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Dion: A Tale of the Highway
The Note
After a bizarre dream a man wakes up in the middle of a deserted highway, with no clothes, and no memory of who he is. In front of him is a vehicle with keys and a note inside: Drive this forward. Drive, or there will be consequences. The consequences will be immediate, and they will get worse with every transgression.
The Highway
The task is straightforward, but what happens next is anything but. As he unravels the mysteries of both his past and future, he’ll come to understand that there are dark truths around him, and he’ll find that those who wrote the note meant every word of their threat. But underneath the terror he’ll find an inner strength, and he’ll find the power that comes from reason. He’ll need them both – because his decisions on this lonely night will impact this world in ways he can’t even begin to imagine.
After a bizarre dream a man wakes up in the middle of a deserted highway, with no clothes, and no memory of who he is. In front of him is a vehicle with keys and a note inside: Drive this forward. Drive, or there will be consequences. The consequences will be immediate, and they will get worse with every transgression.
The Highway
The task is straightforward, but what happens next is anything but. As he unravels the mysteries of both his past and future, he’ll come to understand that there are dark truths around him, and he’ll find that those who wrote the note meant every word of their threat. But underneath the terror he’ll find an inner strength, and he’ll find the power that comes from reason. He’ll need them both – because his decisions on this lonely night will impact this world in ways he can’t even begin to imagine.
330 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2016
382 people are currently reading
1384 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maas
32 books369 followersJon Maas was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in Biology and History, he's earned a living as a Musician, Peace Corps Volunteer, Standup Comedian, TV Producer and Web Designer.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 20, 2017
Dion: A Tale of the Highway
3.75 stars
I will admit this right from the start...this book is very hard to review. So many aspects of the plot are so diverse that I am at a loss to even attempt to put my feelings and my interpretations on them. But I will note that this book was MOST interesting.
If I "understand" the authors' meanings correct, the basic plot (how I hate to say that) revolves around a man, Dion, who was once a God among the other Gods when Gods were still worshiped by man. (And I am not speaking of God as we think of a singular God today, By the Gods like Neptune, Zeus and Pandora.) Dion, who awakens on a road totally naked with no memory of how he got there, his name or his past. Before him is a large car with a single note inside on the drivers' seat stating that he is to drive the car on this same road until it ends, then drive some more. He is not to exit the car for any reason or "there will be severe consequences."
Our unnamed MC, at this point, follows the notes' instructions. But after awhile, he stops, exits the car and walks into a cornfield, where he spots a scarecrow with some weather-worn clothing. He takes the clothes and turns around to see to men materialize out of a murder of crows, one of whom proceeds to beat the living sh*t out of him. The other man explains to him, as he lays bleeding and broken in the muddy cornfield, that the notes' statement about consequences is this: you will be beaten worse and worse with each transgression. So keep driving and don't stop.
During the beating, Dion looses consciousness and falls into hell. He dreams that this hell is being overtaken by a grey mud that is destroying everything in its' path. He receives help in this alternate world from a goat with a single glowing horn in the middle of his forehead. He converses with Plato, Socrates and Aristotle as the grey mud quickly devours their cave.
The remainder of the novel follows these preset scenes. Every time Dion leaves the car, he is brutally beaten to near death, falls into hell and meets with another entity, place or planet. And he soon discovers there is someone or something in the trunk of the car that he begins to communicate via a series of knocks of varying volume.
There is so much more that occurs in this book and I do not want to give away everything or you might not want to read this fine piece of literary work. I will admit that at times I did get lost, but the author always put me back on track further along the plot.
But just to discover what/who is in the trunk, which Dion knows will either change the human world or destroy it completely, is it not worth giving this book a read?? This reader thinks so; plus the ending is absolutely wondrous.
3.75 stars
I will admit this right from the start...this book is very hard to review. So many aspects of the plot are so diverse that I am at a loss to even attempt to put my feelings and my interpretations on them. But I will note that this book was MOST interesting.
If I "understand" the authors' meanings correct, the basic plot (how I hate to say that) revolves around a man, Dion, who was once a God among the other Gods when Gods were still worshiped by man. (And I am not speaking of God as we think of a singular God today, By the Gods like Neptune, Zeus and Pandora.) Dion, who awakens on a road totally naked with no memory of how he got there, his name or his past. Before him is a large car with a single note inside on the drivers' seat stating that he is to drive the car on this same road until it ends, then drive some more. He is not to exit the car for any reason or "there will be severe consequences."
Our unnamed MC, at this point, follows the notes' instructions. But after awhile, he stops, exits the car and walks into a cornfield, where he spots a scarecrow with some weather-worn clothing. He takes the clothes and turns around to see to men materialize out of a murder of crows, one of whom proceeds to beat the living sh*t out of him. The other man explains to him, as he lays bleeding and broken in the muddy cornfield, that the notes' statement about consequences is this: you will be beaten worse and worse with each transgression. So keep driving and don't stop.
During the beating, Dion looses consciousness and falls into hell. He dreams that this hell is being overtaken by a grey mud that is destroying everything in its' path. He receives help in this alternate world from a goat with a single glowing horn in the middle of his forehead. He converses with Plato, Socrates and Aristotle as the grey mud quickly devours their cave.
The remainder of the novel follows these preset scenes. Every time Dion leaves the car, he is brutally beaten to near death, falls into hell and meets with another entity, place or planet. And he soon discovers there is someone or something in the trunk of the car that he begins to communicate via a series of knocks of varying volume.
There is so much more that occurs in this book and I do not want to give away everything or you might not want to read this fine piece of literary work. I will admit that at times I did get lost, but the author always put me back on track further along the plot.
