Review: An epic search for the meaning that leaves the reader at times breathless but always turning the page
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 1, 2011
HONOR AND ENTROPY is search for the meaning of life that leaves the reader at times breathless but always turning the page.Written by an author who has spent over half his life in the Far East, HONOR AND ENTROPY by Arthur Spevak, with an introduction by J.E. Rainey, and, I suspect, the supplier of Spevak's words, is an epic novel in the picaresque, episodic tradition, with Homeric echoes, a coming of age novel.After he joins the Marines and lands in Vietnam where his acts of bravery and treachery merit a Medal of Honor nomination and a dishonorable discharge, Telly Brensen searches for his father, Ulysses, missing since WWII.Most of the action occurs on the battlefields of Vietnam and in the jungles of Borneo. In fact, so vivid is the sense of place that the Far East becomes a character in this work. For the most part the story is told using the first-person point of view by Telly's friend and the novel's protagonist, Arthur Spevak, himself a tortured soul with his own character arc.At the center of HONOR AND ENTROPY is a boy's longing for his father, the quest for a perfect world. Told in rich prose and with a distinctive voice by an author who has a deep grasp of the English language, it is a military novel, a search for truth in a world torn by war. There are moments of high prose, a few of low comedy, most of them pulled off brilliantly, other scenes that border on the inscrutable, but the quest is compelling, the characters, engaging. Arthur Spevak's first-person narrative is humorous, often profound, if at times overlong.There are several story lines which interleave, arc, and may sometimes be confusing to the reader. Although its length is formidable, the story keeps the reader wondering what happens next; and while the HONOR AND ENTROPY questing genre lies outside my usual choice of reading, I found myself captivated by the twists and turns, as well as the dichotomy and ultimate blending of traits in the characters.Themes include the search for truth in a world seemingly devoid of meaning, the redemptive value of honor and justice in a world where events morph into their opposite.If you are a military history buff, especially of World War II and Vietnam, HONOR AND ENTROPY is a must read. If you are into questing and Homeric myths that happen in geographically vivid areas of the real world, you will not want to miss it: HONOR AND ENTROPY by Arthur Spevak, with an introduction by J.E. Rainey.