So you’ve died tens of thousands of times, and every time you’ve met the same aspect of death, and somewhere in there you’ve fallen in love with each other. You’ve married thousands of people (maybe more) during life, but Suzie (Death) is your soulmate. That is the existence of Milo, Michael Poore’s main character in “Reincarnation Blues.”
Besides waking up at the river in the afterlife with Suzie by his side, Milo is accustomed to being found by a couple of universe fragments, whom he calls Mama and Nan. Mama is a big round earth mother, while Nan is an old, twiggy cat lady. Their jobs are to help Milo reach Perfection in life. Throughout Milo’s lives, he’s accumulated the wisdom of the past and the future (which are illusions according to Mama and Nan), of humans and animals, and of many, many cultures.
“Reincarnation Blues” takes the reader through too many of these lives to count. Some are funny, some are heartbreaking, and all are thought-provoking. What does it mean to reach Perfection? What does Milo have to do to get there? What is the life of a catfish?
I would highly recommend this book to aspiring authors and anyone with a love for the quirky and the spiritual. I bet there's a lot of goths out there who will adore Suzie after reading this (I can't help thinking of Siouxsie Sioux every time I read her name). If you enjoyed "The Epiphany Machine," this might be a good next step. In reverse, I would also recommend that anyone who loves this book check out the movie “Wristcutters: A Love Story” and the book it’s based on, “Kneller’s Happy Campers” by Etgar Keret. If you want to go darker (and get punk), try out Carlton Mellick III's "Satan Burger."
To comment on the craft level for those aspiring authors, Poore’s ability to jump from 3025 AD spaceships to 500 BC villages is astounding. Not only does he accomplish this, but he switches between these worlds of the living and the less illusioned afterlife in which reality is constantly changing in unexpected ways (ex: a train suddenly running on a set of tracks that had been rusty and covered in weeds 30 seconds beforehand). His style is friendly, conversational, and magnetic – his individual words make you want to read more. The imagery takes you places, but the concepts keep you thinking even when you find yourself floating in outer space without a space suit. Despite covering philosophical matters and some conversations that the world could really use, there’s raw emotion in the characters. Can't forget these delicious chapter titles either -- things like "The Unlucky Joy of Being Catapulted into Vienna" and "Your Soul Can Be Cancelled Like a Dumb TV Show."
That’s not to say that this is “the perfect” book. The first chapter is a little slow, but I promise it’s worth reading just to get to the second chapter. There’s a couple reality dynamics that are never explained, but I’m not sure they need to be (they're not important to the plot). I also had some trouble making peace with the ending. That might be a personal thing. It also might be a very good thing, because there’s a lot to try to wrap your mind around -- a good reason to reread.
Anyway, “Reincarnation Blues” will be available for purchase on August 22nd. Check it out, dive into the lives of the oldest soul, and explore what perfection looks like!
Thanks, First to Read, for introducing me to this awesome novel!
