Impossible Object

The Impossible Object follows a series of interconnected relationships and encounters between characters in 1960s Britain. The narrative structure moves through eight separate yet linked stories, each providing a different perspective on the central events and characters. At the core of the book is a writer's relationship with a diplomat's wife, but the story expands to include multiple characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. The format shifts between past and present, reality and imagination, creating a complex narrative tapestry. A film adaptation was released in 1973, with Alan Bates and Dominique Sanda in the leading roles, and screenplay by Mosley himself. The novel was recognized with a Booker Prize shortlist nomination in 1969. The book explores themes of perception versus reality, the nature of truth in storytelling, and the impossibility of fully knowing another person. Through its experimental structure, it questions how stories are told and understood, suggesting that truth itself might be an impossible object.

Limited reader reviews exist for this experimental novel. Across platforms, only a few dozen ratings appear. Readers noted the book's challenging structure - four interconnected stories that reflect and refract each other. Several reviewers mentioned its demands on concentration and the need for multiple readings to grasp connections. One reader on Goodreads wrote: "Like a puzzle box that keeps revealing new compartments." Common criticisms focused on the fragmented narrative style making the book hard to follow. A few readers reported abandoning it partway through due to confusion. One Amazon review called it "needlessly obscure." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.71/5 (17 ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (4 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.5/5 (6 ratings) Notable: Many reviews came from readers who discovered the book through Mosley's other works rather than finding it independently. Several mentioned the book reads differently on second encounters.

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The Unnamable by Samuel Beckett The final entry in Beckett's trilogy uses fragmented narration to explore consciousness, identity, and the limits of language.

Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley A narrative about evolution and human nature unfolds through the lives of two children born in 1918 Germany and England.

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing Multiple narratives and perspectives interweave through notebooks that examine politics, relationships, and mental breakdown in post-war London.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell Six nested stories span centuries and genres while exploring themes of power, connection, and the cyclical nature of human experience.

✦ The book's title "Impossible Object" refers to a mathematical concept of objects that can be drawn but cannot exist in three-dimensional space, mirroring the novel's exploration of seemingly contradictory human relationships. ✦ Nicholas Mosley was the eldest son of Sir Oswald Mosley, the notorious British fascist leader, and wrote extensively about wrestling with his father's controversial legacy in his works. ✦ The novel's publication in 1968 coincided with significant social upheaval in London, which influenced its themes of shifting perspectives and cultural transformation. ✦ Mosley won the 1990 Whitbread Award for his novel "Hopeful Monsters," but "Impossible Object" is often considered his most structurally innovative work. ✦ The book's eight-part structure was inspired by the Buddhist concept of the Eightfold Path, reflecting Mosley's interest in Eastern philosophy and its approach to understanding reality.