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The Orphan Palace
Cardigan is heading east through the night-bleak cities of America and back to confront the past he has never escaped, as a resident of Zimms, an orphanage-cum-asylum and a true palace of dementia. In the circles and dead-ends that make the maze of his madness, Cardigan meets bounty hunters, ghosts, ghouls, a talking rat, even a merman, and struggles to decide which will lead him to damnation and which to salvation.
376 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 15, 2012
The Orphan Palace smacks the reader in the face from the first page just to resolve any question about who's in charge. Pulver's approach here is to make the story not just something the main character experiences, but a series of thoughts and perceptions. It takes place "in here" rather than "out there." The stream-of-consciousness style took me a while to settle into due to the hyper-saturated poetic style. This may be the most uncompromising narrative I've read in years, but it's worth settling into the groove of this energetic and strongly poetic tale.
The story's protagonist Cardigan is profoundly damaged, and burns and kills his way across the country in search of redemption or revenge for events long past. That the reader ends up identifying with and caring about such a reckless and even murderous character testifies to the way Pulver's narrative technique takes the reader inside Cardigan's head. The story's events seem like something you're living through, not simply reading. Like the most daring works of art, no summary can do justice to what's happening here. The blurb on the back cover does almost nothing to convey what this book is like. The story is dreamlike, told in language ranging from vivid poetics to a hard-bitten shorthand to incantatory near-ravings. Frequent use of repetition gives a sense of the shattered reality Cardigan inhabits. The effect is cumulative, so that repeated elements and phrases take on a different meaning and carry more weight as the story advances.
An energetic mix of noir/crime and surrealistic dark fantasy verging on horror, The Orphan Palace feels more like "cinema of the mind" than narrative fiction, and it may be for that reason that I find myself thinking more about filmmakers when I try to find something to compare it to. Pulver's surreal dreamscapes seem to have some precedence in David Lynch (especially Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire), Alejandro Jodorowky (El Topo and Holy Mountain) and Lars Von Trier (especially Antichrist). I was even reminded of Guillermo Del Toro in some of the novel's more fantastic sections, especially the "night library" scene, which left me wanting more.
Any narrative so inwardly-directed and uncompromising is bound to leave the reader scratching their head in a few places, but that is more than compensated-for by the vivid effects which simply would not be possible with a more straightforward storytelling style. The Orphan Palace feels like being led by the hand (scratch that -- led by the brain is more like it) through a dark and surreal nightmare, an experience both powerful and disturbing. I can't wait to see what Pulver does next. Highly recommended, at least for readers open to a more experimental storytelling approach.
The story's protagonist Cardigan is profoundly damaged, and burns and kills his way across the country in search of redemption or revenge for events long past. That the reader ends up identifying with and caring about such a reckless and even murderous character testifies to the way Pulver's narrative technique takes the reader inside Cardigan's head. The story's events seem like something you're living through, not simply reading. Like the most daring works of art, no summary can do justice to what's happening here. The blurb on the back cover does almost nothing to convey what this book is like. The story is dreamlike, told in language ranging from vivid poetics to a hard-bitten shorthand to incantatory near-ravings. Frequent use of repetition gives a sense of the shattered reality Cardigan inhabits. The effect is cumulative, so that repeated elements and phrases take on a different meaning and carry more weight as the story advances.
An energetic mix of noir/crime and surrealistic dark fantasy verging on horror, The Orphan Palace feels more like "cinema of the mind" than narrative fiction, and it may be for that reason that I find myself thinking more about filmmakers when I try to find something to compare it to. Pulver's surreal dreamscapes seem to have some precedence in David Lynch (especially Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire), Alejandro Jodorowky (El Topo and Holy Mountain) and Lars Von Trier (especially Antichrist). I was even reminded of Guillermo Del Toro in some of the novel's more fantastic sections, especially the "night library" scene, which left me wanting more.
Any narrative so inwardly-directed and uncompromising is bound to leave the reader scratching their head in a few places, but that is more than compensated-for by the vivid effects which simply would not be possible with a more straightforward storytelling style. The Orphan Palace feels like being led by the hand (scratch that -- led by the brain is more like it) through a dark and surreal nightmare, an experience both powerful and disturbing. I can't wait to see what Pulver does next. Highly recommended, at least for readers open to a more experimental storytelling approach.
February 13, 2012
How can I opine on a piece so unique? I can but try. This book is nonpareil, it has no peers because it is unique and solitary. Joe is a poet, and a darkling one -- as a mere novelist, I'm not really qualified to parse the deep structure of this strange book -- but I can make observations.
