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Blubber Island
When neuroscientist Elis Davidson removed a dream from his mind and captured it inside a receptacle, an inter-dimensional tear opened to cosmic annihilation. A cast of metaphysical entities and urban misfits struggle for control over the dream’s power as reality disintegrates. Blubber Island is a psychedelic adventure into Gutter Surrealism, a dark comedy with philosophical depth and a Splatterpunk surface.
195 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2012
4 people are currently reading
1391 people want to read
About the author
Guillermo Galvan
4 books104 followersGuillermo is a Chicano writer from [ *** ]. He graduated from [ *** ] University with a Bachelor's degree in [ *** ] Theory.
Through subversive writing, his stories focus on characters at the bottom of the social ladder. His signature Gutter Surrealist style portrays the beauty in ugly things, all the while, leaving them ugly.
Instagram @cool_stuffman
Through subversive writing, his stories focus on characters at the bottom of the social ladder. His signature Gutter Surrealist style portrays the beauty in ugly things, all the while, leaving them ugly.
Instagram @cool_stuffman
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 16, 2013
I picked up Blubber Island specifically because of the reviews both on here and on Amazon, and I wound up severely disappointed. At first, it seemed as though the novel was off to a decent start. The pacing was unusual and there definitely was a good amount of violence, but I did not mind either of those elements, and I was very curious about where this story would lead. The author did a good job of catching my interest, and I had a lot of hope for the rest of the novel.
Unfortunately, that interest did not last.
The novel suffers from a very evident lack of a good editor. There are some serious problems with the flow of the narrative. I understand that the author was trying to be unique in his unusual approach to surrealism in literature, but I can't help but feel like his ideas were completely overshadowed by the way he jumped from perspective to perspective within individual chapters — going from one character's point of view in one line, to another's in the following line — and his apparent disinterest in overall narrative flow. Sometimes, characters would be present in one moment and in the next it would seem like the author forgot about them. That was not a plot device, but rather, carelessness that if fixed, could have greatly added to the story, rather than drawing attention away from what the author was trying to achieve.
The second half of the novel suffers the most, and I found that the more I read after the halfway point, the harder it was to maintain any interest in the novel at all. It was as though the author could not bother to take the time to actually work through the second half of his story. It reads as though he rushed through the narrative as quickly as possible. It also suffers from what I would call lazy writing, with statements like, "The punks died laughing," and "The bums sounded like sex-starved, wheezing old geezers starving for a hot piece of ass." The novel is characterized by similarly lazy metaphors and similes that take away from the plot.
The novel is also rife with typos. If I were an author, I would be embarrassed to see instances of the following popping up throughout my published work:
"An man" (Location 137 as per Kindle)
"He then switched to a corner of the room and drool." (Location 487 as per Kindle)
"Power poles were used it as battering rams to bust into liquor stores." (Location 1231 as per Kindle)
I may have given the novel two stars if it had less errors, but the typos coupled with what can honestly just be considered a terribly written novel with some vaguely interesting ideas prevents me from being even a little lenient.
In the end, I was 70% done, and I decided I did not want to finish the book. I was, admittedly, a little interested in how everything would tie together in the end (if it would — my hopes were waning drastically by the time I finally set it down), but I couldn't take it anymore.
It's a shame, too, because I love the idea of gutter surrealism and finding beauty in ugly things. But alas, there was no real beauty to be found in this author's writing.
Unfortunately, that interest did not last.
The novel suffers from a very evident lack of a good editor. There are some serious problems with the flow of the narrative. I understand that the author was trying to be unique in his unusual approach to surrealism in literature, but I can't help but feel like his ideas were completely overshadowed by the way he jumped from perspective to perspective within individual chapters — going from one character's point of view in one line, to another's in the following line — and his apparent disinterest in overall narrative flow. Sometimes, characters would be present in one moment and in the next it would seem like the author forgot about them. That was not a plot device, but rather, carelessness that if fixed, could have greatly added to the story, rather than drawing attention away from what the author was trying to achieve.
