March 10, 2012 
Four D - Gregory Morrison
6/10

Well, this has never happened to me before. I am confused as hell, which doesn't feel totally bad, but I also feel like I've read a book I'm not intelligent enough to understand. It's exactly how I felt after watching the movie Donnie Darko….

..confusion mixed with the overwhelming feeling that I was so close to grasping a concept so profound but that my feeble mind couldn't/wouldn't be able to fully absorb its true meaning. 

It's like waking up from a dream so vivid that it takes you a moment to realize that you are awake, and when you focus on the details they make just enough sense that you get goosebumps but not enough sense that your conscious mind can unravel the overall meaning. This explains exactly how I feel right now. 

Now this sounds bad, but I'm not sure it is. 

The first chapter of Four D is a complete mystery to me. It almost put me into an early grave, I kid you not I almost didn't make it through. It was like reading the thoughts of a crazy person. Here is one example (verbatim) from the chapter : 

She changed her underwear and pulled her hear back with a hair band. “Are you resisting?” “It’s my imagination.” I took her bra off, and her breasts hung over my face. I blushed; somebody was thinking of me. It had been two hours already, and she was still hungry for my love. “You’ve aged so much.” I was surprised to hear that from her. “What did you expect?” Space. “Me? Nothing!” and then she asked. “Where were you today?” “I don’t remember. At work, went to visit my mom.” “Sometimes I’m jealous too!” That was something new. “Now we are alike!” Space pushed me. Forget it! Don’t listen to her. “Do you think I don’t get emotional?” “I love you, and that’s enough for me.” Somehow, she quickly changed her mood. Only girls can do that. “Shall we go on?” “Hold me tight!” Only with her can I read books; it’s so wonderful.

But I realized that the story must become clearer as I read on…

There are four chapters to this book with four different stories. Some stories seem like they may be interconnected but I couldn't tell you for sure. It got easier to read from the second chapter and even my simple mind could pull meaning from the stories. I took a pile of notes and quotes and had prepared to explain my interpretation of the inner workings of the book, its characters and its potential message but I have decided against this for a few different reasons. Mostly, that after several failed attempts I have admitted defeat and realized that I am here to write a "review" (and I use quotes because I am not convinced that this is actually a review) and not the psychology behind the meaning of the book. Also,  I would have a better chance at describing fog, the meaning of life,  or why some people insist on cutting in on a bus cue instead of waiting in line like everyone else…

You may be surprised that I am recommending that you read this book. You will just have to read it to understand (or not). It's a chaotic mess of fucked up people, keys, sexy women, nature, multiple personalities, blow, manipulation, death, shadows, destruction, love and the number four. Utter madness and confusion mask fleeting moments of clarity. Psych students wanting to stroke their own egos will be tickled analyzing this book. For the rest of us, we may have to go to bed wondering what the fuck, and later come to the realization that we read someone's worst nightmare. One can only hope that Mr. Morrison will come out with an annotated version.  

My advice? Be patient.  I was, and in the end I am glad I read it. 


Here are some quotes from the book: 

“It figures!” I was thinking aloud. “The first room...the dark room...hallway. The yellow room... bedroom. Next to it was the sitting room! And the mirror room, the bathroom and the kitchen!”

"It said that scientists had proved the human brain was divided into four parts and not two as previously believed. This discovery was called 'Four Rooms.'"

"You died just in your dream! Understand this: you die twice. The first time in your dream and you come alive in your real life. The second time you die here, and that’s for real. The end of the dream—the beginning of life, the end of life, and the beginning of the endless dream.”

“Remember—this is very important, it is a big secret!—everything in life you have to do by yourself!”

"She opened her eyes wide, stretched her arms in front of her, and, having jumped up, pronounced several incomprehensible words. Big, brown sweet cherries started to fall out of her dark eyes; their number grew bigger and bigger, so that she couldn’t hold them in her hands…. However, as soon as I had finished, she immediately opened her mouth broadly, and I saw her pull- ing a pear out of it. 'This is for you. See, I can bear fruit too.' I felt a firm and juicy pear in my hands."

Just some of the quotes referencing the number four: 

He pulled out the right disk and put it in the player. He selected song number four.

“Okay, that’s sorted then. He’ll be here around four; let’s meet outside,” he confirmed with Linda.

The rest of the time, he walked back and forth in the office, killing time.

They went outside. There were four company cars by the entrance.

He felt very peaceful and comfortable deep inside; he saw the world through pink glasses, not boring at all, and it took just four days.

Number four doesn’t belong to anyone and is not considered important. That’s why people like parks so much.” She said.