But just to discover what/who is in the trunk, which Dion knows will either change the human world or destroy it completely, is it not worth giving this book a read?? This reader thinks so; plus the ending is absolutely wondrous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2019
Strange
This was a very strange and weird story. It took me a while to get into it, and initially I did not like it. But I grew to love it. Our hero, Dion, is on a "road trip" like no other. He finds himself in some strange area, with complete amnesia, instructed to drive. He is warned not to stop or he will be severely punished. On the trip he has many strange and enlightening adventures. This was a very imaginative and well written book.
This was a very strange and weird story. It took me a while to get into it, and initially I did not like it. But I grew to love it. Our hero, Dion, is on a "road trip" like no other. He finds himself in some strange area, with complete amnesia, instructed to drive. He is warned not to stop or he will be severely punished. On the trip he has many strange and enlightening adventures. This was a very imaginative and well written book.
October 16, 2019
Amazing
This book blew me away. The ideas and philosophies it throws at you really make you think. It also took me a long time to realize what dion was short for lol
This book blew me away. The ideas and philosophies it throws at you really make you think. It also took me a long time to realize what dion was short for lol
May 3, 2017
There is clear evidence of hard work, endless researching and quite a bit of maturity to be found in Jonathan Maas' latest book, Dion: A Tale of the Highway. The story opens in the barest, most confusing fashion possible, for both reader and character. Dion awakes on the side of a road, completely naked and unsure of who his is and where he’s at and most importantly, how he got there. A strange dream still lingers on his memory. Besides him there is a car and in the car, a note:
“Drive this vehicle. Drive along this road, in the direction that the vehicle is pointed now. Drive until this road ends, and then drive some more”
That’s not creepy, right?
I thought initially, okay, this is going to be a travelogue about Dion, and along the way he’ll meet some people and do some things and they all learn something about themselves and the world around them. Maybe a subtle and modern tip of the hat to Kerouac. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This story is so packed full of mystery, mythology, incredible philosophical ideas and millions of punches and kicks to the stomach, that by page 50 I had to watch funny cat videos on YouTube to ensure I’d get to sleep that night.
Jonathan Maas likes his mythology and he’s damn good at relaying and even manipulating it into a clever story of his own. Readers will once again experience the mastery of Maas’ tireless research, breathing new life into otherwise dead characters and making them original, lovable, relatable and even more loathsome than before.
But I digress. Back to Dion.
Dion likes to party. He also like to drink, and if you let him, he’ll talk your ears off about the benefits of alcohol and more precisely wine. I will not lie and say that I haven’t had more urges to enjoy a glass than before I read this book, however I will say that I have come to appreciate the taste and smell more, now that I’ve read this book.
One especially great feature in this book are the trailing footnotes. They’re a compendium of thoughts, truths, ideas and otherwise good bits of knowledge that help the reader along the way. There is a clear separation from the main story and the footnotes, but I found that the footnotes often enhanced a scene or description.
Along Dion’s journey he has a handful of outer body experiences that are flooded with incredible descriptions of faraway places, other worlds, Hell itself and even as far back as before mankind even graced this beautiful planet. Dion is met with difficult choices that bare the weight of quite literally the entire world, lost love and even facing the disappointment of a parent, but our man Dion does it all with grace and style and above all with a glass of wine on his hand.
“Drive this vehicle. Drive along this road, in the direction that the vehicle is pointed now. Drive until this road ends, and then drive some more”
That’s not creepy, right?
I thought initially, okay, this is going to be a travelogue about Dion, and along the way he’ll meet some people and do some things and they all learn something about themselves and the world around them. Maybe a subtle and modern tip of the hat to Kerouac. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This story is so packed full of mystery, mythology, incredible philosophical ideas and millions of punches and kicks to the stomach, that by page 50 I had to watch funny cat videos on YouTube to ensure I’d get to sleep that night.
Jonathan Maas likes his mythology and he’s damn good at relaying and even manipulating it into a clever story of his own. Readers will once again experience the mastery of Maas’ tireless research, breathing new life into otherwise dead characters and making them original, lovable, relatable and even more loathsome than before.
But I digress. Back to Dion.
Dion likes to party. He also like to drink, and if you let him, he’ll talk your ears off about the benefits of alcohol and more precisely wine. I will not lie and say that I haven’t had more urges to enjoy a glass than before I read this book, however I will say that I have come to appreciate the taste and smell more, now that I’ve read this book.
One especially great feature in this book are the trailing footnotes. They’re a compendium of thoughts, truths, ideas and otherwise good bits of knowledge that help the reader along the way. There is a clear separation from the main story and the footnotes, but I found that the footnotes often enhanced a scene or description.
Along Dion’s journey he has a handful of outer body experiences that are flooded with incredible descriptions of faraway places, other worlds, Hell itself and even as far back as before mankind even graced this beautiful planet. Dion is met with difficult choices that bare the weight of quite literally the entire world, lost love and even facing the disappointment of a parent, but our man Dion does it all with grace and style and above all with a glass of wine on his hand.
Read
April 4, 2017impossible to put down great story
August 6, 2018
Author Jonathan Maas gifted me this book a while back without expectation of a review, but hey it's what I do.
Dion: A Tale Of The Highway; what to say about this book. It totally blew me away! I personally like stories of a lone character on a quest, it speaks to my favorite fantasy of being the "last man on earth".
There are so many things going on in this simple precept: a lone man being forced to "Drive until this road ends, and then drive some more" (pg 24).
Our hero doesn't remember who he is or why he is where he is, but he has some wild encounters along his way. In the beginning, the book started to sound like a treatise on climate change and I got a bit worried (not my kind of story), but it quickly left that tone behind.
Dion: A Tale Of The Highway is pure fantasy, with so many underlying themes that those readers who enjoy dissecting such things will find a treasure trove here. We have the mythology of ancient gods, currant social conditions, far-flung cosmic connections, philosophy and the full range of human emotion.
I did figure out who Dion was early on, which tells me it was probably no great secret to begin with. Sherlock Holmes I'm not (but then a blind squirrel does find an acorn now and then, right?).
