An outlandish tale of self-identity that ably ridicules modern life and its conventions.
In Latour’s satire, a tech-hating man in the modern world reflects on his past transgressions.
Charles Rochambeau feels he was “born into the wrong century.” He abhors social media and smartphones and is steadfastly apolitical. He’s perfectly suited to his job as a majordomo for wealthy Madame Beatrice Wolcott’s estate in New York state. More specifically, he’s the Bargain Shopper—a “Certified Professional Shopper” who scores massive savings for Beatrice at physical stores, never making purchases online. Charles’ narration also contains his “confessions.” Although he’s the descendent of a celebrated French military figure, his privileged youth ultimately hit a few snags. His father’s bad investments, for starters, forced him to drop out of the Taft School in Connecticut. As a “teenager with nowhere to go,” Charles found himself entangled with a mobster type who roped him into making regular cocaine drop-offs. What the young man aimed for, however, was realizing the American dream, and he believed that his next inevitable step was pursuing higher education. Since he was a high school dropout, Charles finagled his way into college without having to officially register. Of course, as Charles later learned between bouts of tracking down deals in stores, Beatrice and her family members have their share of alarming secrets as well. And just because he has steady employment and a trustworthy boss doesn’t mean his life has gotten any easier. As a self-appointed “Soldier of Truth,” the confessions in these pages are meant to be some form of redemption, but digging into the past may instead drive Charles to a truth he won’t willingly accept.
Latour’s story, at times, comes across as a random series of misadventures without a cohesive plot to connect them. In addition, some major developments hardly affect Charles—most notably Covid-19 restrictions cutting off access to his in-store bargain shopping; Beatrice simply asks him if he wants to be laid off, which he declines. However, Charles’ intellectual storytelling brims with quotes from such figures as Oscar Wilde and W.B. Yeats, coupled with hearty cynicism and unabashedly lowbrow humor. Intriguingly, Charles avoids leaning one particular way on most issues; for example, he takes an “agnostic stance” on religion and also commends aspects of Christianity, and he scoffs at Covid-19 restrictions as well as people who don’t take the pandemic seriously. Although Charles is definitely not a very likable guy, he will sometimes earn readers’ sympathy, especially regarding his relationship with Beatrice; he unquestionably cares for her well-being and is therefore wary of her closeness to a married friend. The story delivers comical asides throughout, from a store canceling Charles’ credit card after deeming him an “unprofitable customer” to his business ideas, such as a grilled-cheese–themed restaurant franchise and an unorthodox Covid-19 test. The final act takes a surprising and genuinely intriguing turn as revelations come to light. It’s the type of ending that may lead readers to reexamine what they’ve just read and better accept the book’s occasional disjointedness.
An outlandish tale of self-identity that ably ridicules modern life and its conventions.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781736534700
Page Count: 204
Publisher: Bridlegoose Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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