Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Crooked Little Vein: a novel by Warren Ellis


I haven’t read more than a half dozen pages yet, but I have to recommend the first novel by Warren Ellis, “CROOKED LITTLE VEIN”. I’ve been a fan of Ellis’ comic work for a while, his TRANSMETROPOLITAN one of only a dozen titles I collected and kept for our move out here. His issues of THE AUTHORITY went the way of most of my collection, which I regret.

The book just came in to the library the other day, having been initialed by a couple of us when it came up for order. Even with several other books waiting for me I think I’m going to have to take some time and read this.

The book deals with down & out P.I. Michael McGill, who is one of those guys you go to when nobody else is quite desperate enough to take your case. Here he is approached by a Presidential staffer who wants McGill to track down the “Secret Constitution” which the Founding Fathers created in case the first one didn’t work out.

Ellis uses this plot to take a hard look at American society in the 21st century. Just how far have we strayed from what Jefferson and the others foresaw?

Opening the book, almost at random, I came across McGill talking about a recent case where he was checking on a husband suspected of adultery. The description of finding a group of men engaged in tantric sex with ostriches and its effect on his then current relationship had me snickering at the Reference Desk. Truly something you don’t want to do.

Even all but unread the book has my highest recommendations. Clicking on the headline will take you to a review of the book from Entertainment Weekly's Whitney Pastorek

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