Being There

By Jerzy Kosinski

A quirky, brilliant novel starring Chauncey Gardiner, an enigmatic man who rises from nowhere to become a media phenomenon—“a fabulous creature of our age” (Newsweek).
 
One of the most beloved novels by the New York Times–bestselling and National Book Award–winning author of The Painted Bird and Pinball, Being There is the story of a mysterious man who finds himself at the center of Wall Street and Washington power—including his role as a policy adviser to the president—despite the fact that no one is quite sure where he comes from, or what he is actually talking about. Nevertheless, Chauncey “Chance” Gardiner is celebrated by the media, and hailed as a visionary, in this satirical masterpiece that became an award-winning film starring Peter Sellers.
 
As wise and timely as ever, Being There is “a tantalizing knuckleball of a book delivered with perfectly timed satirical hops and metaphysical flutters” (Time).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Dec 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9780802195814

Book preview

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Reviews for Being There

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Simpel maar prachtig verhaaltje. Tegelijk een bijtende satire op de Amerikaanse media, het politieke systeem, de algemeen menselijke verhoudingen.

[melkor81205 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In Chance, or Chauncey Gardiner as he becomes known to the world, Jerzy Kosinski, has provided the other characters of this story as well as the reader a way to project what they want to see and hear in a person.Chance, who appears to suffer from some form of mental impairment (some version of autism?), cannot read nor write, he can converse without a problem, although his conversations are mostly limited to television and his gardening, as he knows nothing outside these two elements. Fate throws Chance into the political consiciousness of the world, and everyone who encounters him takes his simple answers as deep thought analogies or admissions. Chance is not lying, simply speaking of what he knows, which is pretty limited. People project their hopes, desires and plans on him and his words, not realizing that he is unable to understand even their most basic needs.A great (but short) read. Will provide plenty to discuss and ponder.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kosinski's satire about wealth and power - and how transient they can both be. Also a fun film starring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine.

[gazzy_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A bit too boring a story - trying for eccentric but not weird enough. Eccentric like a man in a bowler hat as opposed to a raccoon cap. A throwback to the sixties as seen in the seventies. A dated fable.

[goodwillbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a slim book and a quick read. I never saw the movie, but I gather the book tracks the movie pretty closely - there's not a lot of extraneous scenes or detail. It's a clever idea: the main character is someone with little knowledge of the world and who speaks very simply only about his narrow slice of it - that of a lifetime garden caretaker with no education, who can't read or write, and whose only diversion is watching TV. Those who hear him speak, which he does largely through frequent reference to what he has previously seen on television, ascribe deep meanings and motives to his simple statements, and in the space of 4 days, he is being celebrated in the media and throughout the country for his blunt, plain-speaking, common-sense intelligence. I suppose it is a cautionary tale about the influence of TV and the media in general. Whatever. I like TV.

[berthirsch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

a small gem by an often forgotten writer who died before his time was due.

[mexicangerry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Being There is about George W. Bush.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Simpel maar prachtig verhaaltje. Tegelijk een bijtende satire op de Amerikaanse media, het politieke systeem, de algemeen menselijke verhoudingen.

[harrymacdonald · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just a quick addendum to what others have said. Beyond the political and sexual satire, there is a comprehensive moral tone here recalling Anatole France at his best. There are also, in pleasing contrast, occasional poetic touches of considerable grace. Consier this (from page 43): "He watched the thousands in their ranks, who were reduced by the TV screen to mere mounds of leaves swept forward by a driving wind." Or this (from page 53): "Of all the manifold things there were in all the world -- trees, grass, flowers, telephones, radios, elevators -- only TV constantly heldup a mirror to its own neither solid nor fluid face."

[zenhead_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delightful modern parable. Chance, who has worked as the gardner at The Old Man's estate for as long as he can remember, finds himself - through no fault of his own and without hardly saying a word - is transformed into Chauncy Gardiner, and projected into the highest levels of international politics. When he does speak, he frames every observation around his experiences in the garden. Everyone around him takes his very literal answers as deep allegorical philosophy. As Rock Man said, "People see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear." A very quick read, which will leave you with plenty to think about.

[noblechicken · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The writing is as meticulous and taut as Chance himself. There is a bizarre relevance to this book, some 45 years after the publication, perhaps even a new meaning for thematic revisionists of literature. In today's world, Chancey, the idiot gardener, is what middle class America has become; largely sheltered, ignorant and a parrot for what is churned out to them in media. Politicians latch on to the simpleton for their own gain, using the spew back in your face tactic in order to keep careers and political gain. And what ends is a strange cycle of stagnation and philistinism as the cultural snake constantly eats it tail. A re-write of this would include social media for certain. We see what we want to see, we hear what we want to hear, even in an idiot that is merely reciting television. At the same time, Chance's reflections on gardening is lovely and simple, it just gets wildly bastardized. Jerzy Kosinski has created a parable that has held the test of time and leaves room for generations of interpretations.

