Hugo Tate, alone in crowds, lost in his home country, decides to leave for America, to spend some time with his sister. There, he hangs around, get inevitably sickened by Americana, and accepts a job offer which will allow him to see more of the country. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
This work by Nick Abadzis is an extraordinary mix of dreams and reality, drawn by a hand which can express emotions with a natural talent, and written with all the intricate characterisation of any decent existentialist novel. The depth of characterisation, not just of Hugo and his journey-mate Larry, but of many incidental characters along the way, is incredible, and the entire experience is enough that the reader, when they finally put down the book, may feel slightly revolted by the story inside. Damn Fine Work, and no mistake.
Andrew These reviews are copyright the authors