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The Wanderer
After obscure author of strange stories, Simon Peterkin, vanishes in bizarre circumstances, a typescript, of a text entitled, 'The Wanderer', is found in his flat. 'The Wanderer' is a weird document. On a dying Earth, in the far-flung future, a man, an immortal, types the tale of his aeon-long life as prey, as a hunted man; he tells of his quitting the Himalayas, his sanctuary for thousands of years, to return to his birthplace, London, to write the memoirs; and writes, also, of the night he learned he was cursed with life without cease, an evening in a pub in that city, early in the twenty-first century, a gathering to tell of eldritch experiences undergone. Is 'The Wanderer' a fiction, perhaps Peterkin's last novel, or something far stranger? Perhaps more 'account' than 'story'?
328 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2014
7 people are currently reading
922 people want to read
About the author
Timothy J. Jarvis
25 books77 followersTimothy J. Jarvis is a writer with an interest in the antic and strange. His novel, The Wanderer, was first released in summer 2014 by Perfect Edge Books and republished by Zagava in 2022. Short fiction has appeared in various venues and in 2023 a collection, Treatises on Dust, was published by Swan River Press. He is also interested in drone and ambient music and has collaborated with sound artists on sleeve notes and performance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 8, 2015
I read this excellent volume of weird tales with the Literary Horror Group over at Goodreads during the month of April.
What I liked: I enjoyed the premise-which is basically a collection of short stories connected by a manuscript. Towards the end of the book the creation of the manuscript becomes the main story, but I liked the individual stories the best. These were not flat out horror stories, but they WERE horrific at times. They were more like tales of the weird and they put me in mind of Robert Aickman; these were a little more straight forward than Aickman's, but they were definitely weird.
What I didn't like : At times it felt to me that the author was trying too hard to seem....literary? Is that the word I'm looking for? There was a portion of the tale where all these nods were given to authors of the past, but said nods were given with only descriptions of the authors and not their names. For whatever reason this irked me. Is it because I didn't know who most of them were? I'm SURE that's part of it. But it also came off to me as a bit superior. (I know who these authors are, and what their behaviors were like and you don't. Cue the HA HA from Nelson Muntz on The Simpsons.)
Overall though, I thought this book was impressive, especially for a first time effort. I will be looking for more from this author in the future, because I did enjoy his imaginative telling of this super weird tale.
Highly recommended!
What I liked: I enjoyed the premise-which is basically a collection of short stories connected by a manuscript. Towards the end of the book the creation of the manuscript becomes the main story, but I liked the individual stories the best. These were not flat out horror stories, but they WERE horrific at times. They were more like tales of the weird and they put me in mind of Robert Aickman; these were a little more straight forward than Aickman's, but they were definitely weird.
What I didn't like : At times it felt to me that the author was trying too hard to seem....literary? Is that the word I'm looking for? There was a portion of the tale where all these nods were given to authors of the past, but said nods were given with only descriptions of the authors and not their names. For whatever reason this irked me. Is it because I didn't know who most of them were? I'm SURE that's part of it. But it also came off to me as a bit superior. (I know who these authors are, and what their behaviors were like and you don't. Cue the HA HA from Nelson Muntz on The Simpsons.)
Overall though, I thought this book was impressive, especially for a first time effort. I will be looking for more from this author in the future, because I did enjoy his imaginative telling of this super weird tale.
Highly recommended!
September 28, 2024
he has a lot of tricky tools in his bag; he dumps them all out and uses them to construct something. he tries to use every single tool to see what will work. it's his first time so why not?
there's a Lovecraft tool and that one works well. really well, the best I've seen in a while, a perfect pastiche. but he seems to lose interest in that rarified tool fairly soon, like he's just playing with it for now, not really interested in building a whole thing with it. that's too bad, that tool really did the trick and I wish he had used it the whole time.
lots of other tricks, most of them not so effective. different tools and different tricks for different stories; I'm not sure what they are building but whatever it is, it's nothing I can really use. dreamlike stories within stories are often fine constructions but there has to be an internal logic to those nightmare landscapes, they have to make the kind of sense that makes me want to keep reading, to keep playing with what has been built. many of the constructions don't seem too well thought out, as if they were made just to hammer various parts together to show that it could be done, rather than to make something that actually works. the most disappointing set of tools were the largest set: a set of reference tools, authors and characters and books mentioned, thrown at the reader, so many in-jokes and silly hints and spot-the-allusion, and c'mon give me a break already. I don't like rolling my eyes at something that is clearly coming from an artist, someone ingenious, but unfortunately that happened many times.
there's another tool I liked: it made an adventure story, set at the end of time. a dark science fantasy. I love that construction, there were some flaws but overall this one was sound. well-built. I could live in it.
in the end, I wish this rather brilliant wordsmith would have had more focus, and more interest in making one solid, successful thing rather than creating a mishmash of unequal parts. perhaps one day he will. my advice: no need to use all the tools in the toolbox. just the right ones, you know?
SYNOPSIS: at the end of time, a hunted man tells the horrific story of how he became immortal; many other stories are involved.
there's a Lovecraft tool and that one works well. really well, the best I've seen in a while, a perfect pastiche. but he seems to lose interest in that rarified tool fairly soon, like he's just playing with it for now, not really interested in building a whole thing with it. that's too bad, that tool really did the trick and I wish he had used it the whole time.
lots of other tricks, most of them not so effective. different tools and different tricks for different stories; I'm not sure what they are building but whatever it is, it's nothing I can really use. dreamlike stories within stories are often fine constructions but there has to be an internal logic to those nightmare landscapes, they have to make the kind of sense that makes me want to keep reading, to keep playing with what has been built. many of the constructions don't seem too well thought out, as if they were made just to hammer various parts together to show that it could be done, rather than to make something that actually works. the most disappointing set of tools were the largest set: a set of reference tools, authors and characters and books mentioned, thrown at the reader, so many in-jokes and silly hints and spot-the-allusion, and c'mon give me a break already. I don't like rolling my eyes at something that is clearly coming from an artist, someone ingenious, but unfortunately that happened many times.
there's another tool I liked: it made an adventure story, set at the end of time. a dark science fantasy. I love that construction, there were some flaws but overall this one was sound. well-built. I could live in it.
in the end, I wish this rather brilliant wordsmith would have had more focus, and more interest in making one solid, successful thing rather than creating a mishmash of unequal parts. perhaps one day he will. my advice: no need to use all the tools in the toolbox. just the right ones, you know?
SYNOPSIS: at the end of time, a hunted man tells the horrific story of how he became immortal; many other stories are involved.
May 1, 2015
I was struck by a phrase at the beginning of the prologue. "...tonight the sunset is violet and bile." The word "bile" is a bit jarring, no? It's not a word that comes to mind when describing sunsets. This book is like that. The Wanderer is violet and bile. Beautiful prose relating the most terrible things.
The Wanderer wants to tell you his story, but first you must hear a different story, and then, some others will tell their stories, until you can't remember where you are or what it was you were doing.
A modern take on the strange tale? An ode to the old masters? Whatever it is The Wanderer did not disappoint. There are scenes in here that I won't soon forget. In fact, I want to go read it again.
