Surreal and wonderful, 06 Sep 2005
I am not a fan of modern fiction generally - I find most novels written in the last 20 years fail utterly to move me in the way that older, genuine works of art have done. These days publishers seem fit to lionise mere collections of dialogue with weak characterisations and even weaker plots and I leave these works disappointed, feeling that the author has little interesting and meaningful to say.
Percival Everett is beginning to restore my faith in the modern novel. After reading 'Erasure' and the more recent 'American Desert' - novels that are at once tragedies, comedies and searing indictments of modern American values - I feel confident that the spirit of Rabelais (and perhaps Mark Twain) is alive again!
Annoyingly, however, most of Mr Everett's works (15 novels, 2 collections, 1 childrens book) are unavailable this side of the pond so it is ridiculously difficult to explore his back catalogue. Thanks to Amazon Marketplace I have begun that journey with 'Gods Country' and - while it is an earlier and less confident work that 'Erasure' - it did not disappoint.
'Gods Country' is a kind of road movie set in the Wild West. It is the story of a less-than-perfect cowboy who sets out to avenge the killing of his dog (and the not quite so important kidnapping of his wife) by unidentified thugs. He is assisted in this task by a smart-mouthed black tracker (Bubba) and a troublesome child (Jake) who insists on tagging along. Thus begins a picaresque journey into 1870s America, warts and all - a sort of literary 'Deadwood' in which prospecters, hookers, less than Godly preachers and army officers compete for wealth and glory while the Injuns and former slaves look on bemused.
In short this hugely entertaining novel succeeds both in being very funny as well as in asking some uncomfortable questions about the attitudes of the 'heroes' of the West.
(A final thought: it occurs to me that it would make a great film or TV movie! Prospective film-makers out there, please take note!)
