Doomsday

The Albertine Notes invokes many of the common themes of apocalyptic thought. In many ways, I am reminded of “Twelve Monkeys.” Both the novella and the movie have a cyclical nature. In “Twelve Monkeys,” Bruce Willis relives his memory of seeing a man being shot in an airport only to find that he has witnessed his own death. In Albertine Notes, Kevin Lee is obsessed with Serena, a girl he loved who was dating another man. Eventually, he finds out that his mother, the microbiologist, gave him a drug, which he gave to Serena who gave it to her boyfriend, Irving, who became Addict Number One of the Albertine drug. It involves a twisted cycle of growing awareness, realization and remembering the truth. The epidemic ravaged Earth’s population in “Twelve Monkeys” while Albertine is referred to as an epidemic. Both Bruce Willis and Kevin Lee go back in time to try to prevent the catastrophe. Finally, both Bruce Willis and Kevin Lee will die in the attempt.

There is a haunting quality in Rick Moody’s post-apocalyptic world, in which we see just enough of ourselves to be convinced of its possible existence. The uranium bomb used by Cortez or some other man reflects the increasing public awareness of the nuclear arms race and the potential for destruction that so many countries now possess. The proliferation of drugs everywhere mimics the reliance on Albertine in Kevin’s world. (In my middle school, we all knew who the resident drug dealer was, and mind you, I went to one of the higher rated public schools in the city.) Finally, Moody touched on an interesting point when he chose memory to focus on. Everyone wants to relive moments in her own life, snippets of time and experience which would bore anyone else to tears. In that sense, Albertine increases urban isolation, further cementing the idea that we are alone, especially in an urban dystopia.