The Wanderer wants to tell you his story, but first you must hear a different story, and then, some others will tell their stories, until you can't remember where you are or what it was you were doing.
A modern take on the strange tale? An ode to the old masters? Whatever it is The Wanderer did not disappoint. There are scenes in here that I won't soon forget. In fact, I want to go read it again.
November 30, 2019
Full disclosure: I published Jarvis' first piece of (published) fiction "The Imaginary Anatomy of a Horse" in the Leviathan 4 anthology, which I edited back in 2005. His was a slush-pile submission, picked out of hundreds. I was very pleased to "find" this author, though I think that with Jarvis' poetic voice, this was eventually bound to happen. Yet, I will attempt to remain as unbiased as possible in this review.
The difficulty with reviewing this kind of strung-together narrative, wrought and bound up in metafiction, is: where to start? Indeed, the end of the book is the beginning of the mystery, in many ways, and one's brain loops over and over trying to puzzle out what must be an eternal (and infernal) mystery. It is clearly a work of horror, with all "flavors" present. There is a Twilight-Zone-ish element to the overall central conceit - that living forever may be fraught with terror. But the work owes more to Hodgson, Ellison, and Machen than Serling (though I am aware of the connections between Ellison and Serling, especially in regards to Ellison's writing of what I consider to be one of the best short stories ever written, "Paladin of the Lost Hour," which was originally published in Twilight Zone Magazine). The post-apocalyptic narrative which seams the stories all together also owes something to Serling's show, but it also reflects M.P. Shiel's The Purple Cloud, albeit with a far less boring narrative voice.
I won't attempt to block out the plot step-by-step - others have done so in their reviews on Goodreads - but, suffice it to say that the plot is a complex folding of stories-within-stories-within-stories. Because of the structure, there were points where I felt "shot out" of the flow. For instance, one of the characters, Duncan, tells his tale and it becomes apparent that he is far older than anyone else at the table. Un-naturally old, in fact. I wondered why there didn't seem to be any reactions to this blatant anachronism on the parts of the ones listening, then, two sections later, there it was: a full justification for why the narrator did not share their reactions right away. Thus, there are times where I felt pushed out by the metafictional elements. They were rare, but noticeable.
That said, each story flowed well internally, as stories in and of themselves. And once one picked up the thread of the uber-narrative again, it was fine. Interesting that with the tales of several different characters being told, Jarvis' voice does not smother the individual character's voices, nor does it unravel into something that is not clearly recognizable as his voice.
Jarvis also effectively dances on the jagged line between supernatural credulity and banal insanity with his characters. They often call themselves into question but, ultimately, they know what they have seen and experienced and cannot deny it. The question is: when should and should the reader at all suspend disbelief? That tug and pull keep roping me back in when I'm ready to dismiss the narrative as hokey.
Then there is the background metafiction of Jarvis himself investigating the strange circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Simon Peterkin and the subsequent discovery of the manuscript of The Wanderer. After reading the book and returning to the introduction again, I see how Jarvis has folded in the theme of travel to the hidden plane of Tartarus (called by many names, but herein christened "Tartarus") and the disappearance of Peterkin, which one would not notice upon first reading. Like James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, one must loop back again to begin to understand what happens at the beginning - but, given the circular nature of the tale in The Wanderer, well, this is the whole point . . . as you will discover, time and time again, one eternal round.
The difficulty with reviewing this kind of strung-together narrative, wrought and bound up in metafiction, is: where to start? Indeed, the end of the book is the beginning of the mystery, in many ways, and one's brain loops over and over trying to puzzle out what must be an eternal (and infernal) mystery. It is clearly a work of horror, with all "flavors" present. There is a Twilight-Zone-ish element to the overall central conceit - that living forever may be fraught with terror. But the work owes more to Hodgson, Ellison, and Machen than Serling (though I am aware of the connections between Ellison and Serling, especially in regards to Ellison's writing of what I consider to be one of the best short stories ever written, "Paladin of the Lost Hour," which was originally published in Twilight Zone Magazine). The post-apocalyptic narrative which seams the stories all together also owes something to Serling's show, but it also reflects M.P. Shiel's The Purple Cloud, albeit with a far less boring narrative voice.
I won't attempt to block out the plot step-by-step - others have done so in their reviews on Goodreads - but, suffice it to say that the plot is a complex folding of stories-within-stories-within-stories. Because of the structure, there were points where I felt "shot out" of the flow. For instance, one of the characters, Duncan, tells his tale and it becomes apparent that he is far older than anyone else at the table. Un-naturally old, in fact. I wondered why there didn't seem to be any reactions to this blatant anachronism on the parts of the ones listening, then, two sections later, there it was: a full justification for why the narrator did not share their reactions right away. Thus, there are times where I felt pushed out by the metafictional elements. They were rare, but noticeable.
That said, each story flowed well internally, as stories in and of themselves. And once one picked up the thread of the uber-narrative again, it was fine. Interesting that with the tales of several different characters being told, Jarvis' voice does not smother the individual character's voices, nor does it unravel into something that is not clearly recognizable as his voice.
Jarvis also effectively dances on the jagged line between supernatural credulity and banal insanity with his characters. They often call themselves into question but, ultimately, they know what they have seen and experienced and cannot deny it. The question is: when should and should the reader at all suspend disbelief? That tug and pull keep roping me back in when I'm ready to dismiss the narrative as hokey.
Then there is the background metafiction of Jarvis himself investigating the strange circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Simon Peterkin and the subsequent discovery of the manuscript of The Wanderer. After reading the book and returning to the introduction again, I see how Jarvis has folded in the theme of travel to the hidden plane of Tartarus (called by many names, but herein christened "Tartarus") and the disappearance of Peterkin, which one would not notice upon first reading. Like James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, one must loop back again to begin to understand what happens at the beginning - but, given the circular nature of the tale in The Wanderer, well, this is the whole point . . . as you will discover, time and time again, one eternal round.
January 19, 2015
This book is a great read of all the things I look for in a book. The pace is fast,the weird elements endless. The writing style is reminiscent of authors I admire. Such as Clark Ashton Smith and Tanith Lee. I only hope I find other books to read this year I like as much.
June 21, 2014
Originally published at Risingshadow.
I recently read Timothy J. Jarvis' short story ("Nae Greeance o' Bane") that was published in Caledonia Dreamin' (edited by Hal Duncan and Chris Kelso; Eibonvale Press, 2014). It made a huge impression on me, because it was excellent weird fiction. When I read it, I thought to myself that this author will most likely be able to achieve great things if he continues to write weird fiction. My feelings were right, because the author's debut novel, The Wanderer, is an outstanding and refreshingly different kind of a weird fiction novel.
I think it's appropriate to say that every once in a while - if you're lucky - you'll come across a novel that will surprise you with its originality, style and unique storytelling. The Wanderer is such a novel, because it's something different. It pays homage to classic weird stories, but is wholly original and stays true to its roots that lie deep in old weird fiction. Its story differs greatly from other debut novels and dares to venture along paths not often trodden into the realm of classic weird fiction. It's a delightfully old-fashioned yet modern novel that contains stories within stories.
