Review: A Mind-bending Literary Journey
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2013
Fantasy is a fertile breeding ground and a "spacious" place where one can explore and discuss even the most daring ideas. And while it's obvious the author, Tom Stafford, is well aware of that, the real achievement with `Quexistence: the Quest for the Meaning of Existence' is how the book deftly slips in otherwise hard-to-access ideas into the realm of the easily understandable and enjoyable. The result: a thoroughly entertaining book that leaves us deeply inspired to ask our own questions.`Quexistence' is a cleverly written story--I love how the book tries to flesh out the nature of time through Gork's interactions with Itbee, Ustubee and Yetubee. When Gork, for example, couldn't wait to meet Yetubee "not tomorrow, but today," it, made me chuckle: for some reason, the silvery fingers of truth dawned on my mind. Also, there's the quest with Charlie, which frankly compelled me to keep on turning the pages. But these are only the build-up to an increasingly complicated, riveting plot. I won't give out any spoilers here, but let me suffice it to say that the "quest" ends up in an intellectually and emotionally satisfying place.At bottom, Tom Stafford tackles serious philosophical issues about life, reality and time in a refreshingly and deceptively simple manner. On top of that, there's the irresistible element of true love--no discussion of lofty things is ever worth discussing without seeing these things from love's perspective. `Quexistence,' therefore, deserves nothing less than five stars.