A raucous, if at times difficult, literary concoction in a bizarre world of radicals.
From debut author Parks comes a disjointed novel about a man named Walter and his paranoid adventures in Seattle.
When readers first meet Walter, he rummages through his mail, finding mostly junk that includes an offer for a magical Soviet Elixir and a chain letter promising a large sum of money. After a letter containing a quote from Nostradamus convinces Walter that he is “being stalked like a little rabbit,” he decides to flee. And what better destination than a “bunker of a building graced under the banner name of the New Museum of Indecision and Hysteria and the We B Art Gallery”? There, he meets Mac, a man who can discuss the Baader-Meinhof gang, quote Gen. George Patton, make quick work of a punching bag, and cool himself off with a beer after the effort. Casting his lot with Mac, Walter finds himself involved in the Seattle underworld, complete with drugs—“It’s all about the democratization of cocaine, don’t you see?” Mac says—weapons, and an assortment of left-wing ideas: “the power of the workers is not rooted in organization, but in disruption,” one character comments. As increasingly strange characters and events are added to this simmering pot of madness, how it will all end is anyone’s guess, particularly in later chapters when the World Trade Organization sets upon Seattle. As thoroughly wacky as this Pynchon-esque plot may seem, nestled among a quote from “John Hinkley” (sic) and a crude illustration of an art gallery is a reasonably discernable, consistently wild story about Walter and his quest. This is by no means a light read: while not untraceable, the narrative adeptly challenges readers with an assortment of historical references and twists, and certain portions may require rereading to ascertain just what exactly is going on.
A raucous, if at times difficult, literary concoction in a bizarre world of radicals.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-9975163-0-2
Page Count: 158
Publisher: Brave Dog/Dead Dog Artworks
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is the sort of book that stirs one so deeply that it is almost impossible to attempt to convey the impression it leaves. It is the story of today's Exodus, of America's great trek, as the hordes of dispossessed tenant farmers from the dust bowl turn their hopes to the promised land of California's fertile valleys. The story of one family, with the "hangers-on" that the great heart of extreme poverty sometimes collects, but in that story is symbolized the saga of a movement in which society is before the bar. What an indictment of a system — what an indictment of want and poverty in the land of plenty! There is flash after flash of unforgettable pictures, sharply etched with that restraint and power of pen that singles Steinbeck out from all his contemporaries. There is anger here, but it is a deep and disciplined passion, of a man who speaks out of the mind and heart of his knowledge of a people. One feels in reading that so they must think and feel and speak and live. It is an unresolved picture, a record of history still in the making. Not a book for casual reading. Not a book for unregenerate conservative. But a book for everyone whose social conscience is astir — or who is willing to face facts about a segment of American life which is and which must be recognized. Steinbeck is coming into his own. A new and full length novel from his pen is news. Publishers backing with advertising, promotion aids, posters, etc. Sure to be one of the big books of the Spring. First edition limited to half of advance as of March 1st. One half of dealer's orders to be filled with firsts.
Pub Date: April 14, 1939
ISBN: 0143039431
Page Count: 532
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1939
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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