The second half of the novel suffers the most, and I found that the more I read after the halfway point, the harder it was to maintain any interest in the novel at all. It was as though the author could not bother to take the time to actually work through the second half of his story. It reads as though he rushed through the narrative as quickly as possible. It also suffers from what I would call lazy writing, with statements like, "The punks died laughing," and "The bums sounded like sex-starved, wheezing old geezers starving for a hot piece of ass." The novel is characterized by similarly lazy metaphors and similes that take away from the plot.
The novel is also rife with typos. If I were an author, I would be embarrassed to see instances of the following popping up throughout my published work:
"An man" (Location 137 as per Kindle)
"He then switched to a corner of the room and drool." (Location 487 as per Kindle)
"Power poles were used it as battering rams to bust into liquor stores." (Location 1231 as per Kindle)
I may have given the novel two stars if it had less errors, but the typos coupled with what can honestly just be considered a terribly written novel with some vaguely interesting ideas prevents me from being even a little lenient.
In the end, I was 70% done, and I decided I did not want to finish the book. I was, admittedly, a little interested in how everything would tie together in the end (if it would — my hopes were waning drastically by the time I finally set it down), but I couldn't take it anymore.
It's a shame, too, because I love the idea of gutter surrealism and finding beauty in ugly things. But alas, there was no real beauty to be found in this author's writing.
November 20, 2012
Blubber Island is a wonderful book. It emancipates the mind, so it may freely wonder to a place of infinite possibilities. Becoming a place of refuge, mitigating stress ,a place to kick back and chill. Blubber Island miraculously tugs at the emotions we acquire, sadness, happiness, suspense, tranquility, anger, you name it. Blubber Island isn't a book that entices one group of people, for it contains nearly all genres; mystery, romance, suspense, science fiction, philosophy, and humor none the less. This piece of literature has the ability to lift the spirit with its humorous imagery and stimulating philosophy. A book that's truly original and funny as hell! In this book, you will delve into the mysteries of the "real world" and the "dream world". You will also be introduced to many eccentric characters, each defined uniquely and audaciously. The author dexterously created the characters, so they elicit certain moods and emotions. While reading Blubber Island, I truly felt the sensation of serenity. Its free spirited vibes, allowed me to feel peaceful and content with life. Literature is intended to stimulate emotions, but to feel serene, well you don't come by that to often. I suggest this book to anyone who enjoys reading. There's nothing like it, and you're guaranteed to laugh your ass off. Don't miss out on reading it, YOLO!
:) <3
:) <3
December 3, 2017
Blubber Island reads like a movie, with action, adventure, comedy, and everything a zombie-stoner-guns-gals-bums-drugs-and-violence fan could possibly love. This is definitely a book for the contemporary reader as Blubber Island confronts some more controversial issues that we all face in today's world (racism, sex, homelessness, religion, politics, drugs, dreams, modern philosophy). I'd recommend this book for the heavy-hearted, imaginative folks who don't like to read.
December 5, 2012
Blubber Island is a rollercoaster splatter punk extravaganza. It is a pinball whizzing through worlds that exist in the crazed mind machinery of modern urbane neurosis.
It is intensely enjoyable.
The only author I can compare Ishmael Galvan's work to is one of my favorite minds of the twentieth century- William S. Burroughs. I'm not sure if the author of Blubber Island is aware of these influences or whether they have filtered down through mass media over the years. Blubber Island is an apocalyptic assault of the senses. A ride through hell. It grabs the reader by the throat and shakes him until the final page.
If Burroughs were alive today he would be the first to admit that post-modern fiction is a tough sell. The godfather of cult fiction scraped a living in later life by reading his work on the college circuit and, for his sins, hawking Nike running shoes.
Ultimately readers want story. Demand it, expect it, and crave it. And unless you want to survive eating window putty, as a writer, you have to deliver it. Or something close to it.
But hold on, Blubber Island works as a piece of postmodern fiction. There is story. Each sentence is a logical thought. Each paragraph an extension of that thought. Hundreds of flash fictions weaved together. An achievement by any measure is the way this story is written, word by word, and piece by piece.