The writing is so evocative that I could watch the story unfold completely in my minds eye (since the title of my blog is "Theater of the Mind", this is right in my wheelhouse).
Dion goes to Hell and back (repeatedly) to complete the quest. There are various factions vying to control the outcome of his quest and Dion struggles with figuring out who is actually right. Author Maas does an incredible job of weaving together so many different ideas, emotions, and agendas into a coherent and wildly entertaining tale.
Having read Mr. Maas' two City of Gods books and enjoying them thoroughly (I gave them 5 stars each), I was stunned by Dion: A Tale Of The Highway, it caught me completely off-guard. It breaks from City's mold and is such a strong story I have to say it is my favorite Jonathan Maas book so far. In fact I will go so far as to say it makes my top ten favorite books. When I had around fifty pages left to read, I actually forced myself to stop for the night. I just didn't want it to end. I prolonged my time in his world one more day.
Okay, enough gushing. Dion: A Tale Of The Highway by Jonathan Maas is an incredible read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mythic fantasy. You will not be disappointed! Enjoy!
Dion: A Tale Of The Highway; what to say about this book. It totally blew me away! I personally like stories of a lone character on a quest, it speaks to my favorite fantasy of being the "last man on earth".
There are so many things going on in this simple precept: a lone man being forced to "Drive until this road ends, and then drive some more" (pg 24).
Our hero doesn't remember who he is or why he is where he is, but he has some wild encounters along his way. In the beginning, the book started to sound like a treatise on climate change and I got a bit worried (not my kind of story), but it quickly left that tone behind.
Dion: A Tale Of The Highway is pure fantasy, with so many underlying themes that those readers who enjoy dissecting such things will find a treasure trove here. We have the mythology of ancient gods, currant social conditions, far-flung cosmic connections, philosophy and the full range of human emotion.
I did figure out who Dion was early on, which tells me it was probably no great secret to begin with. Sherlock Holmes I'm not (but then a blind squirrel does find an acorn now and then, right?).
The writing is so evocative that I could watch the story unfold completely in my minds eye (since the title of my blog is "Theater of the Mind", this is right in my wheelhouse).
Dion goes to Hell and back (repeatedly) to complete the quest. There are various factions vying to control the outcome of his quest and Dion struggles with figuring out who is actually right. Author Maas does an incredible job of weaving together so many different ideas, emotions, and agendas into a coherent and wildly entertaining tale.
Having read Mr. Maas' two City of Gods books and enjoying them thoroughly (I gave them 5 stars each), I was stunned by Dion: A Tale Of The Highway, it caught me completely off-guard. It breaks from City's mold and is such a strong story I have to say it is my favorite Jonathan Maas book so far. In fact I will go so far as to say it makes my top ten favorite books. When I had around fifty pages left to read, I actually forced myself to stop for the night. I just didn't want it to end. I prolonged my time in his world one more day.
Okay, enough gushing. Dion: A Tale Of The Highway by Jonathan Maas is an incredible read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mythic fantasy. You will not be disappointed! Enjoy!
March 9, 2017
This book is amazing. It made me think and feel and want to drink wine. It takes you half the book to find out who the main character IS and by the end of it you realize it wasn't about THEM at all but about being human and the worth of life and hope. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality and style of the writing. I have recommended this book to friends and will be reading it again in the foreseeable future.
August 17, 2019
Would Definitely Recommend
As someone who really enjoys Greek mythology, this was a modern spin on it that I enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this for someone who likes mythology and philosophy.
As someone who really enjoys Greek mythology, this was a modern spin on it that I enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this for someone who likes mythology and philosophy.
September 18, 2019
This book is actually oustanding.
April 3, 2017
Dion: A Tale of the Highway by Jonathon Maas is a dark tale of the influence of mythology and dreams. Dion the main character awakes from a dream not knowing who he is and is forced to take a car trip, driving where he is told, without question. The story has a bizarre quality of dreaming and surreal worlds, hell, heaven, and earth. Gods and other mythical creatures pop up through-out the tale and provides background and story continuity. The writing is descriptive and detailed. Breaks in the text help to emphasize parts of the story and help the reader make the many changes of setting and characters. Throughout the story Dion is driving the car that has a mystery locked in the trunk. Along the way Dion discovers his father is Zeus and that there is a civil war among the gods and the related magical beings. Dion is in the middle of the battle. In the end he remembers he is Dionysus, god of grape & wine, and he prevails.
September 17, 2017
Another one of my firstreads books.
I really wasn't taken with this book, it started off well with a man waking up naked on his own with a letter, a car and a car boot full of wine. In the letter he is told to get in the car and drive, to drive straight down the road, and then some more when he gets to the end of that road. He just has to keep driving. Along the journey he listens to some philosophical audio books he finds in the car, after discovering he has a guest in the back of the boot of his car, who can only communicate through thumping on the roof of the boot. Along the journey, whenever he breaks the rules he is terroized by crows that are following him behind watching his every move. There is more too it, but if you want to know more you can read it.
I really wasn't taken with this book, it started off well with a man waking up naked on his own with a letter, a car and a car boot full of wine. In the letter he is told to get in the car and drive, to drive straight down the road, and then some more when he gets to the end of that road. He just has to keep driving. Along the journey he listens to some philosophical audio books he finds in the car, after discovering he has a guest in the back of the boot of his car, who can only communicate through thumping on the roof of the boot. Along the journey, whenever he breaks the rules he is terroized by crows that are following him behind watching his every move. There is more too it, but if you want to know more you can read it.
January 27, 2023
Dion: A Tale of the Highway
A strange tale and very profound. I read this after another of this author's novels The Flare, which I enjoyed. As for this novel, I spent a lot of time rereading words, sentences and paragraphs as they compelled me to understand the importance of the message being written. It's a wondrous book and very unique and the only thing that really bothers me is after really reading this novel, it just...ends. There's so much to think on and, with the footnotes, actually study, and we get to the brink of where we are going and...it ends. A big disappointment for such a climb but I gave it a 4 as could be just me that wanted more and I did enjoy the ride.
