A review by thecommonswings
Soonchild by Russell Hoban

5.0

Unless a writer deliberately squirrels away a book for posthumous publication like Christie did, do authors ever know their final book is going to be their final book? Because Soonchild really does feel like Hoban trying to weave all the ideas his books have thrown into one world into a sort of definitive statement. It’s a book that plays with myth and myth building and it seems fitting that he explores his most frequent themes through this medium. It’s dense and strange and frequently incredibly beautiful. It also reminds you that even at his weirdest, Hoban is an incredibly funny writer. And Deacon doesn’t so much match Hoban’s text but almost feels like a commentary on it. It’s spectacular and beautiful and strange and the whole volume must rank as one of the best final flourishes in literary history. It’s extraordinary