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tarawe's review against another edition
4.0
I read an ARC of this book.
There is a lot I enjoyed about this book. I liked the artist plot line - especially the difficulty with galleries. I also really like the Joan of Arc plot line. I've already recommended it to friends whose interests line up well with the topics.
There is a lot I enjoyed about this book. I liked the artist plot line - especially the difficulty with galleries. I also really like the Joan of Arc plot line. I've already recommended it to friends whose interests line up well with the topics.
tlaynejones's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Grief, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism
erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
Ridiculously original, I can't even think of a book to compare this too. Joan of Arc's executioner has been reincarnated time and again and finds himself living a droll existence as a record store owner in Portland, Oregon. Marvin has never lived past 57 so he knows his time is near. He's all but resigned to the fact when he sees a woman on a daytime talk show claim to be Joan of Arc reincarnated. Is this it? Is this Marvin's chance to break the cycle of reincarnation and make amends for killing Saint Joan? He starts to hitchhike down to LA to find Joan of Arc and in the process joins Mike Vale, a former art icon and current drunk. Their road trip turns out to be more than adventurous. Their trip is dotted with smokes, ghostly apparitions that are starting to appear on the east coast. Know one knows what smokes want, but they they don't hang around long. Hundreds appear and disappear and a sense of doom is falling over California. Ghosts, booze, sarcasm, and a 14th century reincarnated executioner make this novel and unforgettable and fun read.
lyndajdickson's review against another edition
5.0
Mike Vale is a brilliant artist who has fallen from grace into drunken obscurity. When his ex-wife dies suddenly, he feels compelled to travel to Los Angeles for her funeral. He picks up hitchhiker Marvin Deitz, who has been reincarnated and forced to die again and again as penance for executing Joan of Arc. Marvin is due to die again soon and is headed to Los Angeles in a last-ditch effort at redemption. Along the way, they pick up another hitchhiker - the ironically named Casper - a ghost hunter on his way to Los Angeles to make a reality show about “smokes”, the ghostly figures whose appearance in LA is becoming a regular occurrence. When these three lost souls come together, their lives will be changed forever.
The story is told from the points-of-view of Mike in the third person and Marvin in the first person, including entries from the journal he has been keeping over the centuries. Their accounts are interspersed with excerpts from newspaper articles, religious pamphlets, CDC pamphlets, and even a radio interview. The characters are perfectly flawed, and you will come to love each of them. And the way their stories converge is nothing short of amazing. The author sure has a way with words; his descriptions of Mike’s filthy apartment are so real that I am practically gagging right alongside Mike himself. His drunken bouts are also all too real, as are his hangovers.
Full of heartbreak and despair, this tale of friendship, love, and forgiveness is highly original and ultimately uplifting. Brilliant.
Warnings: coarse language, alcohol abuse, drug use.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (29 January): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2018/01/smoke-city-by-keith-rosson.html
The story is told from the points-of-view of Mike in the third person and Marvin in the first person, including entries from the journal he has been keeping over the centuries. Their accounts are interspersed with excerpts from newspaper articles, religious pamphlets, CDC pamphlets, and even a radio interview. The characters are perfectly flawed, and you will come to love each of them. And the way their stories converge is nothing short of amazing. The author sure has a way with words; his descriptions of Mike’s filthy apartment are so real that I am practically gagging right alongside Mike himself. His drunken bouts are also all too real, as are his hangovers.
Full of heartbreak and despair, this tale of friendship, love, and forgiveness is highly original and ultimately uplifting. Brilliant.
Warnings: coarse language, alcohol abuse, drug use.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (29 January): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2018/01/smoke-city-by-keith-rosson.html
cecipeas's review
emotional
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mdpenguin's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There were times that I kind of wanted to put this down: Mark annoyed me and Marvin was kind of pathetic and I really didn't see where the story was going. Soon enough, though, the arc of their development was really engaging and I was drawn into the story. The way it jumped around so quickly through Marvin's past lives and Mark's history in such short chapters was part of what made it hard for me to get into it at first but it was also part of why it worked out for me: if I was getting annoyed at something, it shifted to something else pretty quickly. And once it started moving, it kept moving and did a good job of taking me with it. I like that it's a story about forgiveness and redemption without being heavy-handed or sanctimonious about it. And I like that it centers around three people who should have nothing to do with each other struggling to their way out of their respective horrible ruts together in a way that's somewhat believable despite the near absurdity of these three people together.
stacialithub's review
5.0
Keith Rosson may have a new fangirl in me.
This was such a weird & fascinating tale & I say that with the highest praise. Cool concept, well-done, & straddles the line between literary fiction & odder elements weaving through the story. It's quite character-driven & these characters really do confront their pasts, presents, & futures, digging deep to face some ugly truths, examining themselves, reckoning with their acts, atoning, & offering some serious, some funny, & definitely some heartfelt moments from start to finish. There are many topics at play, lots of fodder for thought & discussion; I won't go into all that & will, instead, suggest you just read it.
I'll also say that I love the cover art & was impressed to find out Rosson did his own art. After reading a little more about him, I learned he's mainly an illustrator & graphic artist (designing artwork for bands such as Green Day & the Goo Goo Dolls). If writing is his side gig, wow, what absolute talent! (Read this article he wrote a few years ago: What It’s Like To Be A Legally Blind Illustrator And Graphic Designer.)