A strange tale and very profound. I read this after another of this author's novels The Flare, which I enjoyed. As for this novel, I spent a lot of time rereading words, sentences and paragraphs as they compelled me to understand the importance of the message being written. It's a wondrous book and very unique and the only thing that really bothers me is after really reading this novel, it just...ends. There's so much to think on and, with the footnotes, actually study, and we get to the brink of where we are going and...it ends. A big disappointment for such a climb but I gave it a 4 as could be just me that wanted more and I did enjoy the ride.
February 5, 2017
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read! It isn't a quick easy read but this is good as there is much for the reader to digest within the pages. It is a very dark fantasy that mixes elements of sci-fi and mythology into a story that becomes more and more mesmerising as the pages turn. We tread the path of minor philosophy, space and time travel, we join demons on the chase for their brutal entertainment, Gods and demi-gods seeking to escape and preserve the world and we are with Dion when he throws the last party to show a human how to live. Throughout it all we meet Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pandora and many more - some there to help Dion but others there to stop him achieving the goal of retrieving his memories so that he can free the Titan, Prometheus.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone!
This is a Goodreads First Read
I definitely recommend this book to everyone!
This is a Goodreads First Read
January 11, 2017
got to say had never read any of Jonathan Maas books before but always been a fan of fantasy novels so was really pleased to have won a copy from goodreads ,the book is very well written with a good main character its easy to read and fairly fast paced a book that one want's too carry on reading to the very last page
December 29, 2019
The Author does an exquisite job kn mixing fiction and facts. This book could be considered very opinionated, but I see truth, philosophy,and reasoning. The storyline brought the drama and the message,but mostly every character brought it's truths fact and fiction into there arguments or speeches to Dion. There are 18 highlights from the book that gave me the most insight, and the ending has a partial bibliography of the books used in quoting facts.
*See all my Notes & Highlights
18 of 18 visible*
Dion: A Tale of the Highway
by Jonathan Maas
Started reading December 23, 2019
*Philosophy is within us all, and it is all of our responsibility.
*For not only
*must the philosopher overcome the stresses of the natural world to consider truth, but the philosopher must overcome one’s own nature as well.
*there’s a base truth in all of humanity’s past, and we are all both complicit and victims at once.
*“A perfect film minimizes dialogue, and lets action drive it,” says Kim. “A wordless script
*transcends language and culture, and can go straight to any audience’s heart.”
*What just happened in the moment between there and here? What happened to me, and who was I in that moment? If we can be remade, in
*the moments before our remaking, what are we, and where do we go?
*Every living creature is chased by their own personal pair of Crows. Every one.
*“Doubt makes a person work twice as hard to survive,” she says. “Slander makes them improve their skills of rhetoric to rebut the false
*words against them. Envy makes them buy things they can’t possibly afford, bringing out the impossible from this world. And aggression brings endless war—”
*There are demons roaming this earth, but there are gods who will help. There are monsters terrorizing humanity, but there must also be guardian angels who love humankind unconditionally. Socrates said wherever there is
*reason, there is light, but I can take his words further: there is always hope. It may come from truth, or it may have come from Pandora’s jar, but there is always hope.
*Partial Bibliography Here is a partial list of the works that have influenced this book in one way or another, either for factual basis, thoughts, or style. Alighieri, Dante, and Sean O'Brien. Inferno. London: Picador, 2006.
* Ballingrud, Nathan. North American Lake Monsters: Stories. Clarke, Arthur C., and Stanley Kubrick. 2001: A Space Odyssey. New York: New American Library, 1968. Dorst, Doug, and JJ Abrams. S. Canongate, 2013. Finlayson, Clive. The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died out and We Survived. Oxford: Oxford
*University Press, 2009. Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. Hawkins, Paula. The Girl on the Train. Ligotti, Thomas. Teatro Grottesco. London: Virgin Books, 2008. Neff, Douglas. Dante's Inferno In
*Modern English. Cork: BookBaby, 2011. Wade, Nicholas. Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors. New York: Penguin Press, 2006. The movie Locke The TV Series True Detective The Wine Writings of Ed M...This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
*Death, in particular their songs Dead of Winter and When the Crows Descend Upon You The band Steel Panther It’s always a partial bibliography with these things. I am sure I forgot something or someone. I...This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
*See all my Notes & Highlights
18 of 18 visible*
Dion: A Tale of the Highway
by Jonathan Maas
Started reading December 23, 2019
*Philosophy is within us all, and it is all of our responsibility.
*For not only
*must the philosopher overcome the stresses of the natural world to consider truth, but the philosopher must overcome one’s own nature as well.
*there’s a base truth in all of humanity’s past, and we are all both complicit and victims at once.
*“A perfect film minimizes dialogue, and lets action drive it,” says Kim. “A wordless script
*transcends language and culture, and can go straight to any audience’s heart.”
*What just happened in the moment between there and here? What happened to me, and who was I in that moment? If we can be remade, in
*the moments before our remaking, what are we, and where do we go?
*Every living creature is chased by their own personal pair of Crows. Every one.
*“Doubt makes a person work twice as hard to survive,” she says. “Slander makes them improve their skills of rhetoric to rebut the false
*words against them. Envy makes them buy things they can’t possibly afford, bringing out the impossible from this world. And aggression brings endless war—”
*There are demons roaming this earth, but there are gods who will help. There are monsters terrorizing humanity, but there must also be guardian angels who love humankind unconditionally. Socrates said wherever there is
*reason, there is light, but I can take his words further: there is always hope. It may come from truth, or it may have come from Pandora’s jar, but there is always hope.