The author is a highly competent creative writer who creates fantastic imagery, action and humor. Like a good tab of LSD the book takes a while to get used to, when it hits it hits hard and takes a long time to wear off. Zombies, gorillas, green boys, pharmacists, samurais...They are all in here
...Still...
Now...
Here...
Galvan is a Mexican writer living and working in Japan. This work is something he calls `Gutter Surrealism'. A movement that I had not been aware of until picking up Blubber Island. Galvan shows promise as a writer and would do well to attempt a cohesive story in the traditional form. I understand he is toying with the noir genre. Blubber Island as fun and as brilliant as it certainly is, may not be an island habitable for the masses. But perhaps that is the point of this book.
Recommended book. And an author to watch carefully.
It is intensely enjoyable.
The only author I can compare Ishmael Galvan's work to is one of my favorite minds of the twentieth century- William S. Burroughs. I'm not sure if the author of Blubber Island is aware of these influences or whether they have filtered down through mass media over the years. Blubber Island is an apocalyptic assault of the senses. A ride through hell. It grabs the reader by the throat and shakes him until the final page.
If Burroughs were alive today he would be the first to admit that post-modern fiction is a tough sell. The godfather of cult fiction scraped a living in later life by reading his work on the college circuit and, for his sins, hawking Nike running shoes.
Ultimately readers want story. Demand it, expect it, and crave it. And unless you want to survive eating window putty, as a writer, you have to deliver it. Or something close to it.
But hold on, Blubber Island works as a piece of postmodern fiction. There is story. Each sentence is a logical thought. Each paragraph an extension of that thought. Hundreds of flash fictions weaved together. An achievement by any measure is the way this story is written, word by word, and piece by piece.
The author is a highly competent creative writer who creates fantastic imagery, action and humor. Like a good tab of LSD the book takes a while to get used to, when it hits it hits hard and takes a long time to wear off. Zombies, gorillas, green boys, pharmacists, samurais...They are all in here
...Still...
Now...
Here...
Galvan is a Mexican writer living and working in Japan. This work is something he calls `Gutter Surrealism'. A movement that I had not been aware of until picking up Blubber Island. Galvan shows promise as a writer and would do well to attempt a cohesive story in the traditional form. I understand he is toying with the noir genre. Blubber Island as fun and as brilliant as it certainly is, may not be an island habitable for the masses. But perhaps that is the point of this book.
Recommended book. And an author to watch carefully.
November 2, 2012
I just finished reading this book and I’ve got to say, it’s indescribable. Fast paced and energetic. Equal parts humorous and Sadistic and at time even heart wrenching it’s hard to put down no matter how hard you try or want to. The characters and plot are so unique and complex that they’ll knock you on your ass and have your head spinning.
It’s A clockwork Orange meets the Three stooges meets Soilent green with a dash of Mystery Science theater and potty humor for flavor blended and unfiltered and reads like a bad acid trip in the best sense of the phrase. All in all, I completely recommend it to anyone that’s looking for something unique and unapologetic to read.
And to the author, I tip my hat off to you sir.
It’s A clockwork Orange meets the Three stooges meets Soilent green with a dash of Mystery Science theater and potty humor for flavor blended and unfiltered and reads like a bad acid trip in the best sense of the phrase. All in all, I completely recommend it to anyone that’s looking for something unique and unapologetic to read.
And to the author, I tip my hat off to you sir.
September 24, 2012
"Whoa! What did I just read?"
That was basically the first thought that ran through my head after finishing "Blubber Island". Trust me when I say this is a good thing. I devour books the way most people devour potato chips, one after the other in rapid succession. So anytime a book can stop me in my tracks and make me ponder what I just read, than the author is doing something right. Reading it was uncomfortable and disturbing and I enjoyed every second of it.
This book isn't going to be for everyone. If "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Matrix" had a bastard child that child would be "Blubber Island", although it's more like the former rather than the latter. To enter the world of "Blubber Island" is to enter a brutal, ugly world filled with junkies, mind-altering chaos and unforgiving violence (oh, how it is violent). It's also incredibly funny. You can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all and it is absurd, it's supposed to be, that's the point.
