First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monsterous Regiment of Women

Unlike the Paradise Motel, which I recently reviewed, this book (I don't have the energy to type the title) is an actual novel, not a connected series of stories. True, McCormack can't resist rolling out the story told in Patagonia again--if you've read "Inspecting the Vaults" or "Paradise Motel" you know what I'm talking about, but he gives it in a very concise version this time. It is peripheral to the story, which concerns Andrew Halfnight, a Scottish lad who lives through an unlikely series of disasters, crimes, accidents, illnesses, love affairs, families, friendships, and mostly--coincidences. It would be folly to try to summarize the plot of the novel. If not for McCormack's way with words and his effortless creation of show more fascinating characters and settings, a reader would lose interest. But here, you just have to read on (or listen, as I did, to the fabulous audiobook version). No spoilers, but the ending here is quite satisfactory, so all your enjoyment won't be ruined on the last page. McCormack has become one of my favorite authors, after I first encountered him through a short story in an anthology. Now I'm on my way to reading his complete works--which aren't that many. He doesn't seem to have a very wide readership, at least in the United States. If you enjoy works of supreme imagination, sparkled through with esoterica and 17th century literary references, look no further. You can't go wrong with McCormack. show less

see http://www.sfsite.com/07a/1st36.htm