*Partial Bibliography Here is a partial list of the works that have influenced this book in one way or another, either for factual basis, thoughts, or style. Alighieri, Dante, and Sean O'Brien. Inferno. London: Picador, 2006.
* Ballingrud, Nathan. North American Lake Monsters: Stories. Clarke, Arthur C., and Stanley Kubrick. 2001: A Space Odyssey. New York: New American Library, 1968. Dorst, Doug, and JJ Abrams. S. Canongate, 2013. Finlayson, Clive. The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died out and We Survived. Oxford: Oxford
*University Press, 2009. Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. Hawkins, Paula. The Girl on the Train. Ligotti, Thomas. Teatro Grottesco. London: Virgin Books, 2008. Neff, Douglas. Dante's Inferno In
*Modern English. Cork: BookBaby, 2011. Wade, Nicholas. Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors. New York: Penguin Press, 2006. The movie Locke The TV Series True Detective The Wine Writings of Ed M...This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
*Death, in particular their songs Dead of Winter and When the Crows Descend Upon You The band Steel Panther It’s always a partial bibliography with these things. I am sure I forgot something or someone. I...This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
November 6, 2016
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Jonathan Maas' latest novel, Dion - A Tale of the Highway, was a pleasant reading experience for me. It's a fine example of how intriguing and original fiction independent authors are capable of writing and how much imagination they have.
I consider Jonathan Maas to be one of the most intriguing and versatile independent authors to emerge during the recent years. He boldly blends fantasy and science fiction elements in an interesting and original way. He has his own unique writing style and he manages to surprise readers by writing about familiar themes and issues in an unexpected and entertaining way.
Because it's possible that there are readers out there who are not familiar with Jonathan Maas and his novels, I'll say a few words about him and his works. Jonathan Maas is an author who has written these four novels: City of gods - Hellenica, Spanners: The Fountain of Youth, Flare, and The Dog That Laid Eggs. Each of these novels is different from each other. He is also the director and writer of the fantasy/sci-fi/mystery film Spanners.
When I heard that Jonathan Maas is writing Dion - A Tale of the Highway, I was eager to read, because I've enjoyed reading the author's previous novels. I'm glad I had an opportunity to read it, because it's an entertaining and well-created novel. The author had come up with a story that is much darker and more mature than his previous stories.
Dion - A Tale of the Highway is a fantasy novel that combines elements of dark fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery fiction and mythology in a successful and enjoyable way. The story feels fresh and it remains fresh all the way until the end, because it's a fantastical quest for identity and remembrance.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- The story begins with a man having a bizarre dream in which he sees and experiences stange things. When he wakes up, he remembers everything about the dream. However, he doesn't remember who he is. He doesn't even remember his own name.
- When the man begins to tell his tale, he knows who he is and tells the tale as it happened, starting from the moment when he woke up on the long unnamed stretch of highway...
- At the beginning of the tale, the man remembers nothing. He doesn't know where he is, who he is or why he is on the highway. He is alone and naked, and there's a big car in front of him, but he doesn't why it is there. Everything is a mystery to him. He finds a message on the car seat, which instructs him to drive the vehicle and follow the road or there will be consequences. If he doesn't follow the instructions exactly as they've been written, there will be immediate consequences and they will get worse with every transgression. When he begins to drive the car and then pulls over to the side of the road, he disobeys the instructions and is soon reminded of what will happen to him if he doesn't obey them...
This is the beginning of a gradually unfolding story about a man who tries to make sense of what's going on and what has happened to him.
As many of us are probably aware of, several stories have been written about people who don't remember who they are, what has happened to them or what their names are, but finding a story with original elements is difficult. Fortunately, this story has originality and differs from many other stories.
When I read this novel, I noticed that there was something in it that reminded me of certain films by David Lynch and David Cronenberg. The author had a bit similar kind of style of exploring strange and unexpected happenings as these filmmakers (on certain levels the story felt strangely akin to their works). This surprised me, because I didn't expect anything to find anything like that in the story.
It's nice that the author has used a quote from the modern English translation of Dante's Inferno at the beginning of the novel, because it fits the story well and kind of sets the mood for the rest of the story.
I like the characterisation and the characters, because everything works well within the context of the strange story. The protagonist, Dion, is a well-created character and so are the minor characters. The cast of characters ranges all the way from people to mythological creatures (eg. this story features such characters as Pan the faun and Sami the satyr). Each of the minor characters adds fascination to the storyline.
I liked the author's way of writing about the protagonist's feelings of uncertainty and confusion about his situation, because he didn't remember anything about the previous happenings before waking up. The protagonist struggles with his memories and feelings while he tries to find out what he has done, what has happened to him and why he has to keep on driving forward.
I also liked to read about how the author wrote what the protagonist did and how he reacted to what happened to him during the car trip. He brought plenty of tension and intimacy to the story by writing about these things.
There's a dream-like atmosphere in this story that I found captivating. The shapeshifting crows, the mysterious thing in the trunk and the healing moonlight add strangeness to the storyline and emphasise its otherworldliness. The protagonist's dreams are fascinating in their strangeness, because he dreams of Hell and sees extraordinary things there.
It was nice that Jonathan has added a few philosophical elements to his story, because they add depth to the story and the make the reader question certain things. I like his way of combining elements of realism, fantasy and philosophy, because it feels fresh and effectively prevents the story from sliding into mediocrity.
The mythological elements were fascinating. I won't go into details about this matter, because I might end up revealing too much information about the story, but I can mention that reading about the mythological elements was captivating and they were an essential part of the story.
The use of footnotes works excellently, because they present the protagonist's "fully-aware" self. In my opinion, this is one of the few novels in which the footnotes emphasise the story and its uniqueness in a natural way.
The cover art by Mantos Lappas looks beautiful. The cover art ("The Crows' Gethsemane" by the author) that can be found at the back of the book also fits the story perfectly.