"Blubber Island" is written for the anarchist in all of us. It's a philosophy, it's a commentary on the world we live in, it's a mirror to the madness that surrounds us and it was one hell of a good time.
Did I mention the zombie bums? There are zombie bums!
That was basically the first thought that ran through my head after finishing "Blubber Island". Trust me when I say this is a good thing. I devour books the way most people devour potato chips, one after the other in rapid succession. So anytime a book can stop me in my tracks and make me ponder what I just read, than the author is doing something right. Reading it was uncomfortable and disturbing and I enjoyed every second of it.
This book isn't going to be for everyone. If "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Matrix" had a bastard child that child would be "Blubber Island", although it's more like the former rather than the latter. To enter the world of "Blubber Island" is to enter a brutal, ugly world filled with junkies, mind-altering chaos and unforgiving violence (oh, how it is violent). It's also incredibly funny. You can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all and it is absurd, it's supposed to be, that's the point.
"Blubber Island" is written for the anarchist in all of us. It's a philosophy, it's a commentary on the world we live in, it's a mirror to the madness that surrounds us and it was one hell of a good time.
Did I mention the zombie bums? There are zombie bums!
November 29, 2012
Best book I've ever read!! From the first scene to the last I was totally hooked. Mostly because Action, Gore, Comedy, plenty of drugs and WIIIIILD Adventures that read like a movie with never a dull moment are enough to keep anyone from putting this one down before finishing it. With the wit of a Hunter S. Thompson Story and the dark but Brutal Bluntness of Charles Bukowski you can't help but get trapped in the world of... "BLUBBER ISLAND" Not for the Kiddies or Gram's n Gramp's tho, instead it's just for you!
P.S. If you ever meet a bum named "Carlin" give him aaaall the crack he needs!!
P.S. If you ever meet a bum named "Carlin" give him aaaall the crack he needs!!
November 5, 2013
Blubber Island is a philosophical ride on a dark and grungy coaster in search of one end, humanity. Enlightenment and humor often are not strongly associated, but within Blubber Island they are indistinguishable. Blubber Island focuses on the psyche comparable to the psychoanalytical method, especially Jung (he is even mentioned). Would suggest to anyone with an ounce of humanity and an open spirit.
February 7, 2013
Blubber Island caught my attention immediately and I could not put it down. It's exciting and violent and everything I could ever want in a book! Other reviewers were right when they said it reads like a movie, and that was really enjoyable for me. I recommend Blubber Island highly, believe me it will not let you down!
November 17, 2024
The ultimate psychedelic fantasy.
This is my first splatter punk and it makes me wonder if I wanna read more in the future(I probably do).
It was not as brutal as I thought it might be so I’m a bit grateful for that.
This book was kind of perfect for me since it has a combination of my three favorite genres(dark comedy,philosophical, and disturbing{to an extent}), as well as the combination/relation/mention of sex and violence(please do not ask).
This book was punk as fuck and it has caused me to think about a lot of things.
Gonna have to cut this review short since I’m getting a charlie horse in my calf muscle right now (probably due to me having my leg propped up for about an hour reading) and it is kinda not going away(it’s stuck).
Just like my calf muscle tightening on its own causing an immense amount of discomfort, this book was so fucking narly(both positive and negative connotation when referring to the book. As for my calf twisting and turning, purely negative. That sucked).
(edited because I misspelled a word)
This is my first splatter punk and it makes me wonder if I wanna read more in the future(I probably do).
It was not as brutal as I thought it might be so I’m a bit grateful for that.
This book was kind of perfect for me since it has a combination of my three favorite genres(dark comedy,philosophical, and disturbing{to an extent}), as well as the combination/relation/mention of sex and violence(please do not ask).
This book was punk as fuck and it has caused me to think about a lot of things.
Gonna have to cut this review short since I’m getting a charlie horse in my calf muscle right now (probably due to me having my leg propped up for about an hour reading) and it is kinda not going away(it’s stuck).
