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Sun Eye Moon Eye
Sun Eye Moon Eye centers around Logan Blackfeather, a musician of mixed Hopi descent, whose faulty sense of direction sends him spiraling through the mid-’80s. The novel opens with Logan crossing a stretch of Arizona desert, his thumb out for a ride and most of what he owns in a bag slung over a shoulder. By this time he has suffered a breakdown and given up music. A knife fight in the parking lot of a roadside bar ends in the death of a trucker, and in short order Logan finds himself in a psychiatric hospital in New York. He makes his way to Manhattan, where he’s as bewildered by the fluorescent-colored spikes of punks as he is by the upturned collars of yuppies. A job as a piano man in a Village bar eases him back into music, and he falls into a turbulent relationship with a successful ad executive. Haunted by a dead father who comes to him in dreams, by the killing of the trucker, and memories of his violent uncle/stepfather, Logan is caught between tradition and modernity, the rural and the urban, his Anglo and Native American ancestries. Myth and dream play key roles in reconstructing Logan’s worldview, and he begins to suspect that empirical reality is as open to interpretation as the dream world.Czyz is more than a bit mystical; indeed, he searches for rapture … What he’s really after, however, is to find mystery within mystery, to have experiences he cannot live without yet cannot pin down. —Paul West, author of The Place in Flowers Where Pollen RestsDeeply romantic (in the best sense) and darkly evocative, Czyz’s lush style explores regions well beyond simple narrative, probing the constantly shifting, oblique connections between failure, memory and the forever-incomplete nature of human desire. —Greg Burkman, The Seattle Times
588 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 30, 2024
Sun Eye Moon Eye is Vincent Czyz’s third novel now available from Spuyten Duyvil. Consistent is Czyz’s use of mythic space, most particularly that tread by Logan Blackfeather, a mixed Hopi man whose wanderings span coast to coast. He is at once an enfant terrible on an indie label, a street wizened knife fighter, an asylum inmate, and Hamlet haunted son of a man replaced by his uncle. Accenting his dividedness are the various geographies of his story. We may survey the Ghost Dancers from the lap of his grandfather, the sea-like fields of Kansas he came to, and the modern Canyonlands of the Manhattan skyline where Logan sees the Katsinas dance.
In complement to the complex characterization of Logan are the mix of genres from which Sun Eye Moon Eye derive. It could certainly be a developmental novel in Logan’s aim to find some sense of home and vocation. It might also be tagged as another life of the artist account. With two crimes woven into the story, Czyz’s novel might also be understood as Native American noir. Finally, and my personal favorite, it is the story Chief Bromden’s reticent, crafty Chief might have told in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (dir. Milos Forman, 1975) had he been prompted to do so. I sense Bromden prompted Czyz, who in turn prompts us all to find that most productive, affirming union of our ordering suns and intuitive moons.
In complement to the complex characterization of Logan are the mix of genres from which Sun Eye Moon Eye derive. It could certainly be a developmental novel in Logan’s aim to find some sense of home and vocation. It might also be tagged as another life of the artist account. With two crimes woven into the story, Czyz’s novel might also be understood as Native American noir. Finally, and my personal favorite, it is the story Chief Bromden’s reticent, crafty Chief might have told in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (dir. Milos Forman, 1975) had he been prompted to do so. I sense Bromden prompted Czyz, who in turn prompts us all to find that most productive, affirming union of our ordering suns and intuitive moons.
April 18, 2024
An EPIC Novel
This is an epic novel of grand proportions, yet also somehow a simple story of unrequited love.
And I loved it.
Logan Blackfeather, a Hopi Indian trying to make his way as a musician in the mid-80s, is the central character of this book. We get to bear witness to about a year of Logan’s life, although through flashbacks and dreams we learn a lot more, not just about Logan’s troubled upbringing but the very creation myth of the Hopis.
Author Vincent Czyz is a magical writer (and I’m not just saying that because we’re Facebook friends and he’ll see this review - he truly is!) His prose, which borders on sublime poetry at times, is as much the focal point of this book as Logan’s story itself. I found myself rereading certain sentences and whole paragraphs just because the writing was so stunning (the way one lingers in front of a painting in a museum that is so beautiful you can’t stop looking at it).