Timothy J. Jarvis combines fantasy, horror and science fiction with an expert's touch and creates an intelligent and fascinating story that keeps the reader glued to the novel. He exhibits signs of exceptional creativity, skill and originality in his debut novel.
The Wanderer is a found manuscript tale that's indebted to classic weird fiction. It's comparable to the stories written by such authors as William Hope Hodgson, M. P. Shiel, Robert Aickman, Shirley Jackson, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Machen. It's reminiscent of M. P. Shiel's old classic, The Purple Cloud, which is a little known and neglected gem of weird fiction.
In my opinion The Wanderer has a sophisticatedly complex and layered structure, because it contains many different stories that are part of the main story. This unique and interesting structure separates this novel from other similar novels, because most authors tend to avoid this kind of a structure. Although the story twists and turns into many directions, the author manages to keep all the threads in his hands.
The Wanderer is a story about an author of weird stories, Simon Peterkin, who vanishes under mysterious circumstances. A manuscript, 'The Wanderer', is found in his flat. It's a weird document - it's an account of things that may or may not have happened to the writer of the document.
The document begins with the writer returning to his birthplace, London, which lies in ruins. He uses an old typewriter to write things down and begins to tell his strange story. When the man's story begins to unfold, many things are revealed about him, his life and his adventures. The author writes fascatingly about how the man returns to London after spending many years in the Himalayans.
The story about the gathering in the pub has been written perfectly. The author writes intriguingly about the man and the other persons who gather to the pub and begin to tell their eldritch stories. William's story of a monster that preys on children is chilling, Jane's creepy story about her husband and children is creepy, Duncan's story about his rough childhood and séance sessions is fascinatingly weird, and Elliot's story is brilliantly brutal and disturbing. Each of these stories has been written well.
Although this novel is weird fiction, parts of it can be read as a postapocalyptical and futuristic adventure novel, because the author writes about the man's adventures that take place in the far future where humankind has changed and tribal people roam the land. Reading about the man, the tribeswoman and the relationship between them was fascinating for me. The man and the tribeswoman fought together and tried to survive in a cruel and hostile world where only bits and pieces were left of the modern world and cities had been desolated. The author wrote fluently about how food and water were scarce and what the man and woman had to do to survive.
Immortality plays an important role in the story, because the man is immortal and is cursed to live forever. Timothy J. Jarvis writes well about the man's life and feelings about living forever and being hunted by something that means to harm him.
There are a few sexual elements in this novel. The author handles them well, because he writes believably about sex and lust. I was amazed at how well he wrote about how sexual feelings can diminish over the years and then awaken again when conditions are favourable for sexual re-awakening.
The Punch and Judy show that was played in the caves beneath London was brilliantly diabolical, violent and disturbing, and will not be easily forgotten by readers because of the author's macabre descriptions. I've read plenty of stories which feature puppets, but only a few of them have been as satanic and disturbing as the puppets and the puppet show in this novel. What happened in the caves and how the man fled from the caves was fascinatingly creepy and haunting.
Timothy J. Jarvis has an eye for uncanny and macabre details, which is great, because details are important in weird fiction novels and stories. For example, the time that the man spent in the sanatorium was described in lush details. In my opinion there was something Poe-like in these descriptions.
One of the best things about The Wanderer is that the author manages to deliver grotesque and macabre happenings to his readers at regular intervals by alternating between writing about the man's future life and past life. Because different things happen to the man at different times in his life, the author maintains a nice balance by alternating between light and heavy moments.
The gruesome and violent scenes are portrayed in a shocking and memorable way. It's good that the author doesn't shy away from gruesome and grisly scenes, because they're an essential part of many old weird fiction stories. What's best about these scenes is that the author doesn't write too much about them, but delivers shocks when necessary.
The author also wrote surprisingly well about how civilization had fallen and risen again, many times over, and how Earth had changed. The detailed descriptions of the ruined London were unforgettable, because there was a strong postapocalyptical and threatening feel to them. I've read quite a lot of descriptions of postapocalyptical places and I can say that Timohy J. Jarvis' descriptions are among the best I've read.
The characterization in this novel was good. The stories that were told in the pub contained excellent characterization and descriptions of the characters' lives. The author created interesting characters, because he concentrated on writing about their eldritch experiences and what happened to them. It was great that he didn't dwell too much on their lives.
The author briefly mentions interesting things and persons in this novel. For example, the mention of an Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt, during a conversation between the man and his driver was interesting. Pärt is seldom mentioned in speculative fiction (I think it's possible that only a few readers may have heard of him and his compositions).
Timothy J. Jarvis plays with the idea of what's real and what's not in a perfect way by keeping the reader guessing what's going on, because the man's story is so detailed that it could almost be true. The story could also be just a product of Simon Peterkin's imagination and his last novel. The realistic and supernatural elements are in perfect balance and the author weaves his story around them, and keeps it flowing masterfully from start to finish.
I was impressed by the author's prose, because it's excellent. The language and vocabulary used in this novel is partly archaic, which is nice, because it emphasizes the weird atmosphere of the story. When I read this novel, I noticed that the author loves old weird fiction, especially old pre-Lovecraftian weird fiction, because there's a wonderfully eldritch atmosphere in this novel that is often present in pre-Lovecraftian stories. (The same kind of atmosphere is also present in weird fiction stories that are considered to be classic Lovecraftian stories.)
I have to mention that the cover image looks great. It fits the story perfectly and is eye-catching because of old-fashioned artwork. I'll also mention that the endnotes and appendixes are great and emphasize the weirdness of the story.
I found no flaws in this novel. Normally debut authors tend to have at least a few flaws in their novels, but there are no flaws in this novel. The Wanderer is perfect in every possible way, because it's a complex, descriptive and detailed novel full of old-fashioned weirdness (it deserves to be praised, because it's a good novel).
In my honest opinion Timothy J. Jarvis is a new master of weird fiction. I have a strong feeling that he'll become a respected author, because he's able to write excellent and intellectually stimulating weird fiction that differs from mainstream weird fiction.
I'm aware that there are readers out there who don't - for one reason or another - read much weird fiction or tend to avoid it. It's a shame that certain readers avoid reading weird fiction, because weird fiction happens to represent one of the finest and richest sub-genres of speculative fiction and offers plenty of memorable, thought-provoking and original reading experiences to readers. I sincerely hope that quality-oriented speculative fiction readers, who don't normally read weird fiction, would read this novel, because it's fascinatingly weird and requires more attention from the readers than many other novels.
If you love good old-fashioned weird stories or if you've ever considered yourself to be a fan of weird fiction, you must read The Wanderer. This novel is essential reading material for fans of the weirder side of speculative fiction, because it's an exceptionally good and well written novel. A few excellent weird fiction short story collections have been published this year, but The Wanderer is without a doubt the best weird fiction debut novel of the year, so readers of weird fiction should put it immediately to their reading list.
