Now here is a work that leaves you wondering "what was that about?" -
but in a good way I think. It's like an episode of The Wire in that you
get to the end and think "what actually happened?" seems like not a lot
but I was sucked in nonetheless.
It plays out like a series of
episodes marking the defining moments in Lew Griffin's career as a
Private Eye. Each miniature story has its own arc and momentum whilst
contributing collectively to a very real portrait of a man whose life
seems to be slipping by.
James Sallis' debut work is a severely
self-deprecating piece of literature and you get the real vibe that the
struggle of life has got hold of both author and protagonist and both
have responded with a "If I'm going down..." kind of answer: criticising
and undermining the very genre they enjoy. It casts off many of the
cliches that make the PI genre so comforting and sometimes monotonous.
"Maybe
the best parts of our lives are always over. Maybe happiness,
contentment, are things we only recollect through the filters of time,
elusive ghosts forever behind us."
A very, very accomplished
debut novel with wonderful literary qualities, deep and meaningful
characters and an existential note that passes a lot of Sallis' cohorts
by.
Now to purchase the rest of his catalogue....
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