Llew's Reviews

Recently, I was speaking to a fellow about our favorite indie bookstores and he mentioned one in Sebastopol, California. I’ve never heard of Sebastopol, and I can’t pronounce it so I just call it “Cess Pool”. Unfortunately, that’s where the fellow is from so I’d then start subsquent conversations up with a “So back in CessPool was there…”
He has since stopped talking to me.

Which is a shame because Sebastopol (which I still don’t know how to pronounce correctly) is mentioned approximately one gazillion times in this novel. Of course, as it was about the Australian outlaw and head of the Kelly Gang, Ned Kelly, it was Sebastopol Australia not California.

So, yeah it’s a book told from the point of view of Ned Kelly about his life and pursuits. It’s not my type of book at all but it was the first one I plucked from Ben’s friends bookshelves. He was working on computers there, and I was bored while waiting for him. With such a fast paced narrative style, and being short as it is you basically fly through at breakneck speed much like I was hoping Ben would do. I know they talk about wanting a man with a slow hand but FOR THE LOVE OF PETE it took FOUR HOURS already!

Oh, yeah, the book was OK.

I must have read a review on this title, because I had special ordered it. However, when it came in I couldn’t recall the why or wherefore. I started reading it, and was like OH! I love this kind of book – it must have a murder twist like Secret History or The Basic Eight. I didn’t want to ruin whatever the edge was so I refused to even read the back cover or the dust jacket flap. I just scooted to the edge of my seat and focused on the book.

The first half was enthralling. A great set up with character development so intense I felt part of the main character. Not a skeevy part like a soiled sock as I would in a boy teen novel, but a nice part like a swatch with one of those little protectors on it so the face doesn’t get scratched up.

Maybe it would have been different if I hadn’t been so sure there would be some grizzly fantastic twist. As it was though, the second half was flat.

There was no murdering of the obnoxious broke preppy boy who tortured the incest twins.
There was no bludgeoning with a croquet mallet and a sharp tongue.
There was NO NOTHING.

The horrible situation the main character had to get out of was one of embarassment in front of her compatriots, but it happened one week before she graduated. NOTHING. The only violence at all was the force with which I threw the book upon finishing it.

February usually takes my family’s lives by the ankles and shakes it heartily while cackling. When this February left us unscathed I did a little happy dance, and felt very much relieved.

It was a premature happy dance.

March left two of my siblings in the hospital, and the madness begun. Then, there was tax season and all sorts of other major distractions. Although I’ve been reading, I haven’t been the best about blogging summaries on here. I will begin again on here and I apologize for my absence.

When I come back, it shall be with a vengenace. Seriously, I’m reading a Japanese novel now where the panamour’s lips are described as a circle of leeches. It doesn’t get any more lyrical and beautiful than that, my friends.