The Wanderer is an ambitious, gorgeously weird, beautifully written and stunningly original novel. In other words, it's weird fiction as it shoud be. It's a literary masterpiece that beckons readers to re-read it and enjoy its strange atmosphere time and time again. The Wanderer is yet an undiscovered gem, but I'm sure that it will be found and loved by many readers.
Highly recommended!
I recently read Timothy J. Jarvis' short story ("Nae Greeance o' Bane") that was published in Caledonia Dreamin' (edited by Hal Duncan and Chris Kelso; Eibonvale Press, 2014). It made a huge impression on me, because it was excellent weird fiction. When I read it, I thought to myself that this author will most likely be able to achieve great things if he continues to write weird fiction. My feelings were right, because the author's debut novel, The Wanderer, is an outstanding and refreshingly different kind of a weird fiction novel.
I think it's appropriate to say that every once in a while - if you're lucky - you'll come across a novel that will surprise you with its originality, style and unique storytelling. The Wanderer is such a novel, because it's something different. It pays homage to classic weird stories, but is wholly original and stays true to its roots that lie deep in old weird fiction. Its story differs greatly from other debut novels and dares to venture along paths not often trodden into the realm of classic weird fiction. It's a delightfully old-fashioned yet modern novel that contains stories within stories.
Timothy J. Jarvis combines fantasy, horror and science fiction with an expert's touch and creates an intelligent and fascinating story that keeps the reader glued to the novel. He exhibits signs of exceptional creativity, skill and originality in his debut novel.
The Wanderer is a found manuscript tale that's indebted to classic weird fiction. It's comparable to the stories written by such authors as William Hope Hodgson, M. P. Shiel, Robert Aickman, Shirley Jackson, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Machen. It's reminiscent of M. P. Shiel's old classic, The Purple Cloud, which is a little known and neglected gem of weird fiction.
In my opinion The Wanderer has a sophisticatedly complex and layered structure, because it contains many different stories that are part of the main story. This unique and interesting structure separates this novel from other similar novels, because most authors tend to avoid this kind of a structure. Although the story twists and turns into many directions, the author manages to keep all the threads in his hands.
The Wanderer is a story about an author of weird stories, Simon Peterkin, who vanishes under mysterious circumstances. A manuscript, 'The Wanderer', is found in his flat. It's a weird document - it's an account of things that may or may not have happened to the writer of the document.
The document begins with the writer returning to his birthplace, London, which lies in ruins. He uses an old typewriter to write things down and begins to tell his strange story. When the man's story begins to unfold, many things are revealed about him, his life and his adventures. The author writes fascatingly about how the man returns to London after spending many years in the Himalayans.
The story about the gathering in the pub has been written perfectly. The author writes intriguingly about the man and the other persons who gather to the pub and begin to tell their eldritch stories. William's story of a monster that preys on children is chilling, Jane's creepy story about her husband and children is creepy, Duncan's story about his rough childhood and séance sessions is fascinatingly weird, and Elliot's story is brilliantly brutal and disturbing. Each of these stories has been written well.
Although this novel is weird fiction, parts of it can be read as a postapocalyptical and futuristic adventure novel, because the author writes about the man's adventures that take place in the far future where humankind has changed and tribal people roam the land. Reading about the man, the tribeswoman and the relationship between them was fascinating for me. The man and the tribeswoman fought together and tried to survive in a cruel and hostile world where only bits and pieces were left of the modern world and cities had been desolated. The author wrote fluently about how food and water were scarce and what the man and woman had to do to survive.
Immortality plays an important role in the story, because the man is immortal and is cursed to live forever. Timothy J. Jarvis writes well about the man's life and feelings about living forever and being hunted by something that means to harm him.
There are a few sexual elements in this novel. The author handles them well, because he writes believably about sex and lust. I was amazed at how well he wrote about how sexual feelings can diminish over the years and then awaken again when conditions are favourable for sexual re-awakening.
The Punch and Judy show that was played in the caves beneath London was brilliantly diabolical, violent and disturbing, and will not be easily forgotten by readers because of the author's macabre descriptions. I've read plenty of stories which feature puppets, but only a few of them have been as satanic and disturbing as the puppets and the puppet show in this novel. What happened in the caves and how the man fled from the caves was fascinatingly creepy and haunting.
Timothy J. Jarvis has an eye for uncanny and macabre details, which is great, because details are important in weird fiction novels and stories. For example, the time that the man spent in the sanatorium was described in lush details. In my opinion there was something Poe-like in these descriptions.
One of the best things about The Wanderer is that the author manages to deliver grotesque and macabre happenings to his readers at regular intervals by alternating between writing about the man's future life and past life. Because different things happen to the man at different times in his life, the author maintains a nice balance by alternating between light and heavy moments.
The gruesome and violent scenes are portrayed in a shocking and memorable way. It's good that the author doesn't shy away from gruesome and grisly scenes, because they're an essential part of many old weird fiction stories. What's best about these scenes is that the author doesn't write too much about them, but delivers shocks when necessary.
The author also wrote surprisingly well about how civilization had fallen and risen again, many times over, and how Earth had changed. The detailed descriptions of the ruined London were unforgettable, because there was a strong postapocalyptical and threatening feel to them. I've read quite a lot of descriptions of postapocalyptical places and I can say that Timohy J. Jarvis' descriptions are among the best I've read.
The characterization in this novel was good. The stories that were told in the pub contained excellent characterization and descriptions of the characters' lives. The author created interesting characters, because he concentrated on writing about their eldritch experiences and what happened to them. It was great that he didn't dwell too much on their lives.
The author briefly mentions interesting things and persons in this novel. For example, the mention of an Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt, during a conversation between the man and his driver was interesting. Pärt is seldom mentioned in speculative fiction (I think it's possible that only a few readers may have heard of him and his compositions).
Timothy J. Jarvis plays with the idea of what's real and what's not in a perfect way by keeping the reader guessing what's going on, because the man's story is so detailed that it could almost be true. The story could also be just a product of Simon Peterkin's imagination and his last novel. The realistic and supernatural elements are in perfect balance and the author weaves his story around them, and keeps it flowing masterfully from start to finish.
I was impressed by the author's prose, because it's excellent. The language and vocabulary used in this novel is partly archaic, which is nice, because it emphasizes the weird atmosphere of the story. When I read this novel, I noticed that the author loves old weird fiction, especially old pre-Lovecraftian weird fiction, because there's a wonderfully eldritch atmosphere in this novel that is often present in pre-Lovecraftian stories. (The same kind of atmosphere is also present in weird fiction stories that are considered to be classic Lovecraftian stories.)
I have to mention that the cover image looks great. It fits the story perfectly and is eye-catching because of old-fashioned artwork. I'll also mention that the endnotes and appendixes are great and emphasize the weirdness of the story.
I found no flaws in this novel. Normally debut authors tend to have at least a few flaws in their novels, but there are no flaws in this novel. The Wanderer is perfect in every possible way, because it's a complex, descriptive and detailed novel full of old-fashioned weirdness (it deserves to be praised, because it's a good novel).
In my honest opinion Timothy J. Jarvis is a new master of weird fiction. I have a strong feeling that he'll become a respected author, because he's able to write excellent and intellectually stimulating weird fiction that differs from mainstream weird fiction.
