EXPRESSION

An aspiring writer embarks on a peculiar adventure in Siwicki’s debut novel.

John Bird Ray has an established career as a photographer, but he’s looking to write a novel, and he travels from Mississippi to Chicago for material. There, John meets many people, including a man named Nick Zinty who claims to be a detective. At a street fair, he buys a painting of a cat, and to celebrate the purchase he drinks some strange-tasting tea with the artist. Things take a turn when a woman named Samantha tells John that she thinks she is being followed; her pursuer is none other than Zinty. Developments only get stranger as John meets more strangers and takes the time to scribble down his many philosophical thoughts and observations: “What secrets does space hide? When will they be uncovered? Do groups with members from around the world get together and discuss these issues. Maybe they know something we don’t? Are they superhuman?” In Siwicki’s highly episodic account, John’s actions lead him to such events as a pleasant meal at a local restaurant, a night in jail, and a science-fiction-like “battle for minds, and a war for souls” involving “bubble infusions” and knock-out darts. Seemingly anything can happen in this city and its surroundings, but is any of it real? Overall, the narrative goes to many lively places, and once the story gets rolling there’s no telling what John will do next, as he seems to be open to just about anything life throws at him. However, his odyssey is slowed by extraneous dialogue; for instance, as John meets a lot of people, he introduces himself over and over again. Nevertheless, the author is successful at maintaining readers’ curiosity, and as John moves from place to place, it remains an open question how his story will end.

An unpredictable fictional journey through an engrossing urban landscape.