Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle.

I have described this novel to friends as simply odd and somewhat difficult to describe. It follows Sean Phillips, the creator of Trace Italian, a mail-based, turn-by-turn, mail in strategy game. Trace Italian was created as Sean lay in a hospital, recovering from a disfiguring wound. He created this massive, post-apocalyptic world to help cope with the pain during his recuperation and now makes a living from it and other, similar games. As we learn more about Sean and his impressive and well-conceived game, we also learn of a young couple that became obsessed with the game. As they tried to live the game in real life, one of them dies and Sean must navigate both their obsessions and his own.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected, digital, and intertwined, it is fascinating to read of a character that is incredibly isolated and whose primary social interaction is through a text-base, mail-in, role playing game. Wolf in White Van is thought provoking exploration of a character that is defined by his isolation and his obsessions. Darnielle’s excellent job of pacing, careful revelations, and ambiguity are an interesting juxtaposition of the straightforward style. Wolf in White Van is an odd, dark look at nerdom, and some elements will not be to everyone’s taste. However, the writing and treatment of Sean Phillips makes this a worthwhile and remarkable read. 

As a side note, this cover is simply brilliant, both in its own right and how it ties into the novel itself. 

So Much for That

A lot of authors rely on current events to create the plot and drama in a novel.  Lionel Shriver is such an author, and often writes about events that you could read about in the daily news.  However, unlike many of her contemporaries, Shriver's writing never has a "ripped from the headlines" quality to it.  She consistently creates complex characters who some of the most well-developed I have ever read.  Reading a Lionel Shriver book, you can sense that she absolutely knows every one of her characters's thoughts, influences, and desires.  Her latest book, So Much for That, doesn't disappoint. 

In So Much for That, Shriver considers the health care system and the worth of human life through the medical conditions of four people in handyman Shep Knacker's life.  When his wife is diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure, Shep's lifelong plans to escape to a tropical island and live like a king off his savings are cancelled.  Again.  Shep struggles to understand the impact his wife's illness has on his future, even while he comes to term with the idea that his wife likely doesn't have a future to consider. 

Glynnis, Shep's wife, is a classic Shriver character.  Far from the quietly, peacefully, suffering wife who tries to bring everyone together with a sense of grace that we're often presented in fictionalized accounts of terminal illness, Glynnis remains hard, sharp, and ungracious to those around her.  She's not always likeable, but she always feels real.   The characters wind their way through heavy, heated discussions about health care, taxes, being used, the cost of life, and the value of life, and still come to a conclusion that leaves a feeling of freedom.

A donkey, a howler monkey, a taxidermist, and an author

Several years ago, a friend ordered me to read The Life of Pi, recipient of the 2002 Man Booker Prize.  Obediently, I did, and was, at turns, amused, confused, pensive, shocked, and horrified while reading the book.  I was thoroughly impressed with author Yann Martel's writing, so when another friend recently alerted me to the release of Beatrice and Virgil, Martel's new book, I immediately reserved a copy.

Brevity has never been my strong suit, but trying to write a pithy summary of anything Martel writes is even more challenging than usual.  Still, I'll try:  Beatrice and Virgil is about Henry, an author who bears a striking similarity to Martel himself, from the subject and style of his last book to son of the character having the same name as Martel's son.  Henry meets a reclusive taxidermist, who has written a play about a donkey (Beatrice) and a howler monkey (Virgil) named after the guides to heaven and hell, respectively, in Dante's Inferno.  Henry finds himself fascinated both by the taxidermist and his play, even when everyone around him, including and especially his wife, is terrified of the the man. 

At times, the book pulled me in simply through the lines of the play (although Beatrice and Virgil often sounded -- unintentionally, no doubt -- like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but what can you expect from a donkey and a monkey?).  I didn't find it as compelling as The Life of Pi, nor was its conclusion as shocking or thought-provoking as the earlier book.  Unfortunately, it read, to me, as if the author was slyly winking at his audience through much of the book with an implied, "Did you catch it?  Pretty clever, huh?"  It's worth reading for fans of Martel, but if you're looking to an introduction to his writing, stick with The Life of Pi.

In need of a laugh?

Sometime last week, I hit my breaking point.  Occasionally, I get so immersed in the books I'm reading that it takes me a while to realize the impact it has on my mood.  Apparently (according to certain members of my household who shall remain nameless) reading a slew of bleak, melancholy, somewhat depressing books can make me a bit moody.  (Incidentally, if you happen to check out Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter do not believe the hype on the back when a reviewer claims you'll laugh out loud.  Aside from characters that are hard to connect with, a story about a tortured first love in the midst of both murder and the accidental death of a sibling isn't really, you know...funny.  Also, Happy Now?, a really good book about a woman coming to terms with her husband's Valentine's Day suicide, while classified as "humorous fiction" wasn't really so much of a laugh riot, either.  Just FYI.)

So, in my own personal time-honored tradition of pulling out of a funk, I've turned in the past week to books on the lighter side.  I started with Love: A User's Guide, a very (very) fluffy bit of chick lit about a fashion assistant at Vogue who is romantically involved with an up-and-coming movie star.  Still, it wasn't quite substantive enough to pull me out of my funk, so I turned to a new release, The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather.  Like author Alexandra Potter's last book, Me and Mr. Darcy, The Two Lives... was a well-written story with interesting, well-developed characters, told with humor and insight.  I really enjoyed it, but, still, it wasn't quite what I needed.

What finally worked for me?  Well, it was, believe it or not, a non-fiction book.  About science.  And animals.  These are usually not subjects that inspire me to read, let alone laugh.  However, when a fellow staff member pointed out a book title, Fish that Fake Orgasms: and other zoological curiousities, the title alone made me laugh, so I knew I had to give it a try.  Because of this book, not only did I break out of my literary funk, I have also gathered a bevy of new nuggets to start (or end) conversation at my next dinner party.  Want to know how geckos behave in zero-gravity? Or which animal has a heart that glows green?  Check it out...you'll get a laugh and become smarter in one fell swoop.

3rd Annual Black Quill Awards

Dark Scribe Magazine is a free, web-based publication that focuses on all aspects of dark genre literature.  This includes horror, suspense, thrillers, dark fiction and non-fiction. 

Every year for the past three years they have given out the Black Quill Awards for everything from Dark Genre Novel of the Year to best Cover Art and best Trailer.  There is an editor's choice award and a reader's choice award in each category.

Try one of the following winners and embrace your "dark side".

Dark Place by Gillian Flynn

Drood by Dan Simmons

Poe: 19 New Tales of Suspense, Dark Fantasy, and Horror Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe edited by Ellen Datlow

To get more "dark" reading ideas check out the Good Reads section on the library's website.