Review: Where Everybody Knows Your Name....
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
As soon as I started reading this book, I could only think of my son. Now, that might sound strange, but this is the sort of book and the sort of place that he would write/visit. Rick's Place was a haven for wanderers as much as for regulars, but most of all, it was a place where people could spend their time and talk about their lives without expectation or judgment. The setting is what attracted me, but the writing style is what kept me reading. The blend of short story style with poetry was brilliant, and it didn't seem contrived or intentionally effete; it came off as natural and flowed like a strange stream of consciousness from the author's mind. Different moments and subjects inspired him to alter his writing style; the mood of the bar and the tone of the conversations literally shifted the storytelling style. I thought it was a spectacular approach to writing such a strange and unforgettable book. I am not usually one for modern or alternative styles of narrative structure, but this worked on all the levels. There were a few moments that I stumbled (I can count them on one hand), but that is very likely my own fault as a reader not quite "getting it", and not a fault of the author for not handing it to me on a silver platter. I had to work a bit to appreciate and absorb what this book was all about, but it was worth the effort. I suggest you do the same. Akley's work will continue to make it into my reading lists.