It’s a mammoth book, clocking it at close to 600 pages, and from the Acknowledgements I learned that Czyz’ journey to find a publisher for his tome was as arduous as Logan’s trek back home in the book. As a reader, I’m glad he hung in there. And I’m glad I got to meet Logan Blackfeather and spend some time with him. We’d be contemporaries so while the book leaves his story open-ended, I’d like to think he finally made peace with his demons and went on to a successful career in music. Maybe, if this fiction were real, I’d’ve become a fan of his music and seen him live a few times. He sounded like the type of artist I’d enjoy (in a Jim Morrison kinda way).
Five out of five stars for me on this. Just an epic novel that I won’t soon forget!
This is an epic novel of grand proportions, yet also somehow a simple story of unrequited love.
And I loved it.
Logan Blackfeather, a Hopi Indian trying to make his way as a musician in the mid-80s, is the central character of this book. We get to bear witness to about a year of Logan’s life, although through flashbacks and dreams we learn a lot more, not just about Logan’s troubled upbringing but the very creation myth of the Hopis.
Author Vincent Czyz is a magical writer (and I’m not just saying that because we’re Facebook friends and he’ll see this review - he truly is!) His prose, which borders on sublime poetry at times, is as much the focal point of this book as Logan’s story itself. I found myself rereading certain sentences and whole paragraphs just because the writing was so stunning (the way one lingers in front of a painting in a museum that is so beautiful you can’t stop looking at it).
It’s a mammoth book, clocking it at close to 600 pages, and from the Acknowledgements I learned that Czyz’ journey to find a publisher for his tome was as arduous as Logan’s trek back home in the book. As a reader, I’m glad he hung in there. And I’m glad I got to meet Logan Blackfeather and spend some time with him. We’d be contemporaries so while the book leaves his story open-ended, I’d like to think he finally made peace with his demons and went on to a successful career in music. Maybe, if this fiction were real, I’d’ve become a fan of his music and seen him live a few times. He sounded like the type of artist I’d enjoy (in a Jim Morrison kinda way).
Five out of five stars for me on this. Just an epic novel that I won’t soon forget!
April 27, 2024
Logan Blackfeather is a man caught between worlds. He is both urban and rural. He comes from modern and traditional worlds. He is of both Hopi and Anglo descent. Logan sets out to find himself and learn what it means to be half Hopi. His drug-fueled journey crisscrosses the American West and into the Mesa lands of his ancestors, leading to the abandonment of his music and to a bar in Arizona. In the middle of a breakdown, Logan kills a trucker in a knife fight. Logan finds himself in a psychiatric hospital in New York. His recovery, helped along by his counselor, calms Logan’s spirit. Logan’s restlessness catches up with him. Escaping the hospital, Logan ventures into Manhattan and reconnects with a couple of friends and his music. Working as a piano man at a bar, he meets and falls for a successful executive, who guides him through the art and trendy places of SoHo. But Logan’s past is never far behind. He is constantly haunted by the ghost of his father and the violence of his upbringing.
Sun Eye Moon Eye by award-winning writer Vincent Czyz is a nonstop trip through the physical, spiritual, and mythical worlds. This is a cross-country, cross-cultural “trip,” literally. A quick warning, there are a lot mentions of drug use, hallucinations, suicide, and mental health issues in this novel. This book is divided into multiple sections representing the many aspects of Logan’s life. Czyz’s writing style changes with Logan’s mental well-being. The book’s chaotic beginning can be compared to William S. Burroughs’s frenzied, disjointed writings. As the novel progresses, there is an ever present “beat” feel with the poetic hooks Czyz uses. There is a definite rhythm to his writing. This novel goes through several stages, sometimes feeling a bit like Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the novel, not the movie) and at other times the angst and alienation of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. It feels like Czyz is grasping for a particular style and landing on many different ones.
