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Labyrinth of Chaos
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An ENE Review of the novel
Labyrinth of Chaos by Brian Wallace
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| Take a look at the back cover of Labyrinth
of Chaos and you'll see that the publisher recommends this book for either
the fiction or psychology sections. It's the fictional account of Alan Agrippa,
a young man with a thirst for knowledge and all of Europe in front of him.
Thanks to the passing of his uncle, Alan is able to finance his voyage to
the fullest, everything from admission to the finest museums, to the purchase
of extra-metabolic substances that he hopes will enhance his voyage and
give him new insights. Through some other relatives, his Aunt Mary and Uncle
Jim, he meets Ronia, a beautiful young Frenchwoman who will accompany him
on his travels. The stage is set for "a journey of Jungian individuation"
(as promised on the back cover) - or, failing that, at least a very good
time. |
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| Unfortunately, unless you are the
most patient of readers, you will never know. Reading Labyrinth of Chaos
is like trying to play golf in knee-high grass. Brian Wallace's writing
style is dense, riddled with obscure adjectives and with so many unnecessary
adverbs, I wondered if he was getting paid for each one. What's more, the
entire book is written in the present tense, which might be fine for a short
story, but tends to be tedious in a novel. Add to this the confusion of
abrupt changes in point of view and endless digressions into philosophical
rants that don't seem to have anything to do with the story, and you will
understand why I simply could not finish this book. Not that I didn't try!
But even the sex scenes are ponderous. "With smooth motion he repeatedly
plumbs her sentient walls while perceptively responding to her ecstatic
moans with according movements." And so on |
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| Throughout Labyrinth of Chaos, characters speak
"forcefully" while candlelight flickers "playfully" and emotion "pervades
every pore." In the meantime, this reader closes the book regretfully. I'm
sure Mr. Wallace has written about some worthwhile concepts, but I lack
the energy to struggle through his overwritten style to find them. Sorry! |
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All Text, Codes, Graphics © 2002 ENE. All
Rights Reserved.
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