History Of A Pleasure Seeker
Richard Mason’s "History of a Pleasure Seeker" has a very apt title. It tells the story of Piet Barol, a handsome young man seeking to work his way into the upper classes of society in Amsterdam in 1907. He seeks to be rich and well-to-do for the same reason that he does everything: he wants some damn pleasure.
The writing here is exquisite and intriguing from the beginning, easily keeping the reader entertained from the first page. However, maintaining an interest in the plot requires a certain type of reader. First of all, the plot is very small-scale. There are no murders or ticking bombs or daring romances. The entire plot simply centers on one man and his constant attempts to have a good time. If you’re a fan of "Pride and Prejudice"-type social intrigue, then you’ll enjoy the constant, subtle, nuanced dance that Piet does to win over the people around him. If that isn’t your type of story, then "History" will seem excessively long and tedious in its regular detailed descriptions of every character’s emotions.
Indeed, one of the book’s main failings is that the author is far too in love with his entire cast of characters. There is hardly a character in the entire novel for whom we don’t get a back-story, even if they are almost completely irrelevant to the plot. This leads to numerous tangents in the story that feel awkward and out of place.
Another significant element that will serve as a divisive issue between readers who enjoy the book and readers who hate it is the sex. Piet is the kind of smoldering slut that the world loves today. He’s enormously attractive to most of the men and women around him and he delights in taking advantage of his erotic appeal, leading to many very detailed sex scenes. His isn’t the only sex life to which the reader is privy though, and things can take a 180 from titillating to painfully uncomfortable when you’re suddenly reading about the self-loathing masturbation of the creepy butler.
But the deftest achievement of "History" is undeniably the handling of the protagonist. Piet Barol is a wonderfully constructed, fascinating character. He’s far from a perfect person; he often lies, cheats and manipulates those around him. But he’s also always sympathetic, making the reader root for him despite his faults. You will eagerly await the results of his every daring move. Unfortunately, the final results fall flat after all of Piet’s other adventures, but the journey to get there is ultimately one worth reading.
by Richard Mason
