Whole
new ballgame
Steve
Toltz’s first novel leaves the reader both exhilarated and
bewildered at the same time.
Huge in both size and ideas it’s as if the
author has been desperate to get every thought he ever had, published
as quickly as possible in the one book. I hope that’s not
the case as it seems that Mr.Toltz is a clever writer and a gifted
story-teller and I suspect that future work will more accurately
reflect his true ability.
A father and son story, told as both a monologue
and a narrative and moving between each man’s perspective;
the pace is quick and the one liners are rapid.
Martin Dean is a brilliant eccentric who, having
been raised himself by deranged parents in a ‘prison town’
goes on to raise his own son in the most unorthodox ways. Affected
by the legacy of his famous outlaw brother Martin stumbles through
life emotionally crippled, yet consumed with love, for his son
and for the society that he despises.
Jasper Dean spends his whole life resisting and
denying his father yet ultimately accepts that they are cut from
the same cloth. Their antics and adventurers take them from strip
clubs, mental institutes, the jungles of Thailand and the bars
of Paris accompanied by the most colourful cast I can recall for
some time. Both raging Philosophers, their dysfunctional lifestyle
makes The Simpsons look like the Waltons.
Almost no topic is left unscathed – love,
suicide, birth, death, sex, small town politics, crime, betrayal,
jealousy, espionage, arson, abject poverty and corporate greed
and all expressed in a style that is both wildly entertaining,
captivating and probably self-indulgent.
Each page is riddled with profound, often hilarious
statements – “I was infected by Dad’s mistrust
of everything, including his own thoughts”, “I pray
the baby won’t be premature – undercooked people are
trouble”, “Odour of Pairs in my mouth – mint
with a chewy centre” – in fact there are so many I
found myself re-reading page after page; not an easy task when
the book already runs to over 700 pages. Oh, and the editing is
pretty patchy. Was the editor in a hurry too?
All in all I enjoyed this book. It’s too
long, and is probably too complicated for most people but there
is no denying the author is a talent to watch and it is an honest
book, if nothing else. This style of multi-layered writing is
difficult to find these days but makes for a meaty, satisfying
meal that leaves you strangely looking forward to more.
Sandra
Papas
