Audiobook Review: A Strange Habit of Mind by Andrew Klavan

 

 I picked up When Christmas Comes, the first book in this series as a palate cleanser after an action-heavy thriller and was immediately enchanted by the mysterious protagonist Cam Winter, an English professor who is more than meets the eye. I was delighted to discover that a sequel was already written and grabbed the audiobook from my local library at the first opportunity.

While it helps to read these books in chronological order to get the full background on the main character, it's not strictly necessary. The framing of this story, just like the previous one, consist of therapy sessions, where Cam recounts crucial events from his past to his therapist, a much older woman who is remarkable in her own right Andrew Klavan is one of the few writers who can insert long flashbacks into an otherwise fast-paced story while still holding the reader's rapt attention, and in this case the technique works beautifully. The meandering nature of the sessions rings true to life. Even readers who'd never been in therapy know how our most important memories flow in and out of the back brain and the effect they have, obviously or not, on our present.

What we get, essentially, are two stories in one: the past and the present. In the past, Cam kills his best friend. In the present, he investigates an apparent suicide of his former student for whose fate he feels partly responsible.

If this sounds dark, it is. Klavan started out as a writer of hard-boiled noir thrillers, and is still able to take the reader to pitch-black places. However, since his conversion to Christianity, there is an added layer of hope and love of humanity that keeps me coming back too his work.

I noticed that this novel is classified as a mystery, and I suppose it technically is, but more in the mold of Colombo than Poirot. The culprit is known very early on, and it's only a matter of obtaining the proof. That doesn't make the story any less compelling, and the stakes are certainly as high as can be, but the nature of the tension is different.

The villain would not be out of place in an older James Bond movie, although not in the modern reincarnation of the franchise. If you read Klavan's portal fantasy Another Kingdom (which I highly recommend and have reviewed on my blog) you will likely see some similarities, and that's all I will say to avoid spoilers.

While the climax and the plot resolution are satisfying, the story takes its sweet time winding down, leaving us with plenty to think about the nature of good and evil, the line in between, and how a person might end up crossing one way or the other. With the protagonist being an Enlish professor, Klavan has an excuse to include more philosophy and poetry, literal and figurative than would be expected in the genre. If the story feels vaguely inconclusive, it's not only because the sequel is in the works, but also from the nature of the questions it leaves lingering in the reader's mind. And in these days of mostly disposable and forgettable entertainment, this is a rare gift indeed.

Book Review: Split by Kurt Schlichter

 

Split is book is #6 in the Kelly Turnbull series, but chronologically #2, picking up where Crisis left off, a short time after the country has been divided between "the blues" and "the reds." The main plot has Kelly infiltrating the recently formed People's Republic to get out a crazy scientist or failing that, get hold of the MacGuffin said scientist had squirreled away. Spolier: things don't go as planned, putting Kelly on a collision course with a couple of powerful players and hooking up with unlikely allies.

While being the grimmest, most violent book in the series so far (I hear #7 takes the prize in that regard), there are plenty of humorous references to certain real-life politicians and of course commentary on leftism run amok. My favorite running joke is one of the side characters spending most of his non-shooting time explaining to everyone that he's not Ben Shapiro. It's one of those little absurdities that is truly appreciated in the midst of continuous tension and bloodshed.

Much like the rest of the series, and probably more so, this is a dire warning against letting the "national divorce" fantasy of so many come to life. Most of the warning of this particular entry is directed at the Right, Schlichter's political allies, pointing out with ruthless certainty that having guns and the will to fight won't be enough for those caught on the "wrong" side of the breakup. (Earlier published and chronologically later Indian Country shows that resistance can be possible, but is still quite unflinching as to the cost.)

A couple of new characters are introduced of whom I'd like to see more in the remaining entries, and a few meet well-deserved demise, including one at the end that's both highly satisfying and possibly the worst imaginable way to die. As with the last few entries, Schlichter's progress as a writer is great to see. His characters are more fleshed out, the social commentary is more complex, and the action scenes are more immersive. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series soon.

Audioook Review: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, read by Denny Delk

 

 

I read this one in my pre-teen years, in Russian translation. I don't remember it making much of an impression, but back then I was more into "girl" books and was probably just too young to fully understand the story. I finally decided to check it out on audiobook, and so glad I did! In fact, I think it is best appreciated as an audiobook. The narrator does a spectacular job transporting you to the time and place, both by using the appropriate dialects (you actually get a warning at the start that the characters will speak differently) and by the general tone and attitude.

The story is a classic and literary criticism of it is widely available, so I will only give my general impression of what, to me, makes it worth a fresh look.

While many consider it THE Great American Novel, it fell out of favor lately, another victim of cancel culture and presentism. And in truth, take the offending word out, and it still asks questions which our advanced society hasn't resolved in a satisfactory manner. How many of us would stand by a friend in defiance of propriety, societal norms, and religious teachings? How many would matter-of-factly accept condemnation in this life and damnation in the next? I think that's the real reason this novel, while both fun and exquisitely written, might be too unsettling for modern sensibilities.

And that's a shame, really, because we need more stories like this one, especially for the younger generation, and especially for boys: a thrilling, engaging adventure that's also thought-provoking, with a lot of heart and faith in humanity at its core. That said, I recommend it to anyone, including those who read it at a young age. Check it out again, and if you can, get your hands on an unabridged audiobook. You'll very likely be surprised at what you find.

Book Review: Crisis by Kurt Schlichter

 

 Chronologically first in the series, but I now see why the author recommends for it to be read later on. After the satire-heavy Inferno, the change in tone is striking. This one is unrelentingly dark and more plausible now than when it was written. After reading Crisis, it's impossible to keep accusing the author of "wishful thinking" as there's zero doubt it's only a tale of dire warning.

That said, with the knowledge that the series ends with the country coming back together, it's a fairly enjoyable read. The pacing, characterization and action are all solid. As an author myself, I appreciate watching Kurt's writing skills improve with every new entry. Moving on to The Split next since this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

I shelved it under dystopia on GR because it's "The US Gone Bad" premise, but the beats and style are more those of a military/political thriller. Fans of both genres will find it worthy of their time.