The poetic structure in this is undeniable if strangely intuitive and un-analyzable. You mull over some of the crazier passages and you realize they're polished to the bone -- that Joe didn't just excrete some stream-of-consciousness psychobabble onto the page, but edited and revised as if his intent were to make this a book length poem rather than a prose novel -- but then, show me evidence proving that WASN'T his intent. You can't, can you?
Pulver succeeds in making Cardigan sympathetic, which is an incredible accomplishment given Cardigan's almost casual viciousness and destructiveness -- within the constraints of this story, Cardigan's mere EXISTENCE is an affront -- but somehow, without stooping to anything as puerile as 'diminished capacity' or any other moral/legal loophole, we are unable to turn away from Cardigan's inherent humanity.
Dr. Archer is more of an archetype, an OT deity almost -- as this book puts us firmly in the backyard of a writer unashamedly revering Robert W. Chambers' 'King in Yellow,' we almost expect to hear the fluttering of the tattered mask, or to see the black stars shine from the white sky above Carcosa. But no: this is not that kind of book.
Joe is not for everyone; he's an acquired taste, and there are those who don't 'get' him. The man is one of a kind, and this book is his proudest (and humblest, given his own reclusive distinction) that he has produced to date. Like strong wine, he rewards repeat sips until the bouquet is mastered and dominated.
I won't even deign to recommend you read this book. It's possible you're not worthy to join Joe Pulver's clan. But if you're one of us you'll find your way here soon enough -- and this book will be your first stop on the way.
The poetic structure in this is undeniable if strangely intuitive and un-analyzable. You mull over some of the crazier passages and you realize they're polished to the bone -- that Joe didn't just excrete some stream-of-consciousness psychobabble onto the page, but edited and revised as if his intent were to make this a book length poem rather than a prose novel -- but then, show me evidence proving that WASN'T his intent. You can't, can you?
Pulver succeeds in making Cardigan sympathetic, which is an incredible accomplishment given Cardigan's almost casual viciousness and destructiveness -- within the constraints of this story, Cardigan's mere EXISTENCE is an affront -- but somehow, without stooping to anything as puerile as 'diminished capacity' or any other moral/legal loophole, we are unable to turn away from Cardigan's inherent humanity.
Dr. Archer is more of an archetype, an OT deity almost -- as this book puts us firmly in the backyard of a writer unashamedly revering Robert W. Chambers' 'King in Yellow,' we almost expect to hear the fluttering of the tattered mask, or to see the black stars shine from the white sky above Carcosa. But no: this is not that kind of book.
Joe is not for everyone; he's an acquired taste, and there are those who don't 'get' him. The man is one of a kind, and this book is his proudest (and humblest, given his own reclusive distinction) that he has produced to date. Like strong wine, he rewards repeat sips until the bouquet is mastered and dominated.
I won't even deign to recommend you read this book. It's possible you're not worthy to join Joe Pulver's clan. But if you're one of us you'll find your way here soon enough -- and this book will be your first stop on the way.
May 15, 2013
Wow. What a strange but truly enjoyable journey. Definitely can still taste the atmosphere and energy that surges through this blend of mythos and noir. This is one of those books that stay with you long after you've read it.
Take a chance and see!
Take a chance and see!
Read
December 6, 2015Proofing the gallies . . .
April 27, 2012
Intricate plotting. Unique prose structure. The Orphan Palace is a book equivalent of an explosive and fast-paced techno-thriller movie. I am very impressed by Pulver's audacity and originality.
June 12, 2017
I was simultaneously looking forward to reading this book but also a bit weary, as I find that Joseph Pulver's writing to be uneven at times. He has a tendency to mix prose and poetry to varying degrees of success. I had only read his short stories before, and this was his first full length novel... And it does not disappoint. It seems that his poetic tendencies work better on a longer sustained effort, and his impressionistic writing style is fleshed out into something more concrete over the course of the novel. The story itself is just as brutal as ever. The novel's protagonist, Cardigan, struggles to get back to his origins and inflict revenge on the sadistic Dr. Archer, head of the orphanage where he escaped from as a youth. But Cardigan also leaves a wake of destruction where ever he goes, robbing, killing, and burning his way through the country. It truly is a testament to Pulver's talent that despite Cardigan's murderous rampage we still feel a connection to him and even hope for his triumph. This is partly achieved by delving into Cardigan's dark past. We are only ever given glimpses of it, and we also realise that as the story if being told through Cardigan itself, the veracity of these memories are suspect just as the mind of cardigan itself is suspect. We do meet other characters along the way but the story is very much a one man show. One almost suspects that the other characters are only different facets of Cardigan. Dark, surreal and visceral, this book certainly puts a sinister twist on Road Fiction.
