The Other Face: Experiencing the Mask edited by Wendy Klein and Brent Robinson

Genre: Psychology/Literature

Date of Publication: January 1, 2003

Memorable Quotation: “The mask’s purpose is not necessarily to hide the individual but to allow a particular aspect of the individual; to be communicated with greater focus and intensity.” (pg. 19, A Humanist Critique of the Mask by Sophie Rogers-Gessert)

Lasting Impression: The concept of the mask is brought to new light in this amazing collection that explains how the mask is not only a physical, but also something that wear psychologically without ever realizing it.

Accessibility: B

Content: A-

Creativity: A+

Layout: B-

Overall Grade: B+

If I have anything negative to say about this book, it is instantly lessened by the sheer fact that this book exists! It has been almost impossible for me to find anything about the mask and it’s history, meanings, and origins but while attending the NY Renaissance Faire a month ago, I was visiting my favorite booth, the Wendy Drolhma mask booth, and found this book.

This collection includes short stories, poetry, essays, and quotes about the physical mask we see at Mardi Gras, the mask that some say can be being a second skin that transforms you into a completely different person, or even a rouge for authenticity. Some of the sections about the mask are analyzations of what the mask means while others do not mention the mask at all, other than the title of the piece, but if you look unto the deeper meaning of the story, the mask does present itself.  For instance, one of my favorite stories was The Mask by Mark Sherman, in which he describes the sensation of putting on a mask and experiencing yourself as a different individual, although you have only put a mask on yourself. 

What confused me most about this collection was the layout.  The stories were not in one section while the poems were in another; everything was scattered around, making it difficult to find a rhythm throughout the book.  There were pictures of masks that seemed to be randomly inserted in places and I didn’t like how disorganized it felt. 

I must say that overall I was pleasantly surprised with this collection because I honestly was not sure what to expect.  The fact that there are so many different viewpoints of the mask is fascinating and even if there were a few things that bothered me, as I said before I am so happy that this book exists and hopefully this review can get the popularity for this book that it deserves.  

~Shelly-Beans