‘Cosmopolis’ by Don DeLillo

This is one of several books that I am wanting to have read before the imminent cinema adaptations arrive on our screens, and now that I have read Cosmopolis I am just really rather annoyed at myself for having taken so damn long to do so. Silly, silly Alison. The whimsically titled Cosmopolis, Don DeLillo's thirteenth novel, covers twenty-four hours in the life of Eric Packer, a young multi-billionaire asset manager, as he ventures across Manhattan on the mother of all odysseys - going to get a haircut. The movie adaptation, helmed by Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg and starring none other than Robert Pattinson (!!!) as Eric Packer, is scheduled for release next year through several Canadian and French studios. Anyway, I must try to focus on the novel...

First published in 2003 to mostly middling reviews - though it is worth noting that most if not all of the negativity therein was directed at Cosmopolis supposedly failing to measure up to DeLillo's previous works, which is surely trifling when you happen to have such a solid body of work behind you - the novel has since garnered much cult acclaim. There is a noticeable Ulysses influence, particularly with regards to the role of over-sexed females and the notion of paternal abandonment, as well as in the novel's spanning roughly a day in the life of one character. For me personally, in spite of some seemingly superficial comparisons to Bret Easton Ellis' seminal American Psycho, Cosmopolis actually reminded me more strongly of Ellis' later novel Glamorama, and not just due to the clever wordplay quality of the respective titles. They are alike in that they both entail a damning indictment of capitalism and superficiality, presenting astronomical wealth as something to avoid rather than aspire to.

What I appreciate most about Cosmopolis is DeLillo's ability to be affectless and painstakingly detailed all at once. The eyes that Eric Packer sees through are world-weary and indifferent, and yet everything he experiences is detailed in a startling and evocative manner. It is a difficult thing to describe, but those familiar with DeLillo's work will hopefully see what I am getting at. I would recommend the novel to any fans of Bret Easton Ellis and anybody who enjoys the (particularly earlier) work of Jay McInerney. I look forward to seeing how Eric Packer's crosstown odyssey will translate to the big screen.

This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.tumblr.com in November 2011.