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The New Yorker: The King of Sentences
by Jonathan Lethem
The main characters are young New Yorkers who work in a bookstore together and live together as well. Their world revolves around the written language, specifically sentences. They worship the sentences within books as well as a man they call “The King of Sentences”. They stalk this unknown author and make up their minds that they are going to meet him once and for all.
They track down the post office where The King of Sentences gets his mail. They send him a postcard stating where and when they will find him and, as any author would, he notifies the police. The officer finds the couple waiting in the post office for The King of Sentences as they seem to stick out like sore thumbs and asks them what they are doing… The couple ends up meeting the king and he agrees to meet them in a hotel.
The climax of the story is the eventual meeting between these aspiring writers and the king. Here the king has them undress and takes all their clothes. Then leaves them in the room shivering.
What’s this all about, anyway?
The story wasn’t a bad read. I appreciate the underlying theme of the power of words and their ability to command the characters to their actions. The words, or sentences rather, create the lives these two New Yorkers live. They work with sentences, they even make love with sentences. The written word encompasses everything they do.
However, the story leaves several questions unanswered. Like what the officer was talking about when he mentions that he knows what this “King of Sentences” did in his past. You have to wonder who this guy is, not just in the story, but I feel like Jonathan Lethem had a writer in mind when he speaks of the king.
I always appreciate endings that leave the reader thinking and asking questions, I love several of the artful sentences Lethem throws in throughout the piece, but I find myself feeling somewhat ripped off, like I missed something. Maybe I did and maybe I should give it another read. I’ll be interested to hear what others thought. If you haven’t read it, check it out and get back to me with your thoughts.
Don’t forget to check out what others had to say about The King of Sentences in the forums!
About the Reviewer
Katie Cummings has been writing and editing for several years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Oregon University in 2005 with an emphasis in creative writing. She has worked as editor of the West Wind Review and actively runs a creative writing group online.
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Adam Luebke // Aug 16, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I too thought something was left to be desired with Lethem’s NYer story, “The King of Sentences.” I enjoyed reading his writing, and I did indeed like the actual sentences that made up the story as they contained an artistic, hip-fiction feel, yet the story fell somewhat flat at the end. But that is short fiction. Not always about content, but the actual enjoyment of reading interesting sentences.
2 Editor // Aug 17, 2008 at 11:35 am
I agree. The plot of the story is unique in itself enough to support the lack of neatly tied up ending. Thanks for reading,
The Editor
3 Katie Cummings // Aug 17, 2008 at 11:45 am
I can see that and it’s true sometimes it’s just about the sentences and not the content. That would fit in with the whole sentence obsession theme. Any idea what author the writer is calling “The King”?
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