The Moviegoer

THE MOVIEGOER

by Walker Percy

 

Award: National Book Winner 1962

 

Date Read: April 17, 2023

 

The Moviegoer is defined by its central character’s existential angst and his search for meaning and a better understanding of his relationship with God. Jack Bolling (aka Binx) finds himself still in search of his purpose at the age of 30. Having lost several years in the war and many more years to making money at a brokerage, he still knows he hasn’t found his true path in life.

 

His ultimate enemy is the mendacity of everyday life or “the grind.” He attempts to escape this despair by frequenting movies in his spare time, enjoying a succession of women without committing to any of them, even trading up his car to a more fun and less practical MG. While Binx struggles with this particular demon, he doesn’t share his fear with anyone but his cousin Kate.

 

Kate has her own demons to fight. She has been mentally unwell for many years, is struggling with an addiction to painkillers and has recently attempted suicide. Everyone in Kate’s orbit is scared for her and tries to keep a close watch, especially Binx’s aunt. She presses Binx into service, drawing Kate out of the house to attend inconsequential social events in the hopes it will lift her spirit.

 

Binx, however, entices Kate to accompany him to Chicago without informing anyone in New Orleans about where they were off to. This results in the aunt’s despair about enlisting the wrong kind of help. She had hoped for a protector and instead got a seducer. Little does she know that Binx has determined that by marrying Kate and entering medical school he can overcome his fear of the looming ordinariness of life.

 

I am unsure how this equation works out in his head. To me, it sounds like he’s signing up for a solid middle-class life with an emotionally unstable wife. And in the end, we all end up with an ordinary life. This opaque novel makes me wonder if Binx ultimately succumbs to the inevitability of life or to the self-delusion that these choices will allow him to bypass his fears altogether and enjoy an unconventional life. I guess I’m going to continue to wonder…

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