Paul A. Toth’s third novel, FINALE, is full of appealing promises. But Toth seems to go out of his way to make them difficult to accept. The Raw Dog Screaming Press release presents itself as a road novel, a journey of self assessment and discovery, and an irreverent commentary on love. But Toth’s techniques become so off-putting that we find ourselves doubting his intentions as the story unfolds.
Jonathan Thomas, the novel’s narrator, receives a strange, threatening letter signed with the initials M. W. He’s certain the letter was sent by Mary Whitcomb, an ex-girlfriend. So he immediately resurrects “The Wanderer,” his persona prior to married life with Rosie in Northern California, and drives to San Diego to confront Mary.
Once located, Mary denies sending the letter. So Jonathan embarks on a trek from one end of California to the other, in search of his previous lovers, positive that the correspondence came from one of them.
Toth counts down the chapters of the novel from eight to zero, as Jonathan reunites with these old girlfriends and their quirky personalities and lifestyles. But convinced as well that his journey has opened a “personal fault line,” Toth has Jonathan separate each descending chapter with internal “Earthquake” chapters — a sort of reflective, free-verse poem — rising in magnitude from 1.0 to 8.0.
Tracing one’s personal history through former relationships is hardly a new idea (Nick Hornby’s HIGH FIDELITY is just one recent example), but we go along with it here, thanks mostly to Jonathan’s narrative voice. It’s predominately deadpan, but brimming over with insightful, often culturally hip observations of his former lovers, the various minor characters he meets, and the contrasting landscape and scenery along his California journey.
But Toth can’t leave well enough alone. The earthquake motif, odd to begin with, becomes downright intrusive. And those interceding poems quickly become incomprehensible and irritating. Then, as the chapters near zero and the quakes rise in strength, Toth introduces the notion that the letter and everything that follows has been a scheme carried out by Jonathan’s former lovers and masterminded by one particular woman whose presence and influence lurks periodically through the story. It’s nearly impossible to believe, as is the impressionistic rebirth and summation that sees Jonathan through chapter zero.
Toth is undeniably talented, and has all the makings of a notable force in contemporary fiction. But he needs to keep his cleverness in check and follow his FINALE with less pretentious, more subtle works. —Alan Cranis
Buy it at Raw Dog Screaming Press.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think people are used to reading the same old junk all the time. It is a fiction book, so anything is possible. And I don’t think Toth ever mentioned his concept of tracing a personal history through former relationships as a new idea. As to the poems…I believe they are more artistic and if you don’t get them try reading some other liturature other than something on the top ten list. Odd is different, and odd is interesting.
I would say this one is about as far away from the Top 10 list as one could get.
Last comment was basically: “Take THAT, person who disagrees with me on the Internet.”
If only belittling someone with a differing opinion was different and interesting.
R,
I belittled someone? Ha! I just happened to disagree, I thought I was allowed. Calling someones material pretentious is not belittling? I know writers give their all in their work, and it is not an easy task. I guess you caught me….oh, I’m afraid…and belittled, I guess neither one of us are different and interesting. Oh and FYI this is on the internet, I would still disagree if it were in person.
Christina
Belittle, insult, whatever. Semantics. You behaved like an ass because the guy had a different opinion than yours. You insinuated that he was an idiot because he didn’t get the poems, which was the fault of his only reading the top ten list.
There’s a way to disagree politely, like a polite person in the polite world. And there’s the Internet way to disagree.
The main thing I wanted to say was that you chose the second way. That’s all. Don’t go all Internet on me. okay?