I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because I enjoyed reading it. I can recommend it to readers who are intrigued by dark and gradually unfolding speculative fiction stories with a good dose of mystery elements.
I think it's great that Jonathan Maas stays true to his own literary voice and gradually develops it. It has been nice to see him develop as an author over the last couple of years, because he has lots of imagination and he is not afraid of writing something different. I admire him for his ability to create original fiction by using familiar elements as the basis of his story.
Jonathan Maas' Dion - A Tale of the Highway is an entertaining and original novel that is something a bit different. It deserves to be read, because it is the author's best and most mature novel to date. It will delight those who are looking for a dark and mysterious story to read.
Good, original and mesmerising entertainment!
Jonathan Maas' latest novel, Dion - A Tale of the Highway, was a pleasant reading experience for me. It's a fine example of how intriguing and original fiction independent authors are capable of writing and how much imagination they have.
I consider Jonathan Maas to be one of the most intriguing and versatile independent authors to emerge during the recent years. He boldly blends fantasy and science fiction elements in an interesting and original way. He has his own unique writing style and he manages to surprise readers by writing about familiar themes and issues in an unexpected and entertaining way.
Because it's possible that there are readers out there who are not familiar with Jonathan Maas and his novels, I'll say a few words about him and his works. Jonathan Maas is an author who has written these four novels: City of gods - Hellenica, Spanners: The Fountain of Youth, Flare, and The Dog That Laid Eggs. Each of these novels is different from each other. He is also the director and writer of the fantasy/sci-fi/mystery film Spanners.
When I heard that Jonathan Maas is writing Dion - A Tale of the Highway, I was eager to read, because I've enjoyed reading the author's previous novels. I'm glad I had an opportunity to read it, because it's an entertaining and well-created novel. The author had come up with a story that is much darker and more mature than his previous stories.
Dion - A Tale of the Highway is a fantasy novel that combines elements of dark fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery fiction and mythology in a successful and enjoyable way. The story feels fresh and it remains fresh all the way until the end, because it's a fantastical quest for identity and remembrance.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- The story begins with a man having a bizarre dream in which he sees and experiences stange things. When he wakes up, he remembers everything about the dream. However, he doesn't remember who he is. He doesn't even remember his own name.
- When the man begins to tell his tale, he knows who he is and tells the tale as it happened, starting from the moment when he woke up on the long unnamed stretch of highway...
- At the beginning of the tale, the man remembers nothing. He doesn't know where he is, who he is or why he is on the highway. He is alone and naked, and there's a big car in front of him, but he doesn't why it is there. Everything is a mystery to him. He finds a message on the car seat, which instructs him to drive the vehicle and follow the road or there will be consequences. If he doesn't follow the instructions exactly as they've been written, there will be immediate consequences and they will get worse with every transgression. When he begins to drive the car and then pulls over to the side of the road, he disobeys the instructions and is soon reminded of what will happen to him if he doesn't obey them...
This is the beginning of a gradually unfolding story about a man who tries to make sense of what's going on and what has happened to him.
As many of us are probably aware of, several stories have been written about people who don't remember who they are, what has happened to them or what their names are, but finding a story with original elements is difficult. Fortunately, this story has originality and differs from many other stories.
When I read this novel, I noticed that there was something in it that reminded me of certain films by David Lynch and David Cronenberg. The author had a bit similar kind of style of exploring strange and unexpected happenings as these filmmakers (on certain levels the story felt strangely akin to their works). This surprised me, because I didn't expect anything to find anything like that in the story.
It's nice that the author has used a quote from the modern English translation of Dante's Inferno at the beginning of the novel, because it fits the story well and kind of sets the mood for the rest of the story.
I like the characterisation and the characters, because everything works well within the context of the strange story. The protagonist, Dion, is a well-created character and so are the minor characters. The cast of characters ranges all the way from people to mythological creatures (eg. this story features such characters as Pan the faun and Sami the satyr). Each of the minor characters adds fascination to the storyline.
I liked the author's way of writing about the protagonist's feelings of uncertainty and confusion about his situation, because he didn't remember anything about the previous happenings before waking up. The protagonist struggles with his memories and feelings while he tries to find out what he has done, what has happened to him and why he has to keep on driving forward.
I also liked to read about how the author wrote what the protagonist did and how he reacted to what happened to him during the car trip. He brought plenty of tension and intimacy to the story by writing about these things.
There's a dream-like atmosphere in this story that I found captivating. The shapeshifting crows, the mysterious thing in the trunk and the healing moonlight add strangeness to the storyline and emphasise its otherworldliness. The protagonist's dreams are fascinating in their strangeness, because he dreams of Hell and sees extraordinary things there.
It was nice that Jonathan has added a few philosophical elements to his story, because they add depth to the story and the make the reader question certain things. I like his way of combining elements of realism, fantasy and philosophy, because it feels fresh and effectively prevents the story from sliding into mediocrity.
The mythological elements were fascinating. I won't go into details about this matter, because I might end up revealing too much information about the story, but I can mention that reading about the mythological elements was captivating and they were an essential part of the story.
The use of footnotes works excellently, because they present the protagonist's "fully-aware" self. In my opinion, this is one of the few novels in which the footnotes emphasise the story and its uniqueness in a natural way.
The cover art by Mantos Lappas looks beautiful. The cover art ("The Crows' Gethsemane" by the author) that can be found at the back of the book also fits the story perfectly.
I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because I enjoyed reading it. I can recommend it to readers who are intrigued by dark and gradually unfolding speculative fiction stories with a good dose of mystery elements.
I think it's great that Jonathan Maas stays true to his own literary voice and gradually develops it. It has been nice to see him develop as an author over the last couple of years, because he has lots of imagination and he is not afraid of writing something different. I admire him for his ability to create original fiction by using familiar elements as the basis of his story.
Jonathan Maas' Dion - A Tale of the Highway is an entertaining and original novel that is something a bit different. It deserves to be read, because it is the author's best and most mature novel to date. It will delight those who are looking for a dark and mysterious story to read.
