Jean Cage Afterlife and Citizen Trash

by Chris J Martindale

140 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[Scott Breslove · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this through LibraryThings early reviewer program:

Wow, man, I really don’t know what to say about this one. It’s like a drug induced fever dream that’s happening in another language (metaphorically, it’s not actually in another language), but maybe that’s supposed to be the point? I understood some, or most, of it, but then it goes off on a tangent that I didn’t see coming and totally threw me for a loop. Also, saying I understood it doesn’t really mean I “got” it, overall I’m still pretty confused about what the whole premise was. I think it was a work of fiction but based on the authors actual mental illnesses and experiences…I think? The other thing I noticed was that the book is definitely in need of a good editor, unless that was also part of the “experience”. I just…I just don’t really know

[Lif Strand · Rating 1 out of 5]

The back cover of Jean Cage Afterlife and Citizen Trash states that the "narratives" are a departure from conventional storytelling and as such they challenge readers to question their perceptions of existence.

I did not question my perception of existence, I questioned the existence of the book.

I found author Martindale's writing to be absolutely unreadable due to the lack of editing. I simply could not force myself to continue beyond the first few pages of each "narrative". If there were any stories being told, they were not accessible to me. I hope the author considers publishing a new, thoroughly and professionally edited edition.

[Crystal DeBoard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read that combines elements of science fiction and literary horror. It tells the story of how a man's mental illness impacts his life.