A dark vein of satire definitely hits the mark in this road trip novel. A journey of self-discovery is peppered with screwball surrealistic descriptions of the minutiae of life that is absurd, tender and indignant. The social reality is the beating heart of this light yet thoughtful read, enhanced by the needling, genuine friendship of the characters and some colourful writing.
I took up position by the window again. The darkness streamed up from the pond like smoke, creeping over the lawn and sending groping tentacles up to the window. At one point I thought I could see a figure standing with its back to the lawn among the billowing black lilacs, indistinct, like a dream you try to hold onto after you’ve woken up. When I blinked the figure dissolved into the dark, leaving only the impression of a will out there. That the darkness was alive, and did not wish us well. We didn’t talk much that night, but unlike before the silence was charged.