I'm aware that there are readers out there who don't - for one reason or another - read much weird fiction or tend to avoid it. It's a shame that certain readers avoid reading weird fiction, because weird fiction happens to represent one of the finest and richest sub-genres of speculative fiction and offers plenty of memorable, thought-provoking and original reading experiences to readers. I sincerely hope that quality-oriented speculative fiction readers, who don't normally read weird fiction, would read this novel, because it's fascinatingly weird and requires more attention from the readers than many other novels.
If you love good old-fashioned weird stories or if you've ever considered yourself to be a fan of weird fiction, you must read The Wanderer. This novel is essential reading material for fans of the weirder side of speculative fiction, because it's an exceptionally good and well written novel. A few excellent weird fiction short story collections have been published this year, but The Wanderer is without a doubt the best weird fiction debut novel of the year, so readers of weird fiction should put it immediately to their reading list.
The Wanderer is an ambitious, gorgeously weird, beautifully written and stunningly original novel. In other words, it's weird fiction as it shoud be. It's a literary masterpiece that beckons readers to re-read it and enjoy its strange atmosphere time and time again. The Wanderer is yet an undiscovered gem, but I'm sure that it will be found and loved by many readers.
Highly recommended!
March 29, 2015
Although this book will be read by the goodreads group Literary Horror in April 2015, it seemed the sort of novel that I would like, and I went ahead and read it in advance. I read this novel at a good pace--while reading another novel--which for me is an indicator that I'm liking the book.
The novel has a 'frame' structure'. A horror writer is missing, and among the stuff in his room is a manuscript. This manuscript comprises most of the novel. I would call this story a macabre picaresque. The narrator is an immortal and his story is sort of a memoir, comprising of unusual and disturbing incidents. There is an aspect of the 'tall tale' to this--and some 'in jokes' that readers of weird and fantasy fiction would get. There is also a measure of gruesomeness and 'body horror'--a term I see bandied about lately--so be warned.
The novel has a 'frame' structure'. A horror writer is missing, and among the stuff in his room is a manuscript. This manuscript comprises most of the novel. I would call this story a macabre picaresque. The narrator is an immortal and his story is sort of a memoir, comprising of unusual and disturbing incidents. There is an aspect of the 'tall tale' to this--and some 'in jokes' that readers of weird and fantasy fiction would get. There is also a measure of gruesomeness and 'body horror'--a term I see bandied about lately--so be warned.
April 24, 2015
4*
This is a weird tale, a tale that spans thousands of years, not only jumping backward and forward in time, but also upward and downward as narrative within narrative within narrative and back again. The effect, is to ensnare the reader into a tale of the battle between eternal evil and eternal hope. This is a fascinating story with a nice twist toward the ending. Or the ending that comes before the ending of the epilogue, and then the ending of the afterword. Or whatever.
This is a weird tale, a tale that spans thousands of years, not only jumping backward and forward in time, but also upward and downward as narrative within narrative within narrative and back again. The effect, is to ensnare the reader into a tale of the battle between eternal evil and eternal hope. This is a fascinating story with a nice twist toward the ending. Or the ending that comes before the ending of the epilogue, and then the ending of the afterword. Or whatever.
Read
October 14, 2021This review was originally posted on my No Time is Passing blog: http://notimeispassing.wordpress.com/...
The Wanderer is the debut novel by Timothy Jarvis. I read it a couple of months ago and the book’s blend of Shielian ‘last man’ fantasy and time-twisted, oneiric horror has stayed with me ever since the last page. This review is a much-expanded version of a short post I felt I had to put on Facebook shortly after reaching the end of this brilliant, brilliant book.
Jarvis himself has described The Wanderer‘s charms as ‘Highlander meets Arthur Machen’s The Three Impostors, meets M.P. Shiel’s The Purple Cloud. With booze.’ Even if somewhat tongue-in-cheek, with a write-up like that, how could one resist? And there is booze. That part of his mini-write-up isn’t tongue-in-cheek at all.
Let me start by saying that I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone with even a passing interest in weird fiction and fantastical literature of the last 120 years or so. The Wanderer is simply superb: a highly original, deeply unsettling and utterly gripping novel, the imagery of which will, I’m sure, clutch at your innards for some time to come. It’s in part a portmanteau piece, with different character-led narratives that are interconnected in quite a fiendish way – and there is indeed a fiend at the heart of this novel, as grim and cruel and relentless as the psychopathic Mr. Punch himself. Jarvis describes himself as a writer of antic fiction, which is borne out here in large measure. But the nature of this beast is not just antic, but corybantic also – it’s supremely literate, but also frenzied and shocking and rending in equal proportion.
The novel’s dark premise is difficult to summarise without giving away important plot details, so I won’t do that here as it would spoil the flow of this unique book. The Wanderer is a complex, layered narrative with a central theme that becomes apparent only when the reader is quite far into the story, too far in to climb back out, perhaps: I will only say that once the novel’s revelations are laid bare, the earlier sections of the narrative take on an altogether more chilling aspect and the tension reaches a level of cloying tautness as the story hurtles towards its conclusion. Herein you’ll encounter a missing author of strange stories and his final manuscript, with the same title as this book, be it fiction or otherwise; immortality as the cruelest jest of all; a horrifying game of hunter and hunted across the millennia; a dying planet; an awkward camaraderie of characters that is shattered in chilling ways; and much more, all of which slots together ultimately like a complex puzzle. As Jarvis has noted, the novel has a flavour reminiscent of Shiel’s The Purple Cloud, a book I love for its grandiloquent strangeness and singularity, although I know it doesn’t find favour with everyone, but this novel goes beyond anything Shiel attempted.
The horror of The Wanderer is visceral in places, too – and I use that word both figuratively and literally so fevered is the author’s imagination – yet that only helps to cement the strangeness of the narrative as it jumps to the far-distant future and back with casual disdain for standard frames of temporal reference.
This is an intelligent, ludic work, beautifully articulate and poetic, with respectful yet impish reverence given to the best writers of strange stories over the last few decades. It’s also surprisingly and delightfully grim in all the right ways. I wouldn’t say it’s Aickmanesque per se but I got from it some of the grotesque otherness of Aickman’s finest, most genre-defying pieces.
The Wanderer has been my novel of the year so far, and there’s only a few weeks left of this one so I can’t see it being bettered; in fact, I haven’t read as cohesive and compelling a weird fiction novel in a very long time. The fact that it is a debut makes it all the more revelatory and I cannot recommend this book enough. Even with the teetering pile(s) of titles on my to read list, I sense that I’ll be revisiting this one very soon to see what I may have missed along the way the first time.
The Wanderer is the debut novel by Timothy Jarvis. I read it a couple of months ago and the book’s blend of Shielian ‘last man’ fantasy and time-twisted, oneiric horror has stayed with me ever since the last page. This review is a much-expanded version of a short post I felt I had to put on Facebook shortly after reaching the end of this brilliant, brilliant book.
