S.

S. by J.J. Abrams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A story in the margins of a story about another story...S. is beautiful, intricate, and, sometimes confusing, but a joy to read as a librarian-in-training.

First thoughts: It's so hard to just read the book, without reading all the margin notes left by previous readers Jen and Eric or getting lost in the lore surrounding the whole thing. With J.J. Abrams involved, of course there are layers upon layers of story.

How do I read this book?!: I don't think there is any right or wrong way to read S. Read it all, all at once, or try to go layer by layer - either way you'll still have to piece things together. Don't forget about all the inserts! (My copy didn't have them included, since it was from the library, but I found a website that described them all.) Personally, I started reading EVERYTHING on each page, but felt like certain events were being spoiled before I had context for them, so then I split the book up into about 4 different readings. First, the actual typed pages of The Ship of Theseus, the story of a man searching for his identity. Then I went back to read each set of notes left by "Eric" and "Jen," focusing on the different sets of pen/pencil colors they used to read semi-chronologically.

Wait, what?: Yes, I was confused pretty much the whole way through...this blog helped me a lot! I had little to zero idea what the "real" story of The Ship of Theseus was until I read Eric and Jen's notes, and their notes I needed outside context to fully grasp. Whew!

Favorite quotes:

"We create stories to help us shape a chaotic world ,to navigate inequities of power, to accept our lack of control over nature, over others, over ourselves."

"Really: we imagine ourselves to be so well-contained, so clearly defined, so individually integrious yet it takes so little to open us up, to send us spilling outward or to introduce something foreign and toxic."

Character thoughts: Eric's first (penciled) notes remind me of me taking notes - some personal, lots of similar themes pointed out, mildly embarrassing to read back after several years... A lot of Jen's notes were relatable too, in her conversations with Eric, along with her library science leanings and her romantic side.

Writing thoughts: This book must have been so much fun to write. Fun and frustrating - adding in notes to a story you've written, being able to make sure your reader takes note of what you want them to, but also having to keep all the narratives straight!

Recommended for: Durst and Abrams write for people who love a puzzle, anyone who analyzes all parts of their life, and those who need a deep dive escape into reading. Librarians and librarian types will appreciate the game of reading and figuring out the book, as will anyone involved in other ARG-type experiences.

Final thoughts: S. is a book that sticks with you. The concept is better than the actual story, I think, and really truly works because of the margin notes, but I always welcome novelty in my reading. It's refreshing to know there are always different ways to write and consume books!


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