The Many Revenges of Kip Flynn

by Sean Dixon

It all started with a black rose and a rich young man. And a house with a creek running through it. And then there she was, Kip Flynn, standing beside her boyfriend's dead body and agreeing to take a large sum of money from the young man's father to keep quiet. As if she could have done anything else, being so scared and grief-stricken and maybe pregnant. But that's not the end of it. You see, there's some kind of connection between Kip and this rich developer's son that keeps them tight in one another's orbit. So when Kip awakens from her grief, intent on revenge, they find themselves pursuing one another with a ferocity they can barely understand, one that spirals outward, with subway accidents and arson and drainpipes and backhoe wars, to envelop roommates, two guilty fathers, a window-cleaner or two, landlords, family secrets, a Vietnamese gangster, a stand-up bass player and an activist tour guide. And concluding in the subterranean heart of Toronto itself, which, like Kip, is torn between vengefulness and growth. Sean Dixon is a novelist, playwright, and banjo player. He's the author of the novel The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal ; two novels for young readers, The Feathered Cloak and The Winter Drey ; and several plays, including those collected in Three Plays for Theatre SKAM .

Genres: Fiction, Canada

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

SEAN DIXON is the author, most recently, of The Abduction of Seven Forgers (plus one falsely accused), which was recently described by Quill and Quire as a "hilarious yarn with a meditation on the meaning(s) of art and life" and a "genuinely excellent read."

Reviews

[Kristine Morris]

This book was a lot of fun. For a girl who came of age exploring the streets of Toronto by foot and who has spent the last 10 years teaching herself about its architecture, this book was written for me. The book is infused with architectural and historical references. The author describes architecture as bodies and bodies (the characters) as architecture. And then there are the ghosts. The story itself deals with the controversial impact of developers, the inevitable gentrification of neighbourhoods, or more positively, the ability of Toronto neighbourhoods to reinvent themselves time and again.

[Pooker]

Ah, now I think it a delightful coincidence that I've been reading this book at the same time as I've been reading this year's Canada Reads contenders. If it weren't for Canada Reads, I might not have come across Sean Dixon and his books.

Come to think of it, if it weren't for Canada Reads and Sean Dixon and Angie Abdou and a host of other wonderful Canadian authors, I would not have succumbed to the evil but glorious world of Twitter. But that's a whole n'other story.

It was October or November, 2010. Canada Reads was, for the first time, inviting public input on the books that would ultimately be that year's contenders. From that input came a selection of the top 40 books that Canadians should read. I vowed that I would read all 40. Not hard for a person who reads almost entirely Canadian fiction and, indeed, I'd already read about half of them. But even as I write this, I'm missing two from that original 40: Leo McKay Jr's Twenty-Six and Sean Dixon's The Girls Who Saw Everything. The fact that I haven't managed to get my hands on those two books is not entirely my fault. That Chapters kept me like the proverbial puppet on a string for three whole months with their promises is yet another story. The bottom line is, that having been thwarted in my attempts to obtain The Girls Who Saw Everything, I became even more determined to read something by Sean Dixon. I simply had to read something by the person who, on Twitter, taught Angie Abdou how to do a handstand. Anything.

Hence, The Many Revenges of Kip Flynn. As an aside, I've had a copy of the short story anthology, Toronto Noir, on my bookshelf for some time now and if I had even glanced at the contents page, Kip Flynn and I might never have made our acquaintance. But, that will have to be a story for another day. I haven't yet cracked open Toronto Noir.





---to be continued---

[Leanne B]

Very unique and intriguing read. I enjoy a good meta-narrative and appreciated the historiography. Also quite liked the way it used Toronto as a device - certainly recommended reading for Torontonians.

I wasn't in love the the last quarter of the story, particularly the ending, but overall it's a quick, enjoyable read. I actually envision this making a great graphic novel or series.

Wish I could continue reading about Kip - very cool character who I'd love see further explored.

[Chantale]

A literary thrill ride. Replete with 'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' butt kicking heroines, Kip and Nancy. They battle the modern architecture of J. Cyrus York and his son in order to maintain historical Toronto architecture. A very loose comparison to Ann Rand's The Fountainhead could be made. Vivid descriptions leave your mind full of dreamlike images.

[Leah Bobet]

I don't know how this reads if you aren't familiar with a little bit of Toronto literature, local politics and planning, psychogeography, Kensington Market, and a couple hundred myriad other things that just edge into the picture enough to make me smile?

But if you are, it's like a love song. It is a love song.

[John]

A lovely homage to Toronto, and a fabulous read, with a wonderfully unpredictable plot.