Just like my calf muscle tightening on its own causing an immense amount of discomfort, this book was so fucking narly(both positive and negative connotation when referring to the book. As for my calf twisting and turning, purely negative. That sucked).
(edited because I misspelled a word)
June 17, 2018
Tons of potential, felt like a second draft
I am eager to see what else this author writes, I love his style. However this story felt like it could have used fleshing out and expanding on the themes and scenes. Great first outing!
I am eager to see what else this author writes, I love his style. However this story felt like it could have used fleshing out and expanding on the themes and scenes. Great first outing!
October 3, 2013
Hippies. Zombies. Gore. Bums. Drugs.
Lots of drugs.
So many drugs that I really believe the author was on drugs when this was written.
I would love to tell you what this book was about, but I don’t really know what it was about.
There were a few different story lines going at one time, but there was so real smooth transition between them.
Many times while reading this, I was just completely lost, confused, disturbed, or wondering why in the world the author decided to use the elementary insults that were in this book.
It seems to me that if this book falls into the right hands, it may gain a small cult following just because of all the zombies and hippies.
But, I just didn’t quite understand it.
1/5 stars.
Lots of drugs.
So many drugs that I really believe the author was on drugs when this was written.
I would love to tell you what this book was about, but I don’t really know what it was about.
There were a few different story lines going at one time, but there was so real smooth transition between them.
Many times while reading this, I was just completely lost, confused, disturbed, or wondering why in the world the author decided to use the elementary insults that were in this book.
It seems to me that if this book falls into the right hands, it may gain a small cult following just because of all the zombies and hippies.
But, I just didn’t quite understand it.
1/5 stars.
January 27, 2013
This book was recommended to me by a friend all the way across the world. I was a little reluctant to reading it because my friend's taste and my taste differs. However, I thought that I gave it a try. I absolutely love the book and could not put it down. I wish it was longer, I hope there will be more books from this author.
May 29, 2013
Blubber Island was an experience. Gory and action-packed, Galvan's debut is no literary masterpiece, but I was mildly amused by the length of creativity put into the fantastical storyline.
We all know what surrealism texts are like, but this is not surrealism: it's a self-coined genre: gutter surrealism. I was expecting a nittier and grittier Haruki Marukami, but that's not at all what I got.
There's a nice, clear start, but after a while, the plot gets jumbled and I got annoyed with the author's strong affinity for clichés and painfully imaginative, far-fetched analogies and similes, e.g.: "The plague stopped moving up the stairs like a stream of turds hitting a dam" and "His eyelids looked like two swollen vaginas" and the real humdinger: "Estrada's bobbling lollypop head exploded like a Mexican piñata stuffed with M-80s and pig assholes." The writing is tasteless and humorless; the tastelessness, I can appreciate, but the fact that nothing is ever remotely funny nor profound, is a bit irritating. Like this shouldn't be a book, just a bunch of inscribed doodles compiled into a 195-page ordeal.
This book had plenty of potential but the weak style and incomprehensible story disappointed me. Blubber Island needs a lot of cleaning-up to do if it wants to hit a responsive audience.
Pros
Occasional bouts of penetrating insight // Interesting first few chapters
Cons
In desperate need of (another) editor // Painful clichés used // No foundation of structure, dialogue, grammar, or writing conventions, whatsoever, which impedes overall comprehension // Messy plot
Love
Verdict
Bizarre in the most delusional way, Ismael Galvan's Blubber Island is a grotesque, macabre mess of a tale about the role of reality (whatever "reality" may be) and the power of the human psyche. The feeble writing and irrelevant superfluity were exasperating, to say the least; unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy this one.
Rating
4 out of 10 hearts (2 stars): So-so; reading this book may cause wrinkles (from frowning so much).
Source
Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!).
We all know what surrealism texts are like, but this is not surrealism: it's a self-coined genre: gutter surrealism. I was expecting a nittier and grittier Haruki Marukami, but that's not at all what I got.
