Review - Lord of Misrule

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The novel sits on the cracked counter of a Veloce chain coffee shop, crease-weary, and smelling of seven-year-old pages. The yellowing hadn't started, but that would come soon enough. One more coffee spill on her front page might make her a used up, spoiled thing, but she ain't no spoiled thing, and I be careful where I put my coffee. She's still got three or four good reads in her, yet. In older days, she would be read up 20 to 30 times before people lose interest. Then she'd sit on the shelf of some person, a trophy like.

The book young enough still to run a good literary race, but not so young to be on some hip millennial's reading list. Hip millennials ain't what you find around Book Off anyhow -- that the used bookstore's name. The millennials somewhere else. Coins come to them as gifts from heaven, not as something sacred to hold in your palm -- so sacred, make you want to wait for the right opportunity to use them. Like water in a desert, if cliches be okay for this book review.

Old horses and lost souls are the stuff of its word play. The book that is. Enough to get you in and then you find that there is more going on. Gangsters for those who are inclined. You can borrow some money. You can ride some money on a book, even this one. Down on her luck. Was 1800 yen in her day. Now, took her for 108 yen. That's Japanese money. I wonder if some old man named Natsume done had her first. I don't think I done had her last. There will be another owner, someone to ride a cool 100 yen on her. She be used, but not used up. No sir.



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