The Elliptical Grave

by R.A. Lafferty

100 pages, paperback

Published January 1, 1989

About the author

Raphael Aloysius Lafferty, published under the name R.A. Lafferty, was an American science fiction and fantasy writer known for his original use of language, metaphor, and narrative structure, as well as for his etymological wit. He also wrote a set of four autobiographical novels, a history book, and a number of novels that could be loosely called historical fiction.

Reviews

[Robert Wigard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried for years to acquire this book. And then, when I did, I found it a sort of slog to get through. A lot of his later books really traveling theological debates with a lot of Lafferty insanity. But it is really not insanity, it is sanity just rarely seen.

Most of it seems like babble until you grasp what is the element that the story revolves around. Then, when grasped, the book is no longer a slog, and you realize you will have to read it all over again - this time with both eyes open. I will not give away the element except to say the book is very aptly titled.

This book also contains some of the best Lafferty imagery I have come across to date. Some of it comical, some of it nightmarish - all of it entertaining.

It took me a while to come to grips with the material. Now that I have and finished it, I can't wait to read it again. This really might be one of his best!