The narrator’s alcoholism and sadism stem from the same source, which compelled him to drink and to hurt women. The novel is said to be autobiographical or else it is hard to imagine such a vivid portrayal otherwise. One begins to suspect that the author chose to remain anonymous because he would not otherwise have been able to achieve such a level of brutal honesty in the writing. The wry prose are wrought with considerable literary flair. There is an ironic and defiant preoccupation with the book’s own publication throughout, which adds another level of authenticity to the voice. The narrator laments: “And if this never gets published, it’s your fault too, because it means this type of story was deemed uninteresting to you” (91). It is written in an informal tone which often breaks the fourth wall after all, it is a diary. The writing style is terse, exquisite, and frequently humorous. Again, this is why its publication is so shocking (more on that later). This is the premise of Diary of an Oxygen Thief. Then imagine if it were quite conscious and deliberate–and amplified. Lurking within us too– maybe–is this perverse desire somewhere tucked away.
In his wake is a trail of jilted and stunned women. It is male desire in all its darkness, personified in a wretched, nihilistic persona whose sustenance is alcohol. The voice of the narrator is the unadulterated male id, speaking what is normally unspoken, and what is below the radar of consciousness. Because the novel changes so drastically, the narrative is given a heart which is lacking in the madmen scenes of the opening pages (which at any rate made you keep on reading). The reckless tone set in the beginning of the novel is not sustained. In that sense, the novel is thematically reminiscent of another nihilistic novel, Fight Club.ĭiary of an Oxygen Thief continues with his outrageous exploits, yet then the mood shifts unexpectedly. Naturally, the mirror image of giving pain is receiving it, and he desires both. This gluttony for punishment extends to males he provokes other men of more imposing stature to physically attack him.
It was flattering” (28), he says after provoking one of his female victims. Just as inexplicably as the narrator enjoys hurting these girls, he intentionally provokes them to take revenge on him: “I’d never had beer thrown in my face before. …the break up precipitates a downward spiral of pointless cruelty and alcoholism. At any rate, the break up precipitates a downward spiral of pointless cruelty and alcoholism. Yet his ruminations after the break up suggest that he did indeed love her. He was simply bored of her sexually and otherwise. His four year relationship with his girlfriend Penelope ends in bizarre fashion the narrator enjoys drawing out a confrontational break-up conversation after meeting her in a bar. And if this occurs on a college campus due to a malicious interpretation of Title IX, there wouldn’t even be the benefit of a jury. Because nowadays, it very well could be a crime, should a girl allege rape. “The pain involved in a premeditated broken heart would easily compare with a case of assault, and yet no court of law would recognize it as a crime” (33). Fortunately for him, the novel was published in 2006. This level of womanizing simply could not survive the me-too era. Ironically, these antics in the present day would likely get the narrator accused and possibly convicted of rape (which is perhaps the one transgression which he is not guilty of). To be clear, he did not rape her yet nonetheless he left her feeling abandoned and emotionally abused. Part of the pain is his, part is the pain that he gives.Īfter one such sexual encounter, he writes, “Later, she left a message on my machine saying I’d raped her” (24). The narrator of Diary of an Oxygen Thief is a ribald madman who thrives on loving and leaving unsuspecting women.
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