Jarvis himself has described The Wanderer‘s charms as ‘Highlander meets Arthur Machen’s The Three Impostors, meets M.P. Shiel’s The Purple Cloud. With booze.’ Even if somewhat tongue-in-cheek, with a write-up like that, how could one resist? And there is booze. That part of his mini-write-up isn’t tongue-in-cheek at all.
Let me start by saying that I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone with even a passing interest in weird fiction and fantastical literature of the last 120 years or so. The Wanderer is simply superb: a highly original, deeply unsettling and utterly gripping novel, the imagery of which will, I’m sure, clutch at your innards for some time to come. It’s in part a portmanteau piece, with different character-led narratives that are interconnected in quite a fiendish way – and there is indeed a fiend at the heart of this novel, as grim and cruel and relentless as the psychopathic Mr. Punch himself. Jarvis describes himself as a writer of antic fiction, which is borne out here in large measure. But the nature of this beast is not just antic, but corybantic also – it’s supremely literate, but also frenzied and shocking and rending in equal proportion.
The novel’s dark premise is difficult to summarise without giving away important plot details, so I won’t do that here as it would spoil the flow of this unique book. The Wanderer is a complex, layered narrative with a central theme that becomes apparent only when the reader is quite far into the story, too far in to climb back out, perhaps: I will only say that once the novel’s revelations are laid bare, the earlier sections of the narrative take on an altogether more chilling aspect and the tension reaches a level of cloying tautness as the story hurtles towards its conclusion. Herein you’ll encounter a missing author of strange stories and his final manuscript, with the same title as this book, be it fiction or otherwise; immortality as the cruelest jest of all; a horrifying game of hunter and hunted across the millennia; a dying planet; an awkward camaraderie of characters that is shattered in chilling ways; and much more, all of which slots together ultimately like a complex puzzle. As Jarvis has noted, the novel has a flavour reminiscent of Shiel’s The Purple Cloud, a book I love for its grandiloquent strangeness and singularity, although I know it doesn’t find favour with everyone, but this novel goes beyond anything Shiel attempted.
The horror of The Wanderer is visceral in places, too – and I use that word both figuratively and literally so fevered is the author’s imagination – yet that only helps to cement the strangeness of the narrative as it jumps to the far-distant future and back with casual disdain for standard frames of temporal reference.
This is an intelligent, ludic work, beautifully articulate and poetic, with respectful yet impish reverence given to the best writers of strange stories over the last few decades. It’s also surprisingly and delightfully grim in all the right ways. I wouldn’t say it’s Aickmanesque per se but I got from it some of the grotesque otherness of Aickman’s finest, most genre-defying pieces.
The Wanderer has been my novel of the year so far, and there’s only a few weeks left of this one so I can’t see it being bettered; in fact, I haven’t read as cohesive and compelling a weird fiction novel in a very long time. The fact that it is a debut makes it all the more revelatory and I cannot recommend this book enough. Even with the teetering pile(s) of titles on my to read list, I sense that I’ll be revisiting this one very soon to see what I may have missed along the way the first time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2021
“Creation is in disarray.”
Vestigial, not inchoate, overwrought, too, from internal inspection by a character within the manuscript, self-referential as this book sometimes is, and it is the perfect subject for a gestalt real-time review, as we appear to be reading a manuscript being written in real-time before our very eyes. Creation not only in disarray, real universal mis-evolution with mutant healing and null immortality, but also in retrocausal gestalt when the final hindsight is clinched, as it now seems to be, although by the number of pages left to read with a feel of its width as paper, perhaps the final hindsight has not yet been reached. A gory story. A visionary horror Hodgsoniana. Yet, something far more, I sense, whatever its overwrought nature as internal criticism.
Here, too, more “gawking”, “yawped”, “guffawed”, “bawling” as well as “riding a tiger”.
The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.
December 31, 2014
Do you like ichor?
Do you like ichor as a word? Because The Wanderer is a book where a word like ichor feels right at home. The vocabulary is extensive and the description is remarkable. The prose is described as poetic in more that one place, and it's easy to see where that comes from.
Do you like ichor as a substance? The description is concerned with things often visceral, often gory, often downright repulsive. Horrible things are happening in The Wanderer. And they keep happening.
Do you like ichor as a signifier of horror? A signpost telling you that this book you hold in your hands is a horror novel? If the description and the viscera and the gore don't give it away, Jarvis loves what horror can be. The structure of the book is very aware of itself. A manuscript that describes something eldritch is found in the apartment of a recently disappeared author. Before you know even that, the first words of the book are an excerpt from that author's story:
The whole book careens along through the various stories that come from chance meetings with strangers (another self-aware nod to "weird tales" and horror stories) while updating the main plot. It only perhaps loses steam once or twice but quickly finds its footing.
I enjoyed it very much, for all the ichor in every sense.
Do you like ichor as a word? Because The Wanderer is a book where a word like ichor feels right at home. The vocabulary is extensive and the description is remarkable. The prose is described as poetic in more that one place, and it's easy to see where that comes from.
Do you like ichor as a substance? The description is concerned with things often visceral, often gory, often downright repulsive. Horrible things are happening in The Wanderer. And they keep happening.
Do you like ichor as a signifier of horror? A signpost telling you that this book you hold in your hands is a horror novel? If the description and the viscera and the gore don't give it away, Jarvis loves what horror can be. The structure of the book is very aware of itself. A manuscript that describes something eldritch is found in the apartment of a recently disappeared author. Before you know even that, the first words of the book are an excerpt from that author's story:
"What is it?"
"An old manuscript. Much of it is hard to make out, but..."
Mr. Leatherbotham cut in.
"What? That worn-out old Gothic trope?"
He rolled his eyes.
The whole book careens along through the various stories that come from chance meetings with strangers (another self-aware nod to "weird tales" and horror stories) while updating the main plot. It only perhaps loses steam once or twice but quickly finds its footing.
I enjoyed it very much, for all the ichor in every sense.
February 16, 2015
The Wanderer blends fantasy, horror and science fiction and creates an intelligent and fascinating story. I found it difficult to put down, even though some scenes made me so uncomfortable I wanted to at times. The horror in the novel builds, creeping in at the edges, until all at once the reader is confronted with horrific scenes, described with just enough left out that your mind easily fills in the rest. Rarely have I felt genuinely unnerved by a work of fiction. The plot balances these macabre and horrifying moments with lighter scenes, so the reader never feels overwhelmed. In fact, the balance serves to lull the reader into a false sense of safety, before the next horror is revealed. This has the effect that the novel itself paces well, gradually leading the reader into this world a piece at a time. It reminded me in some way of the found manuscript trope often used by authors of weird fiction. I think I'll never be able to look at a Punch & Judy show in the same way again after reading this. If you enjoy Poe, Lovecraft and King, the Wanderer is right up your street. A great effort for a first novel.
May 17, 2017
One of the best weird novels I've ever read. Indispensable.
November 7, 2014
Deeply creepy, written with a poet's eye. Weird in the best sense of that word.
February 7, 2015
Harrowing, beastly and brilliant. Highly recommended!
March 13, 2021
It took me a while to read The Wanderer and I'm not entirely sure why. It might've been this cursed year - hell, let's blame that. But I certainly found that as much as I was entranced whenever I perused the book, I wasn't quick to come back to it.
