The Wooden Sea
Jonathan Carroll

I didn't know where this book was going, where it was coming from, and often, even what it was doing at the moment right there in front of me. This is a rare thing in a book, and much to be appreciated. It did get confusing at times, what with the protagonist meeting several versions of his younger self, as well as traveling forward in time. But a little confusion while you try to figure things out (you won't) is infinitely better than seeing what's coming and being bored.

However, this isn't a typical science fiction novel. The time travel is just one small element in the book. For a while when reading it I thought that Carroll had lost control; that he had put it in there and didn't know how to make it work out, but couldn't remove it either. Later it made sense, sort of.

The charm is in the writing, the way the words are put together. Even though the story appears disjointed, the writing flows. I had a great time reading it, even if people on the LRT looked at me funny from time to time as I laughed. But it isn't a comedy. I could picture the situation in my head, and see the humour in it.

I felt a little sorry for Frannie McCabe, a small-town police chief. He has to figure out what is going on around him when there is no rational explanation. Things keep piling up on him, and he copes as best he can, while meeting an ever increasing cast of characters. Even worse for him, once he does start to figure out how things work, the rules change on him.

Not everybody will like this book. Unless you already love Carroll, you will want to do extensive browsing in the bookstore before buying it. I got it out of the library almost by accident, which is one of the reasons libraries need to exist. I'll be keeping an eye out for it in paperback, and plan on adding it to my library.

 

Tom Doherty Associates, LLC , 2001
ISBN 0-312-87823-0