Remembering Being There

The book and movie by Jerzy Kosinski 

Patti Pietschmann

I read this epic, satirical, somewhat sad and very prescient,  novel when it first came out and loved it. I was a huge Jerzy Kosinski fan to start. Last night we watched the movie that was made in 1979 with Peter Sellers as Chance and it was as good as the book but with a more unique ending. Chance is a simple man who relates everything to gardening and TV. Well dressed and bred but dimly lit, he is evicted from the home of a well heeled man who dies and must fend for himself, which is does by chance. People, very smart and successful ones, even a president, misunderstand him and conclude that he must be on to something. You must read it or get the movie (which was on TV recently). I am actually going to read the book again. When you do, think Donald Trump.

Being There is a satirical novel by the Polish-born writer Jerzy Kosinski, first published in 1970. Set in America, the story concerns Chance, a simple gardener who unwittingly becomes a much sought-after ...Wikipedia

Originally published: 1970

Author: Jerzy Kosiński

Page count: 141

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Harcourt

Adaptations: Being There (1979)