The Book of Names (Stories) by Royce Leville ISBN: 9783981624922
Published by Rippple Books on January 13th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Strange situations, unsolvable problems, secret lives, redemption and revenge.
Who are the people behind the names? Frankie, Pavel, Willard, Esmeralda, Milo, Shannon ... these are just some of the stories in The Book of Names. There’s a benevolent locksmith with keys to every lock in town. There’s a serial-killing vet who harvests his victims’ organs. A paediatrician battling her own imaginary friends. A group of men locked inside a container, stranded at a harbour somewhere. A performance artist who can open a bottle of champagne in an extraordinary way. And more. Royce Leville’s second book is a mesmerizing collection of the bizarre, the off-kilter, the strangely normal and the cleverly humorous.
Winner of the Australia/New Zealand category in the 2015 IPPYs.
MY THOUGHTS
This collection of short stories all titled by the characters’ names provides a dark look into what makes people tick. Some of the stories will leave you with giggles, other baffled and even more uncomfortable. I think my favorite story was Esmeralda in which a couple with obvious marital problems visit a circus which becomes so unbearable tense as the scene veers into performance art and goes down a really dark path. Frankie seems like it was ripped right off the front page of a newspaper, with men stuffed into a storage container, trying to get to a new land. Full of sinners and saints, they are shipped and refused.
This book is not for the weak. If you enjoy really odd humor, dark satire and enjoy reading about people’s discomfort, you have found your new favorite author. I really wish some of these were not just short stories but fully fleshed out with more character development. I am sure that some of the stories will leave you thinking about them for awhile.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Royce Leville is the author of ‘The Book of Names.’ One story from the collection, ‘Mikelis,’ is currently being made into a short film. His debut novel, ‘A Little Leg Work,’ won the fiction category and finished runner-up in the grand prize at the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
WANT TO WIN A COPY?
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