Curiously, this isn't the bad thing that I had expected. It meant that each time I returned, I was surprised anew at how bizarre the thing is.
The novel is constructed as an elaborate series of records: letters, pub conversations and apocalypse-typed missives. There's a whole story about a weird writer (Simon Peterkin) who has disappeared, supposedly to off himself, but who has left a bizarre tale in his wake. There's continual references to Poe, and an academic approach to the idea of sifting for truth. But then there's a heavy Melmoth the Wanderer vibe.
And there's also murderous Punch and Judy shows. Because of course there are. They're the first clue that what's happening isn't straight disappearance or standard gumshoe fare: a puppeteer-free booth crops up in unlikely places, offering shows filled with gouts of blood. That's the way to do it! rings in the ears of characters who, like the reader, are desperate to find what the fuck is going on.
I won't spoil the story too much here, but suffice it to say the meat of the narrative is split between the stories and backstories of a pub meeting for people with uncanny experiences, and the recollection of a narrator at some point distant to that snug evening. Jarvis is always pretty clear about what's happening when, though you will likely have to adjust your sense of timescale to accommodate all the action.
In essence, the people in the pub have been marked in a particular way; they have each had an experience which has left them changed, and apart from their fellow humans. Through sharing their stories, they hope – as do we – to be at least able to name what has happened to them.
Whether that happens? Well, let's just say that there's a solid amount of weird/SFF action en route to the denouement. There's always a weird smell about, like a little-used room in a great-aunt's house, and it does propel the reader onward, albeit (in my case) in fits and starts.
In the end, I don't think The Wanderer is as successful as it might have been. There's bits where you can see the duct-tape holding it together, and the way it comes to an all-in-a-rush revelation at the end seems a little hamfisted. However, the creeping feeling of dread, and the overwhelming tang of weirdness that suffuses the work more than makes up for these shortcomings. As a first novel, it's a goddamn cracker, and I would like to see what sort of liminal perversities Jarvis comes up with in the future.
Curiously, this isn't the bad thing that I had expected. It meant that each time I returned, I was surprised anew at how bizarre the thing is.
The novel is constructed as an elaborate series of records: letters, pub conversations and apocalypse-typed missives. There's a whole story about a weird writer (Simon Peterkin) who has disappeared, supposedly to off himself, but who has left a bizarre tale in his wake. There's continual references to Poe, and an academic approach to the idea of sifting for truth. But then there's a heavy Melmoth the Wanderer vibe.
I leave it up to the reader, then, to decide what nature of thing The Wanderer really is.
And there's also murderous Punch and Judy shows. Because of course there are. They're the first clue that what's happening isn't straight disappearance or standard gumshoe fare: a puppeteer-free booth crops up in unlikely places, offering shows filled with gouts of blood. That's the way to do it! rings in the ears of characters who, like the reader, are desperate to find what the fuck is going on.
The audience was always, aged, and I recognized many of the same faces each time. It was all odd, passing odd, but I never suspected malignancy (perhaps because I was preoccupied by work: it was busy at the office then). It wasn’t till the evening I, lacking patience, got off the bus, broken down but soon fixed, I realized a weird evil was at work.
I won't spoil the story too much here, but suffice it to say the meat of the narrative is split between the stories and backstories of a pub meeting for people with uncanny experiences, and the recollection of a narrator at some point distant to that snug evening. Jarvis is always pretty clear about what's happening when, though you will likely have to adjust your sense of timescale to accommodate all the action.
In essence, the people in the pub have been marked in a particular way; they have each had an experience which has left them changed, and apart from their fellow humans. Through sharing their stories, they hope – as do we – to be at least able to name what has happened to them.
Whether that happens? Well, let's just say that there's a solid amount of weird/SFF action en route to the denouement. There's always a weird smell about, like a little-used room in a great-aunt's house, and it does propel the reader onward, albeit (in my case) in fits and starts.
In the end, I don't think The Wanderer is as successful as it might have been. There's bits where you can see the duct-tape holding it together, and the way it comes to an all-in-a-rush revelation at the end seems a little hamfisted. However, the creeping feeling of dread, and the overwhelming tang of weirdness that suffuses the work more than makes up for these shortcomings. As a first novel, it's a goddamn cracker, and I would like to see what sort of liminal perversities Jarvis comes up with in the future.
February 24, 2019
I was expecting to love this book. Unfortunately, while the author's prose is quite accomplished, several of the interwoven stories were not interesting at all (I pretty much skimmed the Jamaican cabdriver's tale) and dragged out for too long. The narrator's immortal memory issues are also highly inconsistent - he's too old to remember his own name yet he recounts events from thousands and thousands of years ago in minute detail, down to entire conversations and what drinks everyone ordered at the pub. Worst of all is the sheer amount of explicit torture and gore. Seriously, if I had known The Wanderer was this gruesome, I would not have read it.
I did like the villain's speech about all the writers and artists he attempted to seduce.
I did like the villain's speech about all the writers and artists he attempted to seduce.
April 14, 2015
A brilliant blend of supernatural horror and science fantasy, Jarvis describes it best himself when he calls his work "antic fiction." It's simultaneously playful and menacing, pressing at the boundaries of the readers' understanding of the world around them. I'm just sad I can't find any other books he's written.
October 10, 2014
Seriously creepy, beautifully written.
April 16, 2018
I like original efforts by authors. And I can't say its premise wasn't original but somehow The Wanderer peters out after a promising start (I will get into that below).
But first a note on the vocabulary: I realize the author is British and the characters come from literary and publishing backgrounds but damn... "Crepuscular welkins," "gloaming spinneys," "tessellating sphagnum," and "chthonic scrim" are a lot for this 'Merican to handle... I'm kind of exaggerating but all of those words do appear in the text and made the whole thing feel a little standoffish... or British, frankly. Don't let that deter you from reading it though.
Spoilers follow:
What really disappointed me were such mundane and silly elements in what aspires to be a supernatural tale spanning millennia...
The main antagonist is a demon named... "Elliot?"
Really?
I'm not sure I how I would feel about being cursed with eternal life and chased through history by a demon named Elliot. If the intent was to add a sense of existential absurdity to the whole plot it didn't hit home for me.
And the main protagonist: What does his personal vision of Hell look like?... What diabolical denizens of the abyss manifest to bring him true torment?...
Puppets.
Punch, to be precise.
I mean c'mon. It's almost something out of a Monty Python episode. Very difficult to take seriously or consider scary.
The decades of watching mankind's works come and go have made the protagonist a little wistful, and he ponders the differences between the Eastern cosmological preference for cyclical death/rebirth vs the Western/ technological view of progress... Interesting but how does immortality feel? Tell me what it is like to watch a tree grow for 10 years. I realize immortality can be a curse but tell me the stories of how you conquered kingdoms or slept underground for thirty years. Why are you so much like your mortal self at the beginning of the story?
Another issue I have with the protagonist is he has spanned the world and moved millennia through history but doesn't seem to have learned much of anything practical. He's failed after centuries of trying to break into Hell to find a weapon against evil Elliot. He hasn't even learned to throw a good punch against the demon, who - by his own admission, we should note- has been bested before by some of his quarry.
