33. Last Call

Last Call. Time Powers. 1992.

Me: Last Call (Eleanor). The last time I read a "plot summary" was in Mr. DuPratt's grade 9 English class when Moby Dick drove me to the dark side where I read the Cliff Notes because I just could not follow the story. Last Call was so complicated that I actually went online and found a plot summary so I could figure out what was going on about 1/3 of the way through. Along the way to finding an actual plot summary, I glanced a couple of book reviews about the book which all started with, "After the second time I read the book..." or "I just finished reading this book for the second time..." So, I think I was not the only one who got bogged down by the plot. There were some things about this story that I loved. The foreshadowing and symbolism of the Tarot that was incorporated was quite excellent and not at all trite in the way that Tarot is typically used (i.e. Outlander). Much of the writing, especially when dealing with superstition and the occult, was superb, but the plot was so dense and took so much focus that I can't recommend it.

Recommended by Eleanor: Tim Powers, Last Call. I picked it up on a fluke at Book Bin and really enjoyed it.

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Comments:
El: Laughing... I love reading odd semi mystical magical realism that fractures my assumptions about time/space. And it is, undoubtedly, easier to track convoluted plots with a hard book in your hands than with earbuds in.
El: For next year, not fiction, I’m reading The Patterning Instinct by Jeremy Lent right now. About 1/4 of the way in. Fracturing my assumptions about language and culture and thought and the mess we’ve made.​

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