Booze: A novel

An odd, slightly unsettling story with a hapless protagonist who reminds me a little bit of perspectives in George Trow's Bullies. The book is whimsical, occasionally discursive, but also bemusing and well worth a read. It's told by the protagonist in three sections, each of which is titled after a woman who figures prominently in terms of her impact on his life- but none of these impacts are positive, or even mostly-romantic. He's an introspective artist, and has a practical view of things - perhaps a little prone to sadness, but mostly alert to nonsense, though he strives hard to be respectful of other people to an amusing degree. Things happen around and to him, but the real pull of the story is what happens inside him - what he sees show more and how he feels about it. You can't help but chuckle at his gentle good humour and insistence on giving people the benefit of the doubt - even when it seems nearly impossible to do so. show less