Much of the story takes place in the era of excess. Czyz does an excellent job of fitting the characters to the time and places. Czyz’s 1980s Yuppies and artsy types fit the stereotypes exactly. Many of the other characters also have extreme qualities. These characters definitely fit their places but can feel a little overdone. The dialogue though is not. Conversations feel natural and Czyz uses the slang of the time. The place settings vary as much as the people. Logan’s journeys take coast to coast, but scenes in Arizona and Kansas stand out. Czyz goes all out poetically describing place settings. His captures of the bar and art scenes of New York are fascinating and spot-on. From scene to scene, Czyz’s various characters display masculine angst. Czyz explores what it means to fit in with others trying to fit in.
As the novel progresses, Logan goes through many transformations. As in real life, Logan continues to struggle. The use of Logan’s dialogue throughout the book reflects his well-being. Czyz continuously captures Logan’s inner conflicts. Whether he is living primarily in his head like in the early chapters or when he is more outgoing and conversational. The book follows Logan’s mental state. Beginning with a chaotic Logan to a somewhat more grounded version, Czyz’s main character is constantly transforming. As Logan’s mental state stabilizes, he seems to come out of his shell. We learn a lot about his character through his conversations. Even though Logan’s character is not stagnant, Czyz does an excellent job of overwriting his transformations, growths, and downfalls. From beginning to end, Logan is always Logan.
In writing, there is the practice of “show, don’t tell.” The mental imagery that Czyz uses definitely shows. Descriptions have a Jack Kerouac feel to them. Having his main character on the road in much of the novel helps with this feeling. Scenes of hitch-hiking or driving around in a beaten-up old car add to the overall feel of aimless traveling. Whether he is showing the desert landscapes of Arizona and New Mexico, portraying the gloomy and sterile conditions of a mental hospital, or the Yuppie-filled cocaine-fueled trendy art scene of 1980s New York City, Czyz offers the reader his views that encompass multiple senses. Not only does the reader get a complete picture visually, but one can feel the textures, smell the odors, and sense the utter quiet of the desert or the cacophony of the streets of New York City. Readers cannot help but feel the passion Czyz has for his craft. There is also a practice in storytelling about giving the reader just enough information for them to be able to visualize the scene. A writer can “show” too much. Czyz can get rather wordy with his imagery. Though his descriptions range from fun to informative to accurate, many sections in this novel are rather long and bogged down by the overuse of flowery descriptions. In his attempt to paint a complete picture, Czyz overloads the canvas and does not let the reader fill in the blanks. Even though he trimmed a significant portion of his original writings, Czyz’s overuse of his descriptive language, this novel is still very long and, at times, hard to read.
Czyz adds to the commentary about life in the United States. From over-consumerism to the state of the mental health system, Czyz points out inconsistencies and a lack of understanding. A large portion of this novel takes place in a mental hospital. Though Logan seems to get some help while under the hospital’s care, Czyz highlights the lack of actual treatment in the United States mental health system. One line sums up this institution: “Logan didn’t know whether the medication made them better, but it made them easier to deal with.” Setting his novel in the 1980s, Czyz highlights the attitudes of excess. Even though Czyz intended to publish this novel in the early 1990s, the three-decade delay does not lessen the novel’s sentiments but feels like they were enhanced. This novel does an excellent job of highlighting the inadequacies of an era many people try to misremember.
Czyz uses a lot of symbolism throughout his novel. The usage is not limited to just one culture. Interpreting these symbols adds an interesting dimension to the book. But it can add a bit of confusion also. Logan is half Hopi and is eternally trying to figure out what that means. The entire novel is about Logan’s heritage. Even the book’s description mentions Logan’s ancestry. The use of Hopi characters from the tribe’s myths reflects Logan’s journey. Czyz uses Kachinas to represent a number of ideas throughout the novel as well as the villages among the Arizona Mesas and New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon. But Czyz uses imagery from other cultures as well. The novel’s title, Sun Eye Moon Eye refers to the two ways to view the world. Czyz mentions a god with both a sun and a moon eye. This symbolism seems to refer to either the Egyptian god Horus or the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, adding to the confusion about what Czyz is trying to say. He also uses Christianity and Buddhism with some of the characters. A reader who is trying to decipher the meanings of all the symbols mixed into this book could get lost.
