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Charles Lambert's haunting and highly original WITH A ZERO AT ITS HEART is a sequence of short texts, each of exactly 120 words.Arranged by theme, including objects, clothes, sex, danger, travel, work, theft, animals, money, language, among others, these form striking glimpses – comic, tender, shocking, enigmatic – of one man's life.
A man navigates the fragmented landscape of his own existence through a series of precise, constrained snapshots. Each text serves as a self-contained observation, capturing moments of intimacy, peril, and mundane reality that define a singular life. The protagonist acts as an observer of his own history, with the narrative framework relying on strict formal limitations to distill complex experiences into brief, evocative vignettes. These constraints force a focus on the essential elements of memory and identity, stripping away extraneous detail to reveal the core of the human experience.
This work is characterized by its rigorous formal discipline and its ability to evoke profound resonance within a highly restricted word count. The collection suggests a deliberate attempt to map the human condition through the lens of specific, isolated objects and experiences. Readers likely encounter a pacing that is intentionally staccato, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory itself. The thematic breadth ensures that the narrative remains varied, preventing the structural repetition from becoming monotonous while maintaining a consistent, contemplative tone throughout the sequence.
Page Count:
150
Publication Date:
2014-01-01
Publisher:
The Friday Project
ISBN-10:
0007545517
ISBN-13:
9780007545513
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