad and hard to follow, at least through my eyes. Elise also has some mental issues and split personalities and seems disconnected from reality as we know it. Luidgi, while I didn't particularly like him, had some realism for me and I think that's why I liked that story best. He reminds me of someone I used to know who also slowly started self-destructing and pushing everyone away. It was a sad thing to watch. The last story I had so much trouble following that I can't really comment on the character too much as I feel I don't know enough about him.
Since this was four short stories there were four different styles to the book. The first one was jumbled, garbled, and was much like descending into the mind of a mad man. And I'm not sure if that's the way it was supposed to be or not. Either way, it was difficult to read. The second story was interesting, and while I couldn't connect to Elise, I did enjoy reading her story. You almost had to root for her as she made her way through the different doors. Luidgi's story since it rang so true with my experiences I liked, although the dialogue was somewhat stilted at times. The last story was just as hard as the first to get through, and I really didn't enjoy it at all. I think a re-edit on that one might be called for. It was too short and too rushed to get much out of.
An interesting book. Not something that would appeal to the masses, but those that like odd stories and character studies may find it intriguing.
Four D
Copyright 2011
172 pages
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