Review: Gaining a Foothold on the World
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2011
Whether allegory or metaphor, author Jonathan Gould's novel, Doodling, is masterfully written with subtle touches of humor and thought-provoking insight.I didn't realize until the story ended that it was a short story (18K+ words) but within those several thousand words, Mr. Gould thoroughly covers every aspect of the story he chose to tell.When we first meet protagonist Neville Lansdowne, he is running to keep up with a forever faster spinning world. He finally loses his grip and tumbles, not unlike Alice, into another world. Unlike Alice, he moves from one world spinning out of control into a world that almost ceases to move.As Neville explores his choice of asteroids to select a new home, he encounters people both strange and likeable. My favorite group consists of the bicycle triplets: undistinguishable from one another though probably not related. I immediately thought of NFL football, played for decades by teams eager to win and each year demanding a do-over, saying the winning "didn't count" because they weren't the team that won.Though Neville is content to take leave a world spinning out of control, he soon learns that every situation or living arrangement develops some form of leadership paradigm. by accepting the role thrust upon him to save lives and asteroids, Neville moves one step closer to coming full circle in his own life.Brilliantly executed, Mr. Gould. For originality alone, you have earned your 5-star rating.