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A review by xterminal
Piecemeal June by Jordan Krall
3.0
Jordan Krall, Piecemeal June (Eraserhead, 2008)
If you're unfamiliar with the relatively new subgenre of literature known as bizarro...well, you're probably not reading this review. But just in case, bizarro is a kind of bastard child of splatterpunk and the subgenre of psychedelic rock known as blanga, wherein weird mysticism combines with hard-rock guitar to create a kind of commercial version of outsider art (think of Hawkwind or Blue Oyster Cult here). Bizarro revels in the grotesque, the mystic, and the mystical grotesque, oftentimes to the point of sacrificing such traditional artistic values as plot, character, and theme. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make bizarro pretty hard to get right. I've read some bizarro work that would make your hair stand on end (not because it's gruesome, but because it's just awful). Piecemeal June, from premier bizarro imprint Eraserhead Press, is thankfully not one of those books. It's not going to go down in history as timeless, granted, but for a seventy-two page book, it delivers the goods quite nicely.
The book concerns Kevin, a loser who lives above his small town's sole porn shop. One day his cat, Mithra, comes home with a piece of a love doll in its mouth. This become a regular occurrence, and pretty soon Kevin can assemble his very own lifelike pal. However, once the last piece falls into place, the doll comes to life, introduces herself as June, and tells Kevin she's on the run from a psychotic pornographer who's equipped with otherworldly enforcers. But really, how much do Kevin and June have to fear from what may be the most inept criminal enterprise ever committed to paper?
Above all, Piecemeal June is a fun book. It's the kind of thing that will have you alternately laughing and retching (and doing both simultaneously on occasion). As with all the bizarro work I've read, Krall not only never shies away from an opportunity to gross the reader out, but instead goes for the gusto. If it's offensive, he's found a way to work it in here somehow. Because of this, it does require a certain sensibility to really enjoy this (if a quick trip through the collected book titles of bizarro godfather Carlton Mellick III doesn't faze you, then you should be able to stomach anything found in these pages). But hey, if that sort of thing is up your alley, then get yourself acquainted with Jordan Krall right quick. ***
If you're unfamiliar with the relatively new subgenre of literature known as bizarro...well, you're probably not reading this review. But just in case, bizarro is a kind of bastard child of splatterpunk and the subgenre of psychedelic rock known as blanga, wherein weird mysticism combines with hard-rock guitar to create a kind of commercial version of outsider art (think of Hawkwind or Blue Oyster Cult here). Bizarro revels in the grotesque, the mystic, and the mystical grotesque, oftentimes to the point of sacrificing such traditional artistic values as plot, character, and theme. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make bizarro pretty hard to get right. I've read some bizarro work that would make your hair stand on end (not because it's gruesome, but because it's just awful). Piecemeal June, from premier bizarro imprint Eraserhead Press, is thankfully not one of those books. It's not going to go down in history as timeless, granted, but for a seventy-two page book, it delivers the goods quite nicely.
The book concerns Kevin, a loser who lives above his small town's sole porn shop. One day his cat, Mithra, comes home with a piece of a love doll in its mouth. This become a regular occurrence, and pretty soon Kevin can assemble his very own lifelike pal. However, once the last piece falls into place, the doll comes to life, introduces herself as June, and tells Kevin she's on the run from a psychotic pornographer who's equipped with otherworldly enforcers. But really, how much do Kevin and June have to fear from what may be the most inept criminal enterprise ever committed to paper?
Above all, Piecemeal June is a fun book. It's the kind of thing that will have you alternately laughing and retching (and doing both simultaneously on occasion). As with all the bizarro work I've read, Krall not only never shies away from an opportunity to gross the reader out, but instead goes for the gusto. If it's offensive, he's found a way to work it in here somehow. Because of this, it does require a certain sensibility to really enjoy this (if a quick trip through the collected book titles of bizarro godfather Carlton Mellick III doesn't faze you, then you should be able to stomach anything found in these pages). But hey, if that sort of thing is up your alley, then get yourself acquainted with Jordan Krall right quick. ***