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In the forward of THE FACTS BEHIND THE HELSINKI ROCCAMATIOS, Yann Martel, who is best known for his novel LIFE OF PI, shares how he spent years honing his craft and writing short stories and plays, some more successful than others. Now he has collected four of his best earlier stories (written in the 1980s) in a slender volume that packs an emotional and creative punch.
The title novella finds two young college friends struggling with issues of mortality as one dies of AIDS. The narrator, a college senior, is dumbfounded when he learns that his 19-year-old friend Paul has been diagnosed with AIDS. As Paul withers away (Martel writes that the flesh "melts"), his friend becomes part of the family, spending time and energy caring for Paul. As time goes on, he devises a plan to lift Paul's spirits and occupy their time. They will compose an epic story of a family in 86 parts, one part for each year of the century thus far. The activities of the Roccamatios, a Helsinki family of Italian origin, will mirror the events of the 20th century. Soon, the young men find parallels in Paul's life and dying in history. Their story is about the troubled century with moments of hope --- and it is implicitly Paul's story of dying as well.
Heartbreaking and well written as it is, it is sometimes difficult to decipher the parallels Martel intends from historical moments --- the parallels and ironies that Paul and his friend feel instinctively and deeply.
The second story, "The Time I Heard the Private Donald J. Rankin String Concerto with One Discordant Violin, by the American Composer John Morton," is just as well written as the "Roccamatios," perhaps even more so. A young man in Washington D.C. for the first time is exploring the city and chances upon a music concert in a soon-to-be demolished theater. The highlight of the evening is the premiere of the Donald J. Rankin Concerto with One Discordant Violin, an indescribably moving piece about the loss and violence of the Vietnam War. After the performance, the narrator follows the soloist and composer to his job as a bank janitor and learns the story behind the music and its creator.
While less compelling, the other two stories in this collection, "Manners of Dying" and "The Mirror Machine," are also interesting and original. Somewhat different in tone and style from LIFE OF PI, THE FACTS BEHIND THE HELSINKI ROCCAMATIOS is just as thought-provoking and unique. It gives the reader an interesting glimpse into the maturation and evolution of Martel as a writer.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
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