Civilization and Its Part in My Downfall

Kelly J. Saxberg is a freelance writer and filmmaker in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

This novel contains much humor and wit. The rough-and-tumble days of
Hollywood’s first “flickers” provide the inspiration for a
ridiculous chronology of events and a vast assembly of characters. Like
any good movie, Civilization ... demands that you suspend disbelief; but
this novel makes doing so a challenge rather than a pleasure. First
amusing, then tedious, the “story” never really seems to start.

Civilization ... shows off Quarrington’s love of language and of a
clever, well-turned phrase. The dialogue, events, and characters display
an imaginative use of a large vocabulary. The marketing of sex and
violence—Hollywood’s most successful accomplishment—is potentially
a fantastic theme; unfortunately, the characters’ obsession with sex,
nudity, and “boy talk” is as shallow as it appears, and patience is
required to sustain interest. The protagonists are deftly crafted
caricatures that are neither boring nor satisfying. The women are
especially frustrating; instead of satirizing the sex stereotypes
created by Hollywood, the novel coyly re-creates them.

Quarrington succeeds in capturing the stupidity and the false glamor of
the movie industry; however, the book seems little more than hundreds of
tall tales woven together within a fragile structure. It is a
beautifully rendered maze; unfortunately, some may find it difficult to
just relax and enjoy the craftsmanship without craving a plot and real
characters.