Isabel Waidner's 'As If' Presents a Surreal Doppelganger Tale
In Isabel Waidner's latest novel, As If, two uncannily similar men switch places in an existential farce that playfully yet poignantly explores the precarity of working life. This surreal narrative builds on Waidner's established style, where the absurd lurks around every corner, ready to challenge readers' perceptions.
Building on Previous Success
Waidner's previous work, Corey Fah Does Social Mobility from 2023, depicted a working-class writer winning a literary prize in the form of an elusive UFO, highlighting the ephemeral nature of success and the baffling systems of social power. Inspired by their own experience winning the Goldsmiths prize for Sterling Karat Gold, Waidner continues to delve into themes of uncertainty and performance in As If.
The Plot Unfolds in Clerkenwell
The story opens in a flat in Clerkenwell, London, with a gnomic exchange between two strangers, Aubrey Lewis and Lindsey Korine, who are mirror images of each other in their late 40s, tall, and dark-haired. Lewis, subletting the flat, is alarmed by the resemblance, fearing it reflects poorly on both. Korine, dressed in a novelty T-shirt and pyjama bottoms, enters as if he owns the place, setting off a chain of events filled with Pinteresque deliberation.
Both men share eerily similar backstories: Lewis is a former actor who rose to fame after a Barbican run of Waiting for Godot but was undone by stage fright, while Korine is a self-professed house husband who has abandoned his family after countless unsatisfactory jobs. Their narratives intertwine as they pursue a cat-and-mouse game across London, with Lewis becoming a surrogate husband and father to Korine's family, and Korine impersonating Lewis at a cringe-worthy audition.
Themes of Identity and Performance
Waidner uses the acting profession to explore doubleness and the instability of work. A shadowy third character, Lucien Jelley, an understudy who resembles both men, floats in and out, symbolizing the constant threat of replacement. The novel suggests that Lewis, Korine, and Jelley might be aspects of the same person, making the switching of selves both wrenchingly funny and poignant, especially in scenes with Korine's child.
The city of London plays a starring role, with locations like the Barbican underpass representing dubious shelter. References to Gary Oldman, particularly his role as Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears, add layers, as Lewis was inspired to act by Oldman, and Waidner channels Orton's macabre relish for challenging authority. The narrative meanders through greasy spoons and alleyways, echoing the settings of Oldman's Slow Horses series.
Anarchic Dissonance and Absurdist Humour
Waidner's brand of anarchic dissonance and absurdist comic jolts drives the novel forward, even as it portrays laughter in the dark. Early on, Lewis remarks, "Consistency is the death of good acting," a sentiment that underpins the book's playful exploration of identity and work. Published by Hamish Hamilton at £16.99, As If continues Waidner's tradition of blending surrealism with sharp social commentary.
