Denis Johnson´s Jesus´ Son reads like a cocktail mixture that is part cautionary tale mixed with disjointed memoirs of a highly-functioning drug addict. This collection of short stories form together a mosaic view of underground beatnik culture. Through sex, drugs and alcohol, Johnson´s main character explores the meaning of life itself.
Denis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son portrays single serving slices of what it means to be alive. According to this provocative collection of short stories, there is more to being alive than simply breathing and eating. Through lyrical hallucination sequences and exaggerated situations, Johnson describes what it means to truly be alive. This examination is relayed to the reader in terms of altered states of consciousness, jaded recollections and sexual fascinations.
In some of the stories, Johnson’s unnamed protagonist comes close to eloquently depicting the quintessential essence of life. Yet there are also times in the book when the main character’s outlook on life is noticeably sarcastic, morbid and morose. These odd moments of clarity are surprisingly off beat. In “Out on Bail” the protagonist is overjoyed that he didn´t actually die from a heroin overdose. He’s forced to reluctantly admit that he came extremely close to leaving this world. The main character is left with no choice but to contemplate the grand meaning of it all or lack thereof, according to Johnson. The character’s outlook on life is “that [he] must be the victim of a joke.” (41). Although he is glad to be alive, the dejected man can not bring himself to believe that there was a point in wondering why. Questioning the meaning of a divine supremacy wouldn´t gain him his next drug fix or his next high. He does offer weakly that “[he] was here…because [he] couldn´t tolerate any other place.” (42.) The story ends with Johnson’s unnamed character simply stating: “I am still alive.” He apparently believes that will be enough to keep him sane and content through such a life of depravity. (42)
If you like stories about dark themes, drugs and alcohol, then check out the Solari review of "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie.
Although Johnson attempts a serious glance at the true meaning of being alive, the main character is often preoccupied with the trivialities of life. Characters come and go throughout the book and Johnson’s protagonist seems to regard them with little concern at all. Their lives seem to pass like a picture show before his eyes, lacking any real substance and consequence. In the story “Steady Hands at Seattle General”, the main character asks Bill if he’s still alive in the deeper, spiritual sense of the word. Bill replies that “it don’t get no deeper than the kind of shit we’re in right now.” (131). Perhaps at this point, the reader can surmise that the main character will delve further into this intellectual puzzle, but Johnson pulls back. Instead he compares the deeper sense of being alive with the stark reality of being on drugs at a hospital. Denis Johnson seems to be toying with the idea at this point. He never quite pulls the trigger.
In the story “Car Crash While Hitchhiking”, the central character is directly involved in a car wreck that results in several casualties. As he walks away from the scene, he witnesses one of the victim’s last moments of life. The unknown man is horribly crushed beneath his car and from the main character’s perspective appears to be dreaming away his life. As the man gasps his last breaths of air, the main character observes and “[looks] down into the great pity of a person’s life on this earth.” (10). Surprisingly, the great pity is not that this man is about to die or that he will dream his way out of this world. For the main character, the great pity is that “he couldn´t tell me what he was dreaming, and I couldn´t tell him what was real.” (10).
Throughout the book, Johnson expresses a fixation on the existential triviality of being alive. An example can be found in the story “Dundun”. In this story, a character named Dundun shoots another acquaintance known as McInnes. The protagonist, along with Dundun, attempt to take him to the hospital but McInnes dies in the car. The main character says, “Damn right throw him out of the car, I’m not taking him anywhere now.” (50). This blatant disregard for someone's life severely discredits any serious attempt on the part of the main character at understanding and truly appreciating what it means to be alive. Yet, on the whole, these stories were well-delivered, visceral and meaningful. This is a wonderful read for young adults and teenagers who are searching for the meaning of life through the prism of their own misguided wanderings.
Reviewed by Frederick S. Blackmon
Have you read this collection of short stories? Let us know what you thought about it in the comments and be sure to share this review with your reader friends.
Comments