Good, original and mesmerising entertainment!
July 20, 2017
What to say about this book without giving too much away?
Usually, I do not really like books written from the narrator's perspective (first person singular); furthermore, anything too philosophical will after a while just make me skip passages (I know, I am horrible).
However, none of these applied here. The story, the narration, everything was just too interesting to even think about not liking the type of narration, or to be even slightly bored by too much philosophy.
We have Dion, the main protagonist and storyteller, waking up in a desert, with no clothes, no recollection of who he is or why he is there, just a car with a written instruction (and some bottles of wine) to drive it, and follow the road until the end. Any transgression would be punished swiftly, and harshly.
The reader follows Dion on this road, and together with him discovers who he is, why he is in this situation, what happened before, and what he wanted to happen originally. All this - as usual! - narrated in such a way that the reader is glued to the pages until the very end.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the numerous footnotes, which according to the author were not necessary to follow the story, but gave such a lot of more information and insight into Dion's way of thinking, it would be a pity to have missed them.
I could go on and on, explaining why I loved certain passages or footnotes, or dialogues, but that would be giving too many spoilers.
My advice? Get this book, read it and follow the developments together with Dion, having the same clues as he has, and follow the road as far as it goes....and perhaps a little bit further?
Usually, I do not really like books written from the narrator's perspective (first person singular); furthermore, anything too philosophical will after a while just make me skip passages (I know, I am horrible).
However, none of these applied here. The story, the narration, everything was just too interesting to even think about not liking the type of narration, or to be even slightly bored by too much philosophy.
We have Dion, the main protagonist and storyteller, waking up in a desert, with no clothes, no recollection of who he is or why he is there, just a car with a written instruction (and some bottles of wine) to drive it, and follow the road until the end. Any transgression would be punished swiftly, and harshly.
The reader follows Dion on this road, and together with him discovers who he is, why he is in this situation, what happened before, and what he wanted to happen originally. All this - as usual! - narrated in such a way that the reader is glued to the pages until the very end.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the numerous footnotes, which according to the author were not necessary to follow the story, but gave such a lot of more information and insight into Dion's way of thinking, it would be a pity to have missed them.
I could go on and on, explaining why I loved certain passages or footnotes, or dialogues, but that would be giving too many spoilers.
My advice? Get this book, read it and follow the developments together with Dion, having the same clues as he has, and follow the road as far as it goes....and perhaps a little bit further?
May 22, 2017
Debated between three or four stars on this novel. It takes off and is exceptionally interesting and hard to put down. . . Except for the footnotes, yes you could ignore them there's very little that drives the story in them but they do, as the narrator, Dion, states add something to the story as a whole but 98 footnotes? Ninety eight? Isn't that just a little distracting jumping back and forth in and out of the storyline? By the way, I knew who Dion was after the 5th or 8th in depth reference to wine but I read a lot.
As I said the story really grabs you and rips along until Dion comes to a gas station and decides to throw a party. I somewhat understand why but right in the middle of the action the book shifts into neutral and just coasts along for far too long. Too much inane and needless chatter although some important information is passed along it, at least to me, takes far too long to get to.
The book ends but it doesn't. I don't see a sequel coming out of this. What happens after the 'end' is entirely up to (I hope) the reader's imagination you're given more than enough information to write the next part of the tale in your head and I like the idea that each and everyone of us will continue the story in our own unique style. Other than the slow down of the party the rest of the book paces well and is very well written. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this author, he's something special.
As I said the story really grabs you and rips along until Dion comes to a gas station and decides to throw a party. I somewhat understand why but right in the middle of the action the book shifts into neutral and just coasts along for far too long. Too much inane and needless chatter although some important information is passed along it, at least to me, takes far too long to get to.
The book ends but it doesn't. I don't see a sequel coming out of this. What happens after the 'end' is entirely up to (I hope) the reader's imagination you're given more than enough information to write the next part of the tale in your head and I like the idea that each and everyone of us will continue the story in our own unique style. Other than the slow down of the party the rest of the book paces well and is very well written. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this author, he's something special.
August 12, 2022
Giving this a rating was difficult, because depending on which aspect of the book I'm focusing on, it could be a 3, 4, 5, or any of the half-numbers in between. I went with four as the middle ground; it deserves better than a 3 but I wouldn't put it all the way to a 5 overall, so here we are.
This is an absolutely genius modern reworking of Greek myth, with references from other cultures and belief systems as well. It took a bit for me to actually understand what was going on; I had a very different idea of who Dion and his "Father" were at the beginning, before I finally started to catch on later. And I was embarrassingly far into the book before I clicked on who Dion represented, and I felt more than a little dumb that it took me half the book to put the clues together. It wasn't until he name-dropped his "brother" that I was able to work it out. Oy, that was an embarrassment.
Although I know what happened, in that I understand the plot, I'm still not sure I know what happened, in the larger sense. There's no indication that there's going to be a sequel, which makes me sad, but I also understand it. This is such a unique story told in such a highly specific way, I'm not sure that a second book would work.
Parts of this actually reminded me of "Preacher" (the AMC series version), although I can't explain why without revealing major spoilers and pretty much wrecking the whole book. So I'll just leave it at that.
This is an absolutely genius modern reworking of Greek myth, with references from other cultures and belief systems as well. It took a bit for me to actually understand what was going on; I had a very different idea of who Dion and his "Father" were at the beginning, before I finally started to catch on later. And I was embarrassingly far into the book before I clicked on who Dion represented, and I felt more than a little dumb that it took me half the book to put the clues together. It wasn't until he name-dropped his "brother" that I was able to work it out. Oy, that was an embarrassment.
Although I know what happened, in that I understand the plot, I'm still not sure I know what happened, in the larger sense. There's no indication that there's going to be a sequel, which makes me sad, but I also understand it. This is such a unique story told in such a highly specific way, I'm not sure that a second book would work.
