Review: Excellent collection of interwoven stories.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 11, 2013
Full disclosure. Richard Godwin is a friend of mine. And I am a writer myself. That being said, I would never give a false review for any product. I do not profit in any way from the sale of this book. In fact, it might hurt me since Godwin is my friend...and competitor in letters. Point being, I am not a shill. This is a straight up review. It's sad that we must protest so much, but so be it.Godwin has a very unique style, especially in his short fiction. His prose is lyrical and beautiful, as beautiful as the subject matter is ugly and deranged. And that is part of the point. The other reviews covered the basics pretty well. This is a collection of connected stories. We follow the Mustard Man as he hacks his way through the hypocrisy of life. And tries to rid the world of immoral hypocrites with no sense of art or aesthetics. If you are used to reading long prose, this will be different. Godwin's short, staccato sentences jab, but he will be back to finish off with an uppercut. Count on that. Does the Mustard Man exist? That depends on how you look at it.Caveat. This is a harsh, violent book. It is supposed to be a harsh, violent book. If you do not like gore or descriptions of murder and cannibalism, you will not like this book. If, however, you can see past the shocking facade and see what Godwin is really getting at - a social commentary on the way we view art, ourselves, and our fellow man - you will enjoy this collection. You may even be amazed by it. Godwin is a fantastic writer. But it is some brutal stuff.I gave this book 4 stars because it is not polished to as high a sheen as 'Apostle Rising' and some of Godwin's other works. It is raw, rough, and edgy. That's not a negative for me, per se, but in interest of complete honesty, I feel it should be noted. If 'Apostle Rising' is a symphony, then this collection is a punk rock show where you are energized, amused, and a little scared that you might not make it back out of the pit. I made it out. And I'm glad I went in.