Sun Eye Moon Eye is a novel with a varying audience. As a white, Gen X male, I had a love-hate relationship with this book. Even though this book is long and at times difficult to read, it is still worth reading if the reader has patience. The flow and language feel like the writings of a beat poet. Even though the symbolism is extensive and cross cultural, it leaves a lot for the reader to puzzle out. This story is about self-discovery and trying to find a way and a place in this world. As the United States grows, many individuals are left trying to span two worlds. Logan’s struggles are not unique, except maybe having to take a life to defend oneself. Readers lost in the multiple worlds that make up life may see themselves in Logan. With the poetic flow and constant explorations, both internal and out in the open, this could be the On the Road for a new generation. Czyz’s novel is a great look into life during the 1980s and the struggles of young men throughout this country. As much as Kerouac’s book is a snapshot of the 1940s and 1950s, Sun Eye Moon Eye gives the reader a picture of life in the 1980s. Czyz uses a lot of cultural and religious imagery. Readers who enjoy finding meaning in symbolisms, especially multicultural ideologies, will have a lot of mysticism and mythology to delve into. And even though this novel can be long and drawn out, it has the feel of a cult classic.
this review was originally published at https://losangelesbookreview.com/revi...
Sun Eye Moon Eye by award-winning writer Vincent Czyz is a nonstop trip through the physical, spiritual, and mythical worlds. This is a cross-country, cross-cultural “trip,” literally. A quick warning, there are a lot mentions of drug use, hallucinations, suicide, and mental health issues in this novel. This book is divided into multiple sections representing the many aspects of Logan’s life. Czyz’s writing style changes with Logan’s mental well-being. The book’s chaotic beginning can be compared to William S. Burroughs’s frenzied, disjointed writings. As the novel progresses, there is an ever present “beat” feel with the poetic hooks Czyz uses. There is a definite rhythm to his writing. This novel goes through several stages, sometimes feeling a bit like Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the novel, not the movie) and at other times the angst and alienation of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. It feels like Czyz is grasping for a particular style and landing on many different ones.
Much of the story takes place in the era of excess. Czyz does an excellent job of fitting the characters to the time and places. Czyz’s 1980s Yuppies and artsy types fit the stereotypes exactly. Many of the other characters also have extreme qualities. These characters definitely fit their places but can feel a little overdone. The dialogue though is not. Conversations feel natural and Czyz uses the slang of the time. The place settings vary as much as the people. Logan’s journeys take coast to coast, but scenes in Arizona and Kansas stand out. Czyz goes all out poetically describing place settings. His captures of the bar and art scenes of New York are fascinating and spot-on. From scene to scene, Czyz’s various characters display masculine angst. Czyz explores what it means to fit in with others trying to fit in.
As the novel progresses, Logan goes through many transformations. As in real life, Logan continues to struggle. The use of Logan’s dialogue throughout the book reflects his well-being. Czyz continuously captures Logan’s inner conflicts. Whether he is living primarily in his head like in the early chapters or when he is more outgoing and conversational. The book follows Logan’s mental state. Beginning with a chaotic Logan to a somewhat more grounded version, Czyz’s main character is constantly transforming. As Logan’s mental state stabilizes, he seems to come out of his shell. We learn a lot about his character through his conversations. Even though Logan’s character is not stagnant, Czyz does an excellent job of overwriting his transformations, growths, and downfalls. From beginning to end, Logan is always Logan.
In writing, there is the practice of “show, don’t tell.” The mental imagery that Czyz uses definitely shows. Descriptions have a Jack Kerouac feel to them. Having his main character on the road in much of the novel helps with this feeling. Scenes of hitch-hiking or driving around in a beaten-up old car add to the overall feel of aimless traveling. Whether he is showing the desert landscapes of Arizona and New Mexico, portraying the gloomy and sterile conditions of a mental hospital, or the Yuppie-filled cocaine-fueled trendy art scene of 1980s New York City, Czyz offers the reader his views that encompass multiple senses. Not only does the reader get a complete picture visually, but one can feel the textures, smell the odors, and sense the utter quiet of the desert or the cacophony of the streets of New York City. Readers cannot help but feel the passion Czyz has for his craft. There is also a practice in storytelling about giving the reader just enough information for them to be able to visualize the scene. A writer can “show” too much. Czyz can get rather wordy with his imagery. Though his descriptions range from fun to informative to accurate, many sections in this novel are rather long and bogged down by the overuse of flowery descriptions. In his attempt to paint a complete picture, Czyz overloads the canvas and does not let the reader fill in the blanks. Even though he trimmed a significant portion of his original writings, Czyz’s overuse of his descriptive language, this novel is still very long and, at times, hard to read.
Czyz adds to the commentary about life in the United States. From over-consumerism to the state of the mental health system, Czyz points out inconsistencies and a lack of understanding. A large portion of this novel takes place in a mental hospital. Though Logan seems to get some help while under the hospital’s care, Czyz highlights the lack of actual treatment in the United States mental health system. One line sums up this institution: “Logan didn’t know whether the medication made them better, but it made them easier to deal with.” Setting his novel in the 1980s, Czyz highlights the attitudes of excess. Even though Czyz intended to publish this novel in the early 1990s, the three-decade delay does not lessen the novel’s sentiments but feels like they were enhanced. This novel does an excellent job of highlighting the inadequacies of an era many people try to misremember.
Czyz uses a lot of symbolism throughout his novel. The usage is not limited to just one culture. Interpreting these symbols adds an interesting dimension to the book. But it can add a bit of confusion also. Logan is half Hopi and is eternally trying to figure out what that means. The entire novel is about Logan’s heritage. Even the book’s description mentions Logan’s ancestry. The use of Hopi characters from the tribe’s myths reflects Logan’s journey. Czyz uses Kachinas to represent a number of ideas throughout the novel as well as the villages among the Arizona Mesas and New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon. But Czyz uses imagery from other cultures as well. The novel’s title, Sun Eye Moon Eye refers to the two ways to view the world. Czyz mentions a god with both a sun and a moon eye. This symbolism seems to refer to either the Egyptian god Horus or the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, adding to the confusion about what Czyz is trying to say. He also uses Christianity and Buddhism with some of the characters. A reader who is trying to decipher the meanings of all the symbols mixed into this book could get lost.
Sun Eye Moon Eye is a novel with a varying audience. As a white, Gen X male, I had a love-hate relationship with this book. Even though this book is long and at times difficult to read, it is still worth reading if the reader has patience. The flow and language feel like the writings of a beat poet. Even though the symbolism is extensive and cross cultural, it leaves a lot for the reader to puzzle out. This story is about self-discovery and trying to find a way and a place in this world. As the United States grows, many individuals are left trying to span two worlds. Logan’s struggles are not unique, except maybe having to take a life to defend oneself. Readers lost in the multiple worlds that make up life may see themselves in Logan. With the poetic flow and constant explorations, both internal and out in the open, this could be the On the Road for a new generation. Czyz’s novel is a great look into life during the 1980s and the struggles of young men throughout this country. As much as Kerouac’s book is a snapshot of the 1940s and 1950s, Sun Eye Moon Eye gives the reader a picture of life in the 1980s. Czyz uses a lot of cultural and religious imagery. Readers who enjoy finding meaning in symbolisms, especially multicultural ideologies, will have a lot of mysticism and mythology to delve into. And even though this novel can be long and drawn out, it has the feel of a cult classic.
this review was originally published at https://losangelesbookreview.com/revi...
April 21, 2024
“Sun Eye Moon Eye” by Vincent Czyz is a captivating exploration of identity and connection. The characters are vivid and intricately developed, drawing readers into a world filled with mystery and philosophical depth. With its lyrical prose and thought-provoking themes, this novel is a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and captivating narrative.