Parts of this actually reminded me of "Preacher" (the AMC series version), although I can't explain why without revealing major spoilers and pretty much wrecking the whole book. So I'll just leave it at that.
September 5, 2017
I didn't finish the book. In fact, I removed it from my Kindle. With my husband's feedback, I realize now who the main character really is. I won't give that away, but I do suspect that no matter how much wine he puts away, he'll never be drunk.
I don't understand all the high ratings because this is less of a narrative than an attempt at a philosophy book. Fine, if you want the author's philosophy of life. Not fine if you want to read a novel. Robert Pirsig succeeds at a great story with philosophy woven in. This writer is not Pirsig.
The characters lack depth, development, or desirability. I guess I read about 30% of the book. Didn't want to spend any more time in this literally hell-bent story. Don't even start this book unless you enjoy pretension disguised as suspense.
I don't understand all the high ratings because this is less of a narrative than an attempt at a philosophy book. Fine, if you want the author's philosophy of life. Not fine if you want to read a novel. Robert Pirsig succeeds at a great story with philosophy woven in. This writer is not Pirsig.
The characters lack depth, development, or desirability. I guess I read about 30% of the book. Didn't want to spend any more time in this literally hell-bent story. Don't even start this book unless you enjoy pretension disguised as suspense.
April 30, 2023
This book is hard to classify: mystery, hallucinatory trip, fantasy, science fiction, myth? Whatever you decide I'm sure most would admit that this book is original. I personally haven't read anything quite like it. It is this originality which really kept me reading. You never quite know what will happen next, or where things will go.
The only criticism I would have is that the footnotes were unnecessary and distracting. I should note though that the author says that the footnotes are optional reading. I quickly gave up looking them up and found the book completely readable and enjoyable without.
If you have an imagination this novel is for you, but if you want hard boiled reality stay well clear. I am happy to award this novel 4 stars.
The only criticism I would have is that the footnotes were unnecessary and distracting. I should note though that the author says that the footnotes are optional reading. I quickly gave up looking them up and found the book completely readable and enjoyable without.
If you have an imagination this novel is for you, but if you want hard boiled reality stay well clear. I am happy to award this novel 4 stars.
August 8, 2018
This was such a fun book... a tale of biblical era crisis for the modern age. It's a fast-paced, well-written read with many threads; heaven, hell, deities and demigods and of course the multiplicity of humans whose belief has given them this power. Thus, there are many conflicts and resolutions and mysteries revealed and answered. But the thing that makes this novel most special is your ability to identify with the first person protagonist, Dion, and following him on his long path to answer the biggest conflict posed here - who am I? Like cars, wine, supernatural parties and frequent visits to hell? Dion will be your guide.
November 20, 2016
A very good read indeed, to hold a high level of tension whilst covering philosophical issues isn't easy (and this occasionally slows the pace), but this book delivers very well overall. It deals with big issues - it draws from and develops mythology in a skillfull way - it has a cinematic feel - it is it's own book.
The villains are monstrous, and the hero is a driver on a quest, but without control of his own direction, and a persistent drinker to boot! I doubt you have read anything quite like it, enjoy.
The villains are monstrous, and the hero is a driver on a quest, but without control of his own direction, and a persistent drinker to boot! I doubt you have read anything quite like it, enjoy.
December 8, 2018
From reading the description the story interested me but I got so much more than I bargained for. We are talking characters from mythology written in such a way that it leaves you breathless. The story takes you on a journey of both soul and mind that is just to much to take on the first read through, so I may just read this a few more times to be able to take it all in. This is not a simple read but if you are looking for something with true depth, this is the story for you.
June 16, 2017
I've read all of Jonathan's books so far, and have liked 4 of them. Loved this one. It took me a while to actually get to it, but once I started it, it was hard to put it down. I actually figured out about a third of the way through who the protagonist was, but it did not make me enjoy it any less. A great story by an amazing author.
September 6, 2018
Omg my head hurts
I finished this book ONLY because there were brief moments of interest. Then once again I was plunged into the abyss. This book reads like , I don't know what. Parts were able to grab your interest giving a glimpse of what could be. Then you were left to sludge through existential drivel. The "surprise" at the end was no big surprise.
I finished this book ONLY because there were brief moments of interest. Then once again I was plunged into the abyss. This book reads like , I don't know what. Parts were able to grab your interest giving a glimpse of what could be. Then you were left to sludge through existential drivel. The "surprise" at the end was no big surprise.
January 14, 2019
Interesting
Dion, no memory of who he is or where he came from. But because we are who we are at our base core we must do what we feel. This is a book that attempts to explain that statement. I was entertained reading this, I thrown into the metaphors and mythological refers spread throughout this book. While it was a good book I don't think I will read part 2 of there is one
Dion, no memory of who he is or where he came from. But because we are who we are at our base core we must do what we feel. This is a book that attempts to explain that statement. I was entertained reading this, I thrown into the metaphors and mythological refers spread throughout this book. While it was a good book I don't think I will read part 2 of there is one
October 7, 2024
This was a hard book for me to get into the story line. It was different from what I normally read but I did get into the story. It was a good vs evil! Which way will Dion turn? You won't figure it out until the end, no clues are given until the very end. Great writing, I will definitely check out more books by Mr. Maas.
January 8, 2017
Another interesting look at the morality and choices of mankind. Complete with philosophical discussions and dissertations by three of the greatest philosophers in history.
By far Jonathan's most out of this world work and a wonderfully compelling read.
By far Jonathan's most out of this world work and a wonderfully compelling read.
September 22, 2018
This was an interesting novel. Any answers to initial questions don't show up right away, they are slowly revealed, leaving the reader wanting to read more until you figure everything out. You just keep coming back, no matter how many times you set it aside.
*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*
*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews