The Perfect Fool

Impenetrable, 7 September, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Notts

This was a rather disappointing read, pretentiously punctuated with snatches of old native American legend which seemed to carry little relevance or resonance for the jumbled up mish mash of tales in the rest of the novel. A motley assortment of characters are drawn to the same part of the USA in a not-very-interesting way, to take part in a not-very-surprising anti-climactic ending, in which one or two of them are inexplicably shot. The end.

Stewart's Comments:
When I first found the Hopi legend it seemed so appropriate to the story I found it quite unsettling, and was worried including it would seem perhaps heavy handed because it seemed to shadow the pre-existing story so heavilly. Then A Reader From Notts says it's not relevant or resonant. Ah well. Also, the characters were not inexplicably shot. One is shot by priests worried he will betray their secret, the other shoots himself when he realises everything he has based his life on is irrelevant. This is explained in the narrative.

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