 |
Review by George
Bedirian
Anyone familiar with Brian Ames’s short stories knows that they
explore the boundaries between everyday existence and the chaos
that lurks beneath the surface of ordinary life. Although the
characters in Salt Lick, his first novel, aren’t quite the
hapless individuals we often encounter in the stories, what the
novel does share with the earlier work are Ames’s concerns with the
origins of evil and the way we respond to it.
But for all its seriousness of intention, Salt Lick is a
thoroughly enjoyable read. Ames ’85 is a gifted storyteller, and on
that level alone, his novel delivers. In fact, it’s a very funny
book—like Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, a prime example of black
comedy.
Washington State Magazine Home
|
|
| |
