The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker takes place over one man's lunch break. And even though Howie does not have an especially long or interesting lunch break, Baker is able to take all of his thoughts and memories and create an entire novel about them. I take this book to be an interesting view of the human psyche. It is a complete view of the way that Howie thinks and experiences the things around him. Howie, however, has a bit of a different view on the world around him. He focuses on the mechanics behind every object and every interaction. He focuses on the small things that every other person takes for granted and for the most part ignores. I personally really like the way that Howie thinks about things. He makes everything seem interesting, that I originally thought was normal and boring. My favorite example of this is the way he describes urinals. To me, a urinal is just a slab of porcelain that catches my pee and carries it to a place that I don't have to think about. To Howie, it is a marvel of modern engineering. It is a "porcelain gargoyle" that deserves the general interest of the public because it is used so often. He appreciates every little aspect of the design, from the valves to its shape to the logos of the companies that make them.
Howie is very interested in the mechanics of how every thing works. He doesn't care for electrical or chemical engineering, but the mechanical engineering that allows staples to be injected into a stack of papers. He is fascinated by the small office objects that everyone else skips over, and he appreciates the effort that someone put into creating and designing them. But he also thinks about the mechanics behind each and every interactions that people have. Multiple times throughout the book he thinks about the conversational quirks that people have when making small talk. He looks in depth at the small awkwardness when he needs to right something, and is offered a pen at the same time that he reaches for his. Or the "oop!" that people say when opening the bathroom door as someone else does the same on the other side. He talks about pretending to have forgotten something just so that he doesn't have to have an awkward interaction with a colleague. He knows what its like to be a regular person talking to another regular person, but he studies it in a way, I don't think many other people do, and he makes it seem worth thinking about.
The thing I like most about Howie, is how relatable his thoughts are. I found that I have had similar thoughts as him, done similar actions, even though I experience life in a different way than him. Baker makes Howie feel like a real human being that I would not give a second glance at. And this is something that I think is a theme in The Mezzanine: taking a second look. Seeing the ordinary and dull things in a way that makes them extraordinary and worth paying attention to. I don't know how much my thoughts on regular things are going to change after reading this book, but maybe I'll sit down sometimes, and just marvel at all the small things.