[marse_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Kosinski I've read. It is very short, less than 120 pages, reads easily. A satire of sorts about a somewhat simple-minded man who becomes an international celebrity because of his seemingly deep understanding of business, finance, and politics. All he really knows is how to tend a garden (echos of Candide). Enjoyable to read, though the ending stunned me as I was expecting the same ending as the 1979 movie. Apparently the movie was co-scripted by Kosinski as well.

[5eva5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chance, a simple gardener, accidentally becomes a much sought after political commentator. Wonderful little satire told in a silent, but very pleasing way. Apparently a twist on a very famous Polish novel (The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma), but I've not read that one so I cannot say.

[jzacsh-533759 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a fast and funny read. Depressing at first, silly after to that.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Still a good story, but decidedly dated.

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading the book, I have an even greater appreciation for Peter Sellers performance in the movie.

[scottcholstad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Postmodern brilliance. Stunning in what is says in what it doesn't say. I actually prefer Kosinki's The Painted Bird, which is a little more brutal, but I honestly think Being There is the author's best truly "postmodern" work, translated well to the screen, and perfectly holds a mirror up to society. Will they even glance at it? I did. Kicked my ass. Couldn't be more recommended, but for those you don't like minimalist postmodern, you may find yourself bored, possibly not picking up on some subtleties, or simply unimpressed. Or you may actually walk away feeling more and more impressed the more you think about it. (In fact, I was so impressed with it that I wrote a short paper on it from a Reader Response position and it was published in a peer-reviewed, MLA-indexed journal: The Arkansas Review. It's titled "The Dialectics of Getting There: Kosinski's Being There and the Existential Anti-Hero." It's actually online somewhere, but I don't know what the policy here for giving our URLs is, so if you're interested at all, you cane either do a search or go to my blog listed on my profile (hankrules2011), with hyperlink, and find it listed among a few publications. Feel free to leave comments re your own observations, if you've read it. It's definitely not a universally admired or appreciated text. Which makes it all the more delicious for me. ;)

[smiler69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chance is a simple-minded man who has always lived in the same house, where he's always taken care of the garden. He's never learned to read and write and never set food outside the grounds of the house, not even to see a doctor. But his life is turned upside down when the "old man"—the owner of the house—very sick in his very old age, passes away without making any provisions for Chance. Indeed, as far as the insurance company is concerned, Chance doesn't exist at all and might never have lived in the house, since there's not a scrap of paper mentioning him or his role in the household. What Chance does have is a thorough understanding of the world based on the countless hours he has watched television, as well as a very good set of clothes which fit him to perfection and which had once belonged to the old man, so that when he steps out onto the street with his bespoke (to another man) suit and elegant valise and meets with an accident with a chauffeur-driven limousine, he is immediately taken in by the passenger of the car, a Mrs. Rand, and brought to her home to be attended by her ailing husband's doctor who is often there on house calls. The husband, Mr. Rand, when he asks Chance about himself, mistakes our hero's reply and understands that his name is Chauncey Gardiner, whom he assumes to be a successful and very astute businessman based not only on his clothes, but on the remarkably wise observations Chance makes, wherein speaking only of what he knows—which is limited to the realm of gardening—his remarks are taken as being incredibly clever and profound. Before he knows it, Chance is introduced to the President of the USA (a close friend of the Rands) and becomes the man of the hour. I had seen the movie version when I was just a young girl, where Chance was famously interpreted by Peter Sellers, and I remember the story and the acting making a strong impression on me. So when I saw this newly released (and inexpensive) audio version interpreted by none other than Dustin Hoffman, I pounced on it. Needless to say, Hoffman's reading is brilliant, and the story is still just as excellent and darkly funny as I remember it being, and still all too relevant today. I've only given a five-star rating once before so far this year, and this recording fully deserves a full score as well.

[kthclark · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“Being There" is a short novel of political satire focused on the way that American Politics has very little to do with what a person says, or thinks, and everything to do with surface value. Chance who is a very sheltered person who has worked in the garden of a rich man is now thrown into the public after the old man dies. This book is probably best for older more mature teens in order to understand the humor. There is also a movie based on this book starring Peter Sellers.

[michael_lilly-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A decent book, but it's in that unusual category of books where the movie is better than the book. The plot line of the movie is tighter, and Peter Sellers gives a truly great performance to make the character believable.