June 29, 2024
What I admire about Czyz's writing is his great way of evoking a deeper level of atmosphere and feeling from the mundane details that others merely use to set the stage. He evokes more from a cigarette ash or from the light of a streetlamp than the average author, hence the praise he's gotten not just from me but from others about his prose, starting notably with Adrift in a Vanishing City which taught right off the bat to slow down and appreciate the artist at work. And I love the soul searching that comes through in his writing, shining a light on the theologies and philosophies that the masses subscribe to. I LIKE that Czyz must be read mindfully. Stephen King impressed me in one of his early forwards when he called himself the literary equivalent of a cheeseburger and fries. Czyz is going for filet and so I chew more slowly (though I say that and then I remember that The Christos Mosaic was both, in the best way!). Sun Eye Moon Eye built to a magnificent crescendo of agonizing and grasping for meaning. To mix metaphors, I'd take Czyz's director's cut over the edited-to-have-five-daily-showings-instead-of-three version any time!
July 6, 2024
I got roughly 30% through this 588 page behemoth before I had to call it quits. That page count might be justified for a sprawling work of fantasy or highly-structured, multi-century narrative (All The Light We Cannot See and Cloud Atlas come to mind), but I just cannot understand its use in this context. It was a slog just to get through the 30% that I managed.
There are flashes of brilliance - but these are mere moments of captivation amid broader dullness. It seems that Czyz went to the purple prose school of fiction, wherein a writer must not leave a single stone unturned in the quest to describe everything within frame. That leaves most of the book's runtime to describing a rock, or a cactus, or a sky, or the feeling a character has, or a building, or a drink, or an amorphous, abstract emotion, and on and on. See how that last sentence was a little long? That was every sentence. Every single sentence. As a bit of a game to pass the time, I often counted how many words were in each sentence. MANY were over 100 words in length. For context, this review (thus far) is a little less than twice that. In Sun Eye Moon Eye, this review would be two sentences long.
But those descriptions! I feel like I haven't said enough, if only because I had to sit through so many of them. I can't help but think that the author was told the only way to paint a proper picture was to use as much detail as possible. One scene in particular was comedic in its attempt at this. The main character (whose name I can't remember; that's how little he matters in the broader scope of flowery prose) has just been snorting coke in a bar with his buddy. In the span of two paragraphs, Czyz hilariously tries to find multiple ways to describe the rolled dollar bill they use for this. "Rolled up dollar bill", “hollowed greenery”, and “rolled up legal tender” were just three such examples I wrote down. What is the need for this? What value does this add to the story?
The flipping between narrative timelines and voices was also egregious! Maybe quick time changes are realistic for memory’s sake, but it doesn’t make for good reading. In the same page, we leapfrog from the hospital to Jimmy's place (who is Jimmy?) to Hugh’s stable (who is Hugh?) back to the hospital, with little explanation or perceivable purpose. But that is certainly more forgivable than the point of view rapidly changing. In one sentence, second person: "If youyou looked two stories down, Sonny winked up at you." In the very next, we return to third: "Logan watched his triceps tighten…". This happens many, many times.
My last gripe is that there are a ridiculous number of interrupts and asides and tangents — like this? What if I asked a question like this, constantly? Interrupting every sentence? In the few moments after every inch of the world has been detailed to death, and a point is in arm's reach, suddenly there is an innumerable quantity of meanderings and ramblings that add nothing.
I wish I had liked this book more. I think it's incredibly important that the publishing industry, readers, and literary communities give room and respect for Indigenous authors to share their stories, but I also believe it is important that these stories be well told.
2 ⭐
There are flashes of brilliance - but these are mere moments of captivation amid broader dullness. It seems that Czyz went to the purple prose school of fiction, wherein a writer must not leave a single stone unturned in the quest to describe everything within frame. That leaves most of the book's runtime to describing a rock, or a cactus, or a sky, or the feeling a character has, or a building, or a drink, or an amorphous, abstract emotion, and on and on. See how that last sentence was a little long? That was every sentence. Every single sentence. As a bit of a game to pass the time, I often counted how many words were in each sentence. MANY were over 100 words in length. For context, this review (thus far) is a little less than twice that. In Sun Eye Moon Eye, this review would be two sentences long.
