It is hard to write a review about a book with as many layers as Joe Scapellato’s The Made-Up Man, Scapellato’s 2019 debut novel. Part noir, part bildungsroman, part psychological thriller, The Made-Up Man is something that is truly unique and stands on its own.
The novel follows Stanley, a man in his late twenties who accepts his Uncle Lech’s offer to house sit his apartment in Prague for three days. However, Stanley doesn’t know that he’s about to become the star of one of his uncle’s many infamous performance art pieces, as the line between fiction and reality starts to blur. The actors around Stanley make him relive some of the pivotal moments of his life, such as his breakup with his now ex-girlfriend, T.
Scapellato navigates this unique premise by engaging in a number of literary and narrative techniques from the beginning to the end of the novel. At turns, both serious and absurd, dark and laugh-out-loud funny, The Made-Up Man never has a dull moment. For example, one of my personal favorite absurdist choices was the chapter titles’ format. As Stanley’s mental state deteriorates, the chapter titles become longer and less coherent. Chapter One is simply, “Stanley Arrives in Prague,” while Chapter Ninety-Seven is “Stanley Sits on a Cot in a Cell in the Dark and Remembers the Time in High School After Class in the Parking Lot When He Was Walking Around Looking for Torrentelli or Barton or Torrentelli’s Car…” and continues for about three hundred more words. The chapter itself is only ten sentences.
What makes The Made-Up Man unique is that the mystery is not about other people; it is about the self. Stanley often comments about “the space at the center of myself that isn’t me,” and spends much of the novel trying to make sense of that space and define what it is. That undeniable change of Stanley’s self begins to fluctuate and mold as he begins to relive his past memories. Who is he? Why does he do the things that he does, and why did he do the things he did?
Another one of my favorite aspects of the novel is its characters. Being the main character, Stanley gets the most development out of the ensemble. We get to know everything about him, and Scapellato doesn’t shy away from showing his unlikable traits; by the end, I found Stanley to be a very interesting, yet deeply flawed, protagonist. Other characters, such as Uncle Lech and T also get great development, but we also don’t know what some of their true motivations are until the end of the novel. This keeps the reader guessing as to whether or not they are a part of Uncle Lech’s performance.
However, I do recognize that this novel might not be for everyone. The intricate plot and story structure do require a good amount of patience to immerse yourself into. Additionally, not all of the answers are handed to you on a silver platter, and some readers may find this overly confusing or abstract.
In conclusion, The Made-Up Man is a striking and intellectually stimulating novel that showcases Joe Scapellato’s remarkable talent as a writer. It pushes the boundaries of storytelling, delivering a truly unique and immersive reading experience. While it may not be a book for everyone, those willing to embark on this literary adventure will be rewarded with a thought-provoking journey through the enigmatic realms of fiction and reality.