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Eye Floaters: A Review
by Edna Nelson
2010-03-05 09:14:38 |
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Information Book
Mouches Volantes - Eye Floaters as Shining Structure of Consciousness
Floco Tausin
2009, Leuchtstruktur-Verlag
The story, which is based on the author's personal experience with these "Eye Floaters" starts with an ambitious young man's search for an interesting piece of furniture. He finds something he wants to acquire, but the owner, a man named Nestor will not allow it. Nestor instead requires that the item be restored on the premises and begins forging a connection with Floco (our ambitious young furniture enthusiast) whose ambitions lead him to step up to what will soon prove to be a challenge.
Through this process of restoration Nestor and Floco develop a relationship that is not only friendly, but also spiritual and philosophical, and over time Nestor instructs and initiates Floco into a way of seeing the world that revolves around whatever those illuminated shapes are that we sometimes see in our frame of vision - a way to see a deeper and truer vision of life, one that is free of our often false assumptions, and toxic emotions.
From the start of this relationship between protagonist Floco and teacher Nestor is constructed through their sometimes tense and always philosophical conversations. The story, on a basic level, is about two men, in the middle of a forest, staring into empty space, and talking about the true meaning of life. I don't know how anyone could make that interesting. The majority of this narrative is dominated by the male psyche, even though by the end of the book it is presented that the female mind and spirit is more apt at dealing with the spiritual subject matter it attempts to cover.
Outside of this "bromantic" narrative, Tausin sometimes infuses the story with eccentric characters (friends of Nestor, and other spiritual masters) and interesting experiences (like bowls of soup from one pot, but all with a different taste). Unfortunately though, this contextual expansion fails to provide any incentive for the reader to actually continue reading. There is a sense of pointlessness about the book. Nestor the teacher figure in the book communicates a way of seeing the world that is rooted in what could be considered complete detachment and non-duality.
On a character level it is as if Nestor himself has no interest in the outcome of the story he is a part of, and Floco in his continuous return to restore the piece he discovered at times seems to be out of stubbornness and stubbornness alone. If anything these are the two reactions Mouches Volantes provoked most from me as a reader - contemplative enjoyment of the philosophical dialogue between characters, and simple stubbornness to continue reading until the end.
The philosophy and spiritual practice presented in Mouches Volantes is interesting, but too slowly delivered, as if the reader should follow Floco through his practicing rather than simply bear witness to it. The book somehow gives the feeling of an instruction manual, or propaganda piece for personal discovery and analysis of "The Shining Structure of Consciousness". Unfortunately, I think it does the exact opposite.
The narrative feels too empty, and presents almost no reason to take any greater interest in those colourful shapes and squiggles that sometimes float around in my frame of vision, in fact by the end I quite regret that I took any in the first place.
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