But those descriptions! I feel like I haven't said enough, if only because I had to sit through so many of them. I can't help but think that the author was told the only way to paint a proper picture was to use as much detail as possible. One scene in particular was comedic in its attempt at this. The main character (whose name I can't remember; that's how little he matters in the broader scope of flowery prose) has just been snorting coke in a bar with his buddy. In the span of two paragraphs, Czyz hilariously tries to find multiple ways to describe the rolled dollar bill they use for this. "Rolled up dollar bill", “hollowed greenery”, and “rolled up legal tender” were just three such examples I wrote down. What is the need for this? What value does this add to the story?
The flipping between narrative timelines and voices was also egregious! Maybe quick time changes are realistic for memory’s sake, but it doesn’t make for good reading. In the same page, we leapfrog from the hospital to Jimmy's place (who is Jimmy?) to Hugh’s stable (who is Hugh?) back to the hospital, with little explanation or perceivable purpose. But that is certainly more forgivable than the point of view rapidly changing. In one sentence, second person: "If youyou looked two stories down, Sonny winked up at you." In the very next, we return to third: "Logan watched his triceps tighten…". This happens many, many times.
My last gripe is that there are a ridiculous number of interrupts and asides and tangents — like this? What if I asked a question like this, constantly? Interrupting every sentence? In the few moments after every inch of the world has been detailed to death, and a point is in arm's reach, suddenly there is an innumerable quantity of meanderings and ramblings that add nothing.
I wish I had liked this book more. I think it's incredibly important that the publishing industry, readers, and literary communities give room and respect for Indigenous authors to share their stories, but I also believe it is important that these stories be well told.
2 ⭐
February 12, 2024
Sun Eye Moon Eye is a masterpiece. I want to say it is reminiscent of Hunter S Thompson, but this book goes far, far beyond that (and that is a compliment I do not give lightly) In this sense, myths and dreams take the place of hallucinations, personal trauma is the catalyst, ancestry the anchor
Logan Blackfeather is mixed Hopi descent and he is on a journey to rebuild following a breakdown. However, it is the 80s and paths rarely run smoothly when you are not where you feel you should be and have no idea how to get there in the first place. A manslaughter, institutionalisation, trends and fashions, all follow Logan as he tries to navigate his way to some semblance of stability in Manhattan where he finds a job as a pianist and begins a relationship with an ad executive that is really not good for his state of mind
Vincent Czyz has a unique narrative and his lyrical descriptions are mesmerising. He is philosophising on a different level, experiencing a deeper understanding of what most see on the surface. Broadly descriptive, constructive, illustrative. A truly gifted writer
Thank you very much to Netgalley, BooksGoSocial and Vincent Czyz for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
Logan Blackfeather is mixed Hopi descent and he is on a journey to rebuild following a breakdown. However, it is the 80s and paths rarely run smoothly when you are not where you feel you should be and have no idea how to get there in the first place. A manslaughter, institutionalisation, trends and fashions, all follow Logan as he tries to navigate his way to some semblance of stability in Manhattan where he finds a job as a pianist and begins a relationship with an ad executive that is really not good for his state of mind
Vincent Czyz has a unique narrative and his lyrical descriptions are mesmerising. He is philosophising on a different level, experiencing a deeper understanding of what most see on the surface. Broadly descriptive, constructive, illustrative. A truly gifted writer
Thank you very much to Netgalley, BooksGoSocial and Vincent Czyz for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
August 31, 2024
"The book on the table next to the ashtray beside the puddled blue candle...intimated a passage in an underworld maze. The mundane and the arcane shared a room, were double exposures: one perceived through the murky Loch Ness in which consciousness was adrift; the other entered through the doors of the senses.
We're a bit like a god whose one eye is the Moon and the other, the Sun. Vision blending somewhere at the back of the skull. The moon eye saw in grainy black and white, the sun eye in color, with clarity. The moon eye was at home in a netherworld where only the shadow of the ordinary fell. The sun eye followed every line and angle, every contour, was fascinated by shape's lovely demise-- a melting candle, say.
We end up trapped between geometry and emotion, indifference and familiarity, the erosion of form and the permanence of essence. To end the confusion, we keep the moon eye shut (we want to see better after all). Leave it to primitives, the foolhardy, the poets, the lie-abouts, the mad, to close the sun eye, to lose themselves in fables lying just beneath a papery-thin lid."
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