May 14, 2014
The Orphan Palace is a modern Gothic masterpiece of a road novel. As if Henry Lee Lucas met Sal Paradise for a trip across America with many pit stops and detours from Interzone to Tindalos, Kadath, and back again!
Joseph S. Pulver Sr. weaves hallucinatory poetic passages that defy what one thinks a novel is capable of, and with The Orphan Palace has created unforgettable characters drenched in pathos, that will most certainly stand the test of time in the annals of horror and weird fiction with the likes Frankenstein's Monster or even Raskolnikov. Cardigan is up there with our most tragic heroes. If there was ever any doubt of literary quality in, as what appears to the naked eye as essentially simple pulp, Pulver has squashed that doubt...then set it on fire!
A quick run down of the plot: Cardigan, a psychopathic, serial killing, pyromaniac, is on a journey of self-discovery and revenge as he heads East across America to track down his childhood tormentor, the enigmatic Dr. Archer. Cardigan's goal is to rectify the awful abuse at Zimms County Home for Orphaned Children, he and his friends received during their stay when they were children. Weaved into that basic summary there is a conspiracy involving Noir and pulp novels and motels that Cardigan stays in that ties a nice mystery into the plot, Cardigan also has a buddy to accompany him on his journey: A talking rat that waxes philosophical, named D'if.
I got this novel as a house warming present from my roommate who knew I was a huge fan of the Beats and Lovecraftian fiction, and Joseph S. Pulver Sr's short stories. This is probably one of the best presents I've received in years, as Pulver has become one my favorite writers, and The Orphan Palace is a novel I'll reference and revisit time and again for years to come.
Great, legendary novel! Any kind words I may have do this beautiful piece of art a disservice in terms of how truly great it is.
Thanks to my roommate, David Anderson for the gift, and the thought put into it, nailing everything about fiction that I love!
And thank you Mr. Joseph S. Pulver Sr. you've earned a fan for a lifetime!
Joseph S. Pulver Sr. weaves hallucinatory poetic passages that defy what one thinks a novel is capable of, and with The Orphan Palace has created unforgettable characters drenched in pathos, that will most certainly stand the test of time in the annals of horror and weird fiction with the likes Frankenstein's Monster or even Raskolnikov. Cardigan is up there with our most tragic heroes. If there was ever any doubt of literary quality in, as what appears to the naked eye as essentially simple pulp, Pulver has squashed that doubt...then set it on fire!
A quick run down of the plot: Cardigan, a psychopathic, serial killing, pyromaniac, is on a journey of self-discovery and revenge as he heads East across America to track down his childhood tormentor, the enigmatic Dr. Archer. Cardigan's goal is to rectify the awful abuse at Zimms County Home for Orphaned Children, he and his friends received during their stay when they were children. Weaved into that basic summary there is a conspiracy involving Noir and pulp novels and motels that Cardigan stays in that ties a nice mystery into the plot, Cardigan also has a buddy to accompany him on his journey: A talking rat that waxes philosophical, named D'if.
I got this novel as a house warming present from my roommate who knew I was a huge fan of the Beats and Lovecraftian fiction, and Joseph S. Pulver Sr's short stories. This is probably one of the best presents I've received in years, as Pulver has become one my favorite writers, and The Orphan Palace is a novel I'll reference and revisit time and again for years to come.
Great, legendary novel! Any kind words I may have do this beautiful piece of art a disservice in terms of how truly great it is.
Thanks to my roommate, David Anderson for the gift, and the thought put into it, nailing everything about fiction that I love!
And thank you Mr. Joseph S. Pulver Sr. you've earned a fan for a lifetime!
October 17, 2016
'The Orphan Palace' is unlike anything else I've ever read or am likely to read again, and I mean that in the best way possible. It was my first proper introduction to Joe Pulver, and my respect for both his work and the man himself has grown with each of his books and collections that I have read since. This holds a particularly special place among my collection though. It's definitely not easy reading, but it's incredibly rewarding and plants a seed in your mind that you'll find yourself returning to for a long time after finishing it. It's an excellent starting point for Joe Pulver's work, and one that I can't wait to read again.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews