Man of Feeling

Man of Feeling poses some interesting challenges to the reader. Harley appears at first to be a breath of fresh air. He is a feeling and sensitive hero, almost out of place in the world. The conceit of the found pages is intriguing, and I found myself wondering where this twist of ‘feeling hero’ would take us. The journey to London begins well enough with interesting encounters and characters, but then becomes increasingly fractured as a story. As each new happening becomes an occasion for Harley to be misused, I began to wonder if Mackenzie is asking us to decide if a moral life is possible in modern life? Is being sentimental and generous to the degree Harley has chosen a realistic goal for the working class, or an indulgence of the upper class? Ultimately, I was left feeling empty. While I am usually a sap, there was a sense of being compelled to feel that actually sucked the emotions right out of me. But in terms of the final result, if Mackenzie is asking the reader to question the definition or efficacy of a life of feeling, he is successful.