Oregon Public Broadcasting did an interview with Portland-based Rosson in 2018: Take A Weird Road Trip In Keith Rosson's Latest Novel, 'Smoke City'.
I loved it. Not sure it would be quite to everyone's taste, but if you're in the mood for a weird & intriguing road trip book, take a look at this one. I think it might surprise you.
This was such a weird & fascinating tale & I say that with the highest praise. Cool concept, well-done, & straddles the line between literary fiction & odder elements weaving through the story. It's quite character-driven & these characters really do confront their pasts, presents, & futures, digging deep to face some ugly truths, examining themselves, reckoning with their acts, atoning, & offering some serious, some funny, & definitely some heartfelt moments from start to finish. There are many topics at play, lots of fodder for thought & discussion; I won't go into all that & will, instead, suggest you just read it.
I'll also say that I love the cover art & was impressed to find out Rosson did his own art. After reading a little more about him, I learned he's mainly an illustrator & graphic artist (designing artwork for bands such as Green Day & the Goo Goo Dolls). If writing is his side gig, wow, what absolute talent! (Read this article he wrote a few years ago: What It’s Like To Be A Legally Blind Illustrator And Graphic Designer.)
Oregon Public Broadcasting did an interview with Portland-based Rosson in 2018: Take A Weird Road Trip In Keith Rosson's Latest Novel, 'Smoke City'.
I loved it. Not sure it would be quite to everyone's taste, but if you're in the mood for a weird & intriguing road trip book, take a look at this one. I think it might surprise you.
merricatct's review against another edition
5.0
Hello, contender for favorite book of the year! I don't know how to explain this book, but I'll try. The main characters are the reincarnated executioner of Joan of Arc, condemned to be reborn over and over again with his memories of all his past lives intact; and an alcoholic artist who hit rock bottom and somehow found a way to keep going down - and they end up on a road trip to Los Angeles, where "smokes" (ghosts) have started appearing more and more frequently. *flails at the screen* you see what I mean?
I expected a properly messed-up book, given the summary, and it certainly doesn't pull any punches ... but it's not a messed-up book. I mean, it is because it does such a good job of portraying deeply fractured characters, and it certainly has dark themes, but I was not at all prepared for the heart of this book. There's so much despair and grief and pain, but so much room for redemption and forgiveness. The plot is kind of meandering, but that's fine, because the plot isn't the point here - it's the characters, and the journey we take with them. Bonus points for the author's creative narrative choices - the chapters are a blend of first person POV, third person POV, journal entries, and interview excerpts.
I will definitely seek out more by this author, and I'm going to recommend this book as often as I can.
I expected a properly messed-up book, given the summary, and it certainly doesn't pull any punches ... but it's not a messed-up book. I mean, it is because it does such a good job of portraying deeply fractured characters, and it certainly has dark themes, but I was not at all prepared for the heart of this book. There's so much despair and grief and pain, but so much room for redemption and forgiveness. The plot is kind of meandering, but that's fine, because the plot isn't the point here - it's the characters, and the journey we take with them. Bonus points for the author's creative narrative choices - the chapters are a blend of first person POV, third person POV, journal entries, and interview excerpts.
I will definitely seek out more by this author, and I'm going to recommend this book as often as I can.
inked_up_bookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read. I can’t say I was overwhelmed and pleased with the overall story. It took vast different stories of Joan of Arc and her Executioner and mashed it into the present day of a drunk artist who was morning with a reincarnated executioner looking for redemption/peace.
gentlemenpreferbooks's review
5.0
Smoke City by Keith Rosson
Marvin has some issues. His possibly mob-connected landlord is evicting him from his record shop, he’s just seen a woman on TV claiming to be Joan of Arc, and he is the reincarnation of her executioner. Oh yeah, and he only has a few days to live before his cursed life starts over.
Mike is a washed up artist. He hasn't painted anything in years, is a raging alcoholic, just got fired, and just found out his ex-wife died.
Also, ghosts are appearing in the streets and no one knows why.
I think we’ve at least set the stage. At first as I started this novel by Keith Rosson (who am now adding all his other books to my “to-read” shelf), I wasn’t sure how all the threads were going to come together. I can promise you, they all come together fantastically. In hero’s journey of our two anti-heroes, we explore the nuances of being a painter as well as a medieval executioner.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Characters, even passing supporting ones, were realistic and meaningful. I look forward to it’s release in January 2018.
I received a free advance copy of this book via LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
Marvin has some issues. His possibly mob-connected landlord is evicting him from his record shop, he’s just seen a woman on TV claiming to be Joan of Arc, and he is the reincarnation of her executioner. Oh yeah, and he only has a few days to live before his cursed life starts over.
Mike is a washed up artist. He hasn't painted anything in years, is a raging alcoholic, just got fired, and just found out his ex-wife died.
Also, ghosts are appearing in the streets and no one knows why.
I think we’ve at least set the stage. At first as I started this novel by Keith Rosson (who am now adding all his other books to my “to-read” shelf), I wasn’t sure how all the threads were going to come together. I can promise you, they all come together fantastically. In hero’s journey of our two anti-heroes, we explore the nuances of being a painter as well as a medieval executioner.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Characters, even passing supporting ones, were realistic and meaningful. I look forward to it’s release in January 2018.
I received a free advance copy of this book via LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.