THE CARDIFF GIANT (THE ENIGMA QUARTET)

A TV reporter tries to track down one of America’s greatest hoaxes in this comic novel.

Cooperstown, New York, 2003. The Cardiff Giant has been a local oddity of upstate New York ever since it was unearthed from a farmer’s field in 1869. Though the 10-foot-tall petrified man was quickly discovered to be a hoax, it remains a popular attraction at Cooperstown’s Farmers’ Museum—at least until it mysteriously vanishes. As part of his new position as a reporter for the Discovery Channel, Jack Thrasher is sent to investigate the disappearance, and he’s making a point to leave his skepticism at the door. “Enlightenment was bad for ratings,” explains Jack. “Let the ordinariness of life give way to the extraordinary, the marvelous—the paranormal!” In that spirit, he’s dutifully recording all the out-there theories of the locals, even when they propose that the giant came back to life or was abducted by aliens. But as Jack settles into the village, he soon begins to realize that the giant is hardly the weirdest thing about Cooperstown, a place replete with cabalists, astrologers, devotees of plant spirit medicine, and even a ravioli bearing an incredible resemblance to Mel Gibson. Can Jack get to the bottom of this disappearance without diving headfirst into the realm of the absurd? Lockridge’s prose is humorous and rich with detail, particularly regarding the history of the town and its oddities. At one point, Jack relates: “I got locked into the Baseball Hall of Fame after hours. I’d fallen asleep in the men’s room at closing. I was so battered, poisoned, and bitten since arriving in Cooperstown—and pumped so full of antibiotics, emetics, valium, and anti-inflammatories—that I wasn’t steady on my feet and was prone to narcosis.” The text is accompanied by stylish, black-and-white illustrations by Scanlon (who also provides the striking cover art). The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace, and there is a lot more banter than there are dramatic incidents or moments of high tension. The author is ultimately most interested in investigating the strange beliefs that animate people. Those who are similarly curious will find much to enjoy here.

An engaging, chatty, and meandering tale about the ways people make sense of the world.