Bathing the Lion by Jonathan Carroll
My rating: 4/5 cats
Josephine was the name Edmonds and his wife had chosen if they ever had a girl, Nevan for a boy. Lola had found the name “Nevan.” Edmonds had never heard it before. It meant “little holy one” in Gaelic. It was the sort of thing Lola loved—strange, beautiful, and obscure.
and if that isn’t a perfect description of jonathan carroll, i don’t know what is. reading a jonathan carroll book is a wonderful experience, and if he clicks for you, that’s great, because you always know what to expect: strange and perfect details, arcane facts, character asides and anecdotes that read like little spiritual/philosophical amuse-bouches, bull terriers, great and memorable lines on every other page, like the opening sentence in this one: Most men think they are good drivers. Most women think they are good in bed. They aren’t.
carroll is a fabulist of the highest order, and his spells are the kind that trap and delight a reader, transporting them into an irreal, but still recognizable world in which he tackles all the drama of life and relationships with unique examples of how to interpret and navigate them, like a more literary celestine prophecy. his work is recognizable from a mile off; i don’t know anyone who spins a story quite like him.
having said all that, if you haven’t read him, i wouldn’t recommend this one as your jumping-off point.
i know i gave it four stars cats, but half of one is out of the relief of having a new jonathan carroll novel to read after six years of waiting. and there is some fantastic material in here, but my one fault with his writing is that he rarely writes good endings, and this time, he started floundering a little earlier than usual. for an established jonathan carroll fan, this book is a gift—it’s textbook, vintage carroll, and every little thing that is great about him is on display. but to a newcomer, without the weight of associations propping it up with soft “oh there you are—i’ve missed you” fondness when those carrolly scenes unfold, it might read a bit slight, like a held-breath waiting for a climax that never quite comes.
the parts that are good are very very good, and i was definitely caught up in the book’s momentum, but it never came together for me the way his other books have. i am definitely going to buy it when it comes out and reread it in finished form to make sure i’m not just being an overly critical superfan who is holding him to unrealistic standards because of the perfection of books like A Child Across the Sky.
so, for his fans—a must-read. to the newbies—circle back to this one once you’ve got your carroll-goggles firmly in place. see you in october!
4/9 – is there a WANT TO READ LIKE CRAZY button?
5/8 – I AM HOLDING IT IN MY HAND OH MY GOD
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