Review of The Seventh Perfection by Daniel Polansky

For the past decade, I have been reading dozens upon dozens upon dozens of books per year, mostly speculative fiction, and always for better and worse. Literally it has been more than a thousand books, and likely a couple thousand short stories from the past century of the more 'imaginative' side of fiction. Yet I can still be surprised. Enter Daniel Polansky's 2020 novella The Seventh Perfection.

I typically jump to a plot overview for the second paragraph of a review, but I think in the case of The Seventh Perfection, it's best to start with what makesit unique. The novella is written in the second person... wait for it... without using the word 'you'. For anyone who has played video games, the second person is ubiquitous. “You try to open the box, but no matter how hard you try...” or “You run to see what is wrong, stopping to look at your...” are typical examples. To get around using 'you' and 'your' yet remain in the second person, Polansky chooses to essentially eliminate setting and action and focus on monologue. Yes, monologue.

Each chapter in The Seventh Perfection is an encounter with a character in which you, the main character Manet, are a being addressed. The entire chapter a unilateral communication from said character, the story is gleaned from their speech. And it's an interesting story—or perhaps more puzzle?

One of the few people trained in the seven perfections of the God King, Manet has a perfect memory. But it's not enough to answer a burning question: who is the woman portrayed in the locket gifted her by the God King? Going to various people in the city who may know, and making the most extreme sacrifices along the way to get the info she needs, it seems there are people who do not want her knowing the answer.

Something Freudian at its core, The Seventh Perfection eschews the typical trappings of fantasy plotting. A search for someone, and ultimately identity, the novella's journey takes the reader to the doorsteps of interesting people, all of whom must be deciphered and understood. Hence the advantage to unilateral communication. To spoil the conclusion is to spoil Manet's story, but suffice at saying the conclusion contains conflict, but its not of the typical swords and spells variety. Given the novella's mode, it becomes all the more personal for it.

For anyone picking up The Seventh Perfection, Polansky's usage of the second person is the learning curve needing to be climbed in order for interest and enjoyment to settle in. So trained are our brains to have narrators, omniscient or otherwise, telling us what is happening that having to sift through the words of loquacious witches, alchemists, merchants, and the like takes getting used to. For those able to adjust their mental perspective and understand how information is being passed on to the reader, the novella is a real treat. Helping readers along is Polanksy's way with words. On many occasions a clever turn of phrase or inherent colloquialism spurs the narrative forward. Some of the character voices do blend together, but by and large it's a colorful journey.

Recommending The Seventh Perfection is thus easy. If you're looking for something far, far off the beaten path in terms of perspective and style, Polansky's novella delivers. Wholly complementing story, the puzzle you/Manet are trying to solve becomes all the more personal for it, the conclusion powerful. It did not gain universal acclaim for clear reasons (i.e. lazy readers give up fast, I'm sure), but for readers with patience and open-minded approach to different types of storytelling, this could be a treat.