Ah. Interesting. A strangely compelling blend of western and science fiction. At first, it’s one of those classic stranger-with-no-name and a gun--comes-to-town situations. But then the town is outer space and a remote one at that, not used to strangers, so that’s already different. Or maybe not. Frontier is frontier be it wild wild west or space, the final…
Anyway, the stranger is on then mission to get back to the love of her life, left behind…somewhere. The stranger needs communication devie to send a message but the two’s tech leaves a lot to be desired. And then, the stranger gets embroiled in the local goings on which is a mess, because of course it is. And then, the narrative rotates and rotates like a spaceship in a screwed up gravity field and the narrative flips around from person to person and that’s a different kind of mess too. Disclaimer: to be fair, I read this novel on a very, very sleepy day, so some of the plot confusion might have been of my own making/perception. Be that as it may, the novel read kind of all over the place, but it was so well written, so interesting, with such engaging characters, that you kind of end up going along for the ride and enjoying it. Solid world building too. So yeah, fun was had. Thanks Netgalley
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Some of the best books out there originate from the wildest yet not entirely implausible or at least somewhat fact-based What If premises. What IF Edison really did invent a phone to communicate with the dead? Well, then, perhaps it would be up to one of the greatest inventors of the time and one of the greatest mages of the time to investigate the possibility. Between the two of them, they got magick and science on their side. They’ll astral project, evoke demon familiars, and have all sorts of adventures along the way making for a charmingly entertaining read. Through teleportation and conventional forms of travel, they’ll go wherever it takes to make sure the dead don’t talk back to much. Because you know how it is, once you give someone your phone number…
This is one of those debut novels that went firmly with maximalism and it’s easy to appreciate it, although it does get quite busy. The author throws in so many elements into this literary soup (real life historical figures and events, occult notions, wild speculations, etc.) that it, at times, turns into a stew, but overall, it’s got plenty of flavor and seasonings to delight. Ok, end of the culinary metaphor. But basically, if you follow the plot, confusing and convoluted as it gets at times, it’s pretty fun. A pretty fun tale of historical speculative fiction. Thanks Netgalley. Whatever happened to poetry? Of all the literary genres and styles out there, it had to have had the worst evolutionary trajectory. Somehow it devolved from a thing of beauty and elegance, a precise lovely rhyming arrangement of grand sentiments and purpose to meowling, navel-gazing, self-involved stream of consciousness mess.
It went from sweeping to weeping and not even interestingly weeping at that. More like whining. And whatever happened to rhyme? Nowadays, the poets barely utilize rhythm. In fact, a modern rap song is closer to a poetry ideal of yesteryear than whatever passes for modern poetry. It’s no longer macro, it’s all micro. A list of complaints about societal wrongs, usually the ones specifically pertaining to the poet themselves, in race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. And you can almost forget about how good poetry used to be from reading all this modern crap as I had been, but then you read a collection like this, pure classics, the way poetry had always been intended, to move, delight, AND wow…and you remember. Rousing isn’t an adjective applicable to modern poetry. It doesn’t even seem to aspire to that. So, the editor of this compilation had to go back in time to when poetry was grand. The result is…well, grand, Poems to buoy the spirit, to inspire, to lift up. Absolutely lovely. The sort of thing you can go back to over and over again. Poetry, the way it was meant to be. A very enjoyable read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley. A lavish work of historical fiction that is as exciting and engaging as it is olfactory stimulating, The Perfume Thief is a book that ought to have come with its own scent cards.
(There is actually a movie in the novel that utilized that technique – during the appropriate scenes the viewers were guided by numbers to smell a specific smell from the card. Smell-o-vision at work.) The Perfume Thief is a (smell-o-) vision of gay Paree in a most literal if ways. It features a queer septuagenarian protagonist and a motley crew of her associates navigating the treacherous waters of a city freshly invaded by the Nazis. It’s a place awash is decadence and danger, but those who have chosen it for themselves as a city to love and belong to refuse to leave it. Clementine is among them. A reformed once-famous thief, she is now a well-known perfumer; her impeccably tailored suits and sizzling confidence hiding a woman scarred by a long-ago love affair. Alas, in Paris she is among friends. A terrific cast of queer and otherwise artists, performers, and misfits. When she chooses to help one of them, there is some selfishness there too – she is to find a lost journal of a famous perfumer who once stole her recipe. Now, his daughter is desperate; she is Jewish and a lover of a Nazi officer, a terrifying combination, So Clementine does her best spy impersonation and gets involved on friendly and professional basis with another Nazi. Intrigue ensues. And if the intrigue doesn’t do it for you, there is still so much to love here. The author does a splendid job of bringing a place to life and using it as a character of its own. There is a magnificent wealth and vividness of detail; the atmosphere is completely immersive. And the characters are charming, memorable, and interesting too. Clementine, whose age is confusing and if going strictly by the book seems like 80 but is stated as 72 in the official description, doesn’t really seem like her years, whatever they are. She’s almost difficult to buy as a senior citizen in actions, mentality, etc. But she is a fascinating and compelling protagonist and if this was a movie, Glenn Close would probably nail it. Overall, an exceptional armchair trip in time and place. A terrific read. Recommended. I’m such a fan of Malfi that I read his books without checking descriptions or word count. And that’s huge for me.
Malfi is just that good at literary frights and this book is no exception. In fact, it’s one of his best yet. We, the readers, know that book have power. They can transport, enlighten, change minds, etc. But that’s looking at the bright side of things…what about the obverse? What about the dark powers books might have? That’s the essential premise here but what Malfi does with it is a thing of beauty. In one story after another he terrifies the readers with inked nightmares, alternate dimensions, and all the frightening things written between the lines. Each story is original, unique, wildly imaginative and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Malfi is really on top of his game here. Whatever darkness speaks to him must be saying all the right things. I can’t possibly pick a favorite either – there are so many fascinating concepts here with the underlying idea that books are alive (and dangerous) in profoundly terrifying ways. This book is safe, though. Surely. Go ahead and pick it up. You won’t want to put it down. Great read. Yes, I said it. Great. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley. |
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December 2023
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