The Coldness of Objects by Panayotis Cacoyannis

We spoke first about Martin Moore who had led our group for a substantial length of time and who had died very recently. He has left a gap in our village. We spoke of his gentleness, his kindness, his generosity and his thoughtfulness. He will be much missed.

Our book for this month’s meeting was The Coldness of Objects by Panayotis Cacoyannis. The author was unknown to most of the group. It takes the reader back and forth in London from the 1980s with its freedoms and gaiety and a new disease that was largely unacknowledged and was wrongly mistaken as the ‘gay man’s disease ‘and, into 2030. A deadly virus in 2020 had caused permanent damage not only to people’s health but to governing bodies around the world.

The book opens with an elderly man Mr Anthony Ruben receiving an intriguing invitation to become an ‘exhibit’ at the National Museum. While he contemplates this ‘opportunity’ he reflects on his life and about love and loss. His memories provide the reader with a gripping and compelling narrative exploring the shadowy confines of his former self’s love life while struggling to understand his present circumstances.

On the surface, The Coldness of Objects could be understood as a work of dystopian sci-fi but it is so much more than that. There is no such word as‘genre’ for Cacoyannis, he reminds us of what is really important in life. This is a chilling portrayal of how our future might look and feel, if we allow it, yet, at its heart, there is hope and, most of all, a reminder that it is love and connection to others that give life its joy and meaning. As a group we found ourselves reflecting on this change in people and government, early seeing that this could, in fact, become our future if there is continuous hatred for others who are different from ourselves. Indeed, we could all see how much of this was already happening now. It provoked a sense of anxiety in most of us. His writing is chilling.

We also learn of Mr Rubens deep love for both his grandparents, his sister and of course his friend of many years, Malcolm, who only right at the end of Malcolm’s short life became his lover.

Cacoyannis writes beautifully and elegantly. He draws you in. I described his writing as a work of art. We all enjoyed the book and were glad that we had read it. It was a very good discussion with just some small differences of opinion.

Sandy Chapman (Credit: Local Lynx Magazine – Edition 161)