There's a nice, clear start, but after a while, the plot gets jumbled and I got annoyed with the author's strong affinity for clichés and painfully imaginative, far-fetched analogies and similes, e.g.: "The plague stopped moving up the stairs like a stream of turds hitting a dam" and "His eyelids looked like two swollen vaginas" and the real humdinger: "Estrada's bobbling lollypop head exploded like a Mexican piñata stuffed with M-80s and pig assholes." The writing is tasteless and humorless; the tastelessness, I can appreciate, but the fact that nothing is ever remotely funny nor profound, is a bit irritating. Like this shouldn't be a book, just a bunch of inscribed doodles compiled into a 195-page ordeal.
This book had plenty of potential but the weak style and incomprehensible story disappointed me. Blubber Island needs a lot of cleaning-up to do if it wants to hit a responsive audience.
Pros
Occasional bouts of penetrating insight // Interesting first few chapters
Cons
In desperate need of (another) editor // Painful clichés used // No foundation of structure, dialogue, grammar, or writing conventions, whatsoever, which impedes overall comprehension // Messy plot
Love
"Chaos is only destruction and suffering about the half the time. The other half is peace, love, and substance abuse. It's the original condition of the universe. Chaos is what we came from, and it's what we live and what we'll return to."
Verdict
Bizarre in the most delusional way, Ismael Galvan's Blubber Island is a grotesque, macabre mess of a tale about the role of reality (whatever "reality" may be) and the power of the human psyche. The feeble writing and irrelevant superfluity were exasperating, to say the least; unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy this one.
Rating
4 out of 10 hearts (2 stars): So-so; reading this book may cause wrinkles (from frowning so much).
Source
Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!).
February 28, 2013
I've read amazing glowing reviews on here, and I was excited to read this brand-new genre to me. And don't get me wrong, I knew what I was getting into. But I'm guess I'm one of the "masses" that Blubber Island wasn't written for. I didn't enjoy it at all. And it's not like I didn't "get it". I see the winks at the emptiness of pop culture, tongue-in-cheek existentialism and the absurdity of it all, represented by the completely random acts of brain-splattering violence and inane anal rape. But I'm just one of those people who doesn't need the message violently ground into my eyeballs until they pop. And it's extra disappointing because I was enjoying parts of the book, excited to see where Ish would take it next, and every single time things would just dissolve into chaos, and there was no way out that made any sense. I wouldn't even have minded much of the violence if there were any kinds of resolutions. But no, not that I've seen in the first half. I'm a big fan of surrealism and magical realism, but the key here is "realism". There have to be tiny strings tying this absurd created world to reality, just because you need that juxtaposition to make a point, to enhance the absurdity and to make the reader look at the world with newer eyes. But this... Blubber Island was something straight out of a 13-year-old boy's head, and violence was only there for the sake of violence. I didn't gain anything from it.
The writing style is promising, so I would maybe cautiously give Ish's other work a try, but I'll probably stay away from the genre if this is exactly how it's going to be. I'm not writing this to be mean or harsh, but maybe warn like-minded people away from this freshly-ripped-spinal-chord-waving craziness that is Blubber Island.
The writing style is promising, so I would maybe cautiously give Ish's other work a try, but I'll probably stay away from the genre if this is exactly how it's going to be. I'm not writing this to be mean or harsh, but maybe warn like-minded people away from this freshly-ripped-spinal-chord-waving craziness that is Blubber Island.
August 13, 2013
I get that the author is trying to write in this "Gutter Surrealism" style, but, this book just went too far off the deep end. Maybe I missed the point, but I really don't think there was one, and if there was one and I missed it, I'm not sorry to have done so. A lot of the scenes depicted in are written in a way simply to milk shock value. It's like a B-movie, although instead of being Grindhouse, it ends up being just a bunch of drivel. Doubling down on the punk revolution thing wasn't a wise choice. The only reason this book gets two stars instead of one is because of "NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGERS!!!!!!!!!!" That was legitimately funny.
May 28, 2013
Absurd and ridiculous are the first two adjectives that come to my mind when I think about this book. The insane story was fantastic, and would have received 4 or 5 stars... but, alas, the barrage of grammar/spelling errors I encountered in this book, along with the author's poor writing forced me to subtract a star or two.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews