Hi folks,
I never make two posts in a day, but I've just finished two remarkable books--the Allan Guthrie novel just before this (check it out following this post if you haven't already), and Paul D. Brazill's great new novella, DRUNK ON THE MOON.
Here's the review I posted on Amazon and Goodreads and some other places.
Yowza. I just bought Paul D. Brazill’s newest offering, DRUNK ON THE MOON, a couple of hours ago and read it all the way through, my mouth agape on every single page.
There are writers one reads for plot, for story, for strong characterization, for brilliant description, for brilliant dialog, for… all kinds of things. I read Mr. Brazill for all of those and more, but the thing I always look for in his work and am always amply rewarded is his writing. To wit, the way he turns a phrase, creates original-diginal language and so much “gooder” than any other writer I know. He’s the only writer I know who makes his work hard to read on a Kindle. Why? Because on just about every page I keep dropping it when I can’t help myself and clap my hands in delight.
Here’s just a few of the gems that are sprinkled liberally on almost every single page:
Nausea curdles away inside you.
…the migraine bright bathroom…
The oil slick of night…
Detective Ivan Walker flew in out of the storm like a murder of crows…
Suddenly, a sickly stew of screams and howls clung to the wind and drifted down to my car.
The moonlight oozed across The City’s dank cobblestones like quicksilver…
Days bled into weeks, which hemorrhaged into months, until the winter crept up and smothered the whiskey coloured autumn days with darkness.
Outside, a sharp sliver of moon garroted the coal black sky.
The winter moon hung fat and gibbous…
Dark dreams lapped at the shore of my sleep until I awoke drowning in sweat.
On the stage, partially clad young women slid around like spaghetti on an alcoholic’s plate.
He rolled the ‘r’ in grim like it was a chainsaw starting up.
I mean—who writes like that! Nobody. Nobody but Paul D. Brazill. As a writer, whenever I read one of his stories I feel like the pig who fell into a vat of sour cream. Brazill isn’t just a writer; he’s a poet and you can take any of his stories and write a master’s thesis on just the language employed.
As Emily Dickenson said about the very best of writing: It takes the top of my head off.
If you’re a writer, read Brazill at your peril. He’ll make you want to take your typewriter and go home and learn plumbing.
If you’re just a reader who loves brilliant writing, go right ahead. Be prepared to keep yelling out to your roommate, “Hey! You’ve got to read this!”
Over and over…
Get this one!
Blue skies,
Les
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3 comments:
"Gibbous" what a word! I hardly ever come across it, and what a pleasure it is to -- there's "full," "new," "void," "blue," and "hunter's" moons all over the place. But "Gibbous," well that's about the moon on its way to being but not quite full, a very positive word, I think, full of impending possibilities. A word worth using more often...
I gotta check out Brazill, these phrases read like he gets a kick out of the language's playground equipment and also more serious ways to "indicate precisely what you mean to say."
Brian, Paul D. Brazill is indeed, a writer who loves words. It's a singular treat to read him.
Thanks for this, Les and for the interest, Brian. I like to have fun and I like to have fun with words!
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