And the denouement leaves a little to be desired: What puts paid to centuries of cops and robbers chases between Elliot and his prey?
A hammer blow.
Yep.
Bopped on the head by a hammer.
The guy has been demoning around the ages since the dawn of time and a little tap on the head lays him out. I almost expected Steve Martin to come out and start singing 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' when it was all said and done.
Anyway, don't let this snarky review keep you from reading this if you want a little entertainment. As I said, it was original and weird and worth the read. Three stars are all I can muster for this, however. I wouldn't stay away from anything else the author's done... The guys got talent, certainly. I'm sure his following efforts are improvements.
But first a note on the vocabulary: I realize the author is British and the characters come from literary and publishing backgrounds but damn... "Crepuscular welkins," "gloaming spinneys," "tessellating sphagnum," and "chthonic scrim" are a lot for this 'Merican to handle... I'm kind of exaggerating but all of those words do appear in the text and made the whole thing feel a little standoffish... or British, frankly. Don't let that deter you from reading it though.
Spoilers follow:
What really disappointed me were such mundane and silly elements in what aspires to be a supernatural tale spanning millennia...
The main antagonist is a demon named... "Elliot?"
Really?
I'm not sure I how I would feel about being cursed with eternal life and chased through history by a demon named Elliot. If the intent was to add a sense of existential absurdity to the whole plot it didn't hit home for me.
And the main protagonist: What does his personal vision of Hell look like?... What diabolical denizens of the abyss manifest to bring him true torment?...
Puppets.
Punch, to be precise.
I mean c'mon. It's almost something out of a Monty Python episode. Very difficult to take seriously or consider scary.
The decades of watching mankind's works come and go have made the protagonist a little wistful, and he ponders the differences between the Eastern cosmological preference for cyclical death/rebirth vs the Western/ technological view of progress... Interesting but how does immortality feel? Tell me what it is like to watch a tree grow for 10 years. I realize immortality can be a curse but tell me the stories of how you conquered kingdoms or slept underground for thirty years. Why are you so much like your mortal self at the beginning of the story?
Another issue I have with the protagonist is he has spanned the world and moved millennia through history but doesn't seem to have learned much of anything practical. He's failed after centuries of trying to break into Hell to find a weapon against evil Elliot. He hasn't even learned to throw a good punch against the demon, who - by his own admission, we should note- has been bested before by some of his quarry.
And the denouement leaves a little to be desired: What puts paid to centuries of cops and robbers chases between Elliot and his prey?
A hammer blow.
Yep.
Bopped on the head by a hammer.
The guy has been demoning around the ages since the dawn of time and a little tap on the head lays him out. I almost expected Steve Martin to come out and start singing 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' when it was all said and done.
Anyway, don't let this snarky review keep you from reading this if you want a little entertainment. As I said, it was original and weird and worth the read. Three stars are all I can muster for this, however. I wouldn't stay away from anything else the author's done... The guys got talent, certainly. I'm sure his following efforts are improvements.
February 9, 2018
enjoyed it enough through the first 2/3 to give it four stars, then the rest was rather stale/trite, and the tacked on appendices smacked of 'trying too hard', so to be fair i figured i would average things out, then after remembering how overused the comma was, and, as a result, remembering that, along with the near-plagiarization of several more famous, and hardly-needs-to-be-mentioned, better written works... OK, i'll stop with the overwrought lengthy sentence mockery... 'cuz it was damned sure annoying... mentioning famous stories/poetry/novels is one thing, but basically using their narrative as part of your book? not right... i also found the multiple timelines to be confusing, as not one of them was ever noticeably set so as to allow for relating others back, or forwards, to it... not to forget the possibility that any/all of what what told/written inside the text was fantasized, dreamt, made up, lied about... ultimately i would say the author's reach exceeded his grasp by at least the thumb and two fingers (probably the more useful pointer and middle finger), and if he had stuck to one or two concepts the book could have been quite fabulous... too much and not enough, in equal measure...
February 4, 2019
Swinging with great skill from one dread cthonic encounter to the next, this epic novel offers the reader squirming unease and genuine horror in full measure. At times The Wanderer reads more like a grimoire of summoning magic than a piece of fiction, as if in reading it you have become possessed of forbidden knowledge, or are an unknowing accomplice in some shadowy invocation. A tome of weird dark wonder.
November 3, 2022
A promising concept strangled in dense prose. Overuse of words like "gawp" that had me begging for a thesaurus. I generally like twisted tales with multiple parts weaved together by a framing narrative, but the parts could barely stand on their own, much less together.
This one was a slog, and i would have DNFed if I weren't so stubborn.
This one was a slog, and i would have DNFed if I weren't so stubborn.
March 28, 2016
'The Wanderer' by Timothy J. Jarvis was a phenomenal read and honestly one of the best books I have read in a long time.
The book switches between two time lines where the protagonist is unable to die and is being hunted by the one and only person who can kill him.
We learn what circumstances lead to him being like this. How a number of other people have had the same fate, yet all have very different weird ways that they happened.
Honestly, I cannot say too much incase I spoil it for anyone but its like Lovecraft meets Robert Jackson Bennett meets Stephen King meets Laird Barron.
Evil punch from punch and judy ? That alone should be enough to get you to read this fast paced amazing novel.
10/10
The book switches between two time lines where the protagonist is unable to die and is being hunted by the one and only person who can kill him.
We learn what circumstances lead to him being like this. How a number of other people have had the same fate, yet all have very different weird ways that they happened.
Honestly, I cannot say too much incase I spoil it for anyone but its like Lovecraft meets Robert Jackson Bennett meets Stephen King meets Laird Barron.
Evil punch from punch and judy ? That alone should be enough to get you to read this fast paced amazing novel.
10/10
May 30, 2016
Genuinely frightening in places. Author's verbal tics get in the way of the reader's pleasure (how many times can one use the word "gawp" in a novel before it gets distracting or annoying? clumsy uses of commas EVERYWHERE). I don't mind being grossed out from time to time but I think the author overdid it here. Really, 2.6 stars but the GR Gestapo refuses to give us even half-stars regardless of how vast a majority of users want them. Up yours, Goodreads!
September 15, 2022
Very much a book of tw0 halves for me.
The first half was superb. Dripping in atmosphere. Dark, rain-soaked paranoia. Ramsey Cambell at his very finest.
The second half just fell flat. No atmosphere. No character development. It was like reading a completely different book.
I want to read the second half of the first half.
The first half was superb. Dripping in atmosphere. Dark, rain-soaked paranoia. Ramsey Cambell at his very finest.
The second half just fell flat. No atmosphere. No character development. It was like reading a completely different book.
I want to read the second half of the first half.
December 11, 2019
Its been years since I read it and bit of this book still haunt me. In a way this is real horror, the fear that stays with you that you can't really put a finger on. I'll write my peace with it soon but for now this will do.
April 7, 2017
A wonderful first novel. Eminently readable, clever and above all, entertaining. I eagerly await what the author has in store.
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