Wherever You Go, There You Are

by John Hampel

It’s pure magic! It’s Harry Potter for adults!” is how one of our favorite booksellers described John Hampel’s magical and transcendent debut novel, Wherever You Go, There You Are.

Another pegs it as “Wonderfully entertaining . . . Impossible to describe.”

Well, it’s not exactly easy to describe . . . but then there is so much here! This is a book that takes readers on a magical journey from the west coast to the Midwest, and back again. With loads of fun, magic and mystery every step of the way!

This is the outrageous and tremendously funny tale of snooty Basil Lexington, bumbling private eye and former child television star, finally meeting his match: the beautiful and sexy Synandra Wasson, herbalist, nature girl, and indefatigable keeper of Mystery Rock Hill - from which she derives, well, unusual powers.

Where else can one meet the president-to-be of the United States on a suspiciously smoking hilltop in California, witness the resurrection of James Dean, and grab a ringside seat for the clash between the ultimate mechanics of science and the sacred, (supposedly) passive, exploited earth? It’s all here in this very strange and wonderful tale of the great Midwest!

Check out some great reviews:

"In his freewheeling debut novel, Hampel dexterously weaves seemingly unrelated strands into a plot that combines mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. Hampel ably blends metaphysics with magic in a highly enjoyable and fast-paced book." — Publisher's Weekly

"There is no question about recommending 'Wherever You Go, There You Are. Rarely does a book come along that has such energy and originality , that can be about complex issues within a complex literary framework and still be funny and endearing . . . For accomplishing so much so well this could be a cult classic." — South Bend (Indiana) Tribune

". . . The book questions where we all sit in the grand scheme of things while remaining enormously funny, mysterious, and ultimately a work of natural wonder and beauty . . . it is a gem. Besides wonderfully animated, genuine characters and fascinating-to-the-point-of-mindbending storylines, Hampel’s prose is poetic satisfaction. . ." — UWM Post

"A wonderful novel full of the humor and poetry of real life, it is also a mesmerizing tale of mystery and magic. . . . a marvelous story told with wit, humor, and a great deal of talent." — Milwaukee Journal

"This is a snappy piece of New Age science fiction, the kind that combines technology with the powers of the mind. Here are Earth's energies melded with the romance of a midsummer's night deep in the country." — ALA Booklist

Genres: Fiction, Philosophy, Novels, Magical Realism

353 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Hampel (left), in pic with his late happy hound, Wylie, R.I.P., late of the Great Midwest and Northwest, now living in the Great Southeast, where he ruminates and writes, God help us.

Visit bzffbooks my strange and wonderful website

Reviews

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilariously funny and outrageously outlandish this wonderfully bizarre tale is simply spectacular!

This magnificently impressive novel beautifully blends a variety of genre, creating an altogether completely unique and totally original work of fiction. Journeying through time and space I was utterly mesmerized by the magic and mystery, as contrasting storylines combine and interlink in such a fascinating way. Merging together fictitious fables with myth and legend, John Hampel brings fantasy vividly to life alongside a ‘Sherlock Holmes’ whodunit. I was greatly impressed by this bold book, containing such captivating characters amid a compelling storyline.

Yowsa…Wowsa…WooHoo!

L.A private detective Basil Lexington is hired to find the mysterious Capt. Jimmy Kowalske, Vietnam Vet and founder of the occult church of the Electronic Trinity. So…just another P.I. from L.A. story? Hardly. His search takes him to alien territory – the American Midwest, ultimately to mystery Rock Hill, nexus of the Wasson clan and plexus of the brooding earth, where he finds the girl who stops him cold, the car of his dreams, and the meaning of it all.

I felt this story had a touch of Terry Pratchett (or) Douglas Adams about it, as with all the extraordinarily eccentric inspired ideas was quite vivid imagery linked to Sci-fi. Delicately interwoven and multi-layered, it is astonishing how the author’s assured writing and knowledge on metaphysics, mythology and magic is mixed together with such effortless ease. I fell instantly in love with the wonderful characters and was equally enchanted by the interlocking, thought-provoking narrative. I have never encountered something so richly diverse and exquisite and so supremely singular. A thrilling tale that is unputdownable, highly readable and very enjoyable!

*I won a copy of “Wherever you go, there you are” by John Hampel through a Goodreads, First-Read giveaway*

~ Author of “Glass House 51”

[Tex Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars – A Fun Combination of Magic, Time Travel and Interesting People.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, John!)

I’m a fan of all the genres mixed in here – sci-fi, fantasy, mystery – so I was looking forward to reading it, and it did not disappoint, even adding in a little humor as well as some philosophical and ecological musings along the way. Interestingly, it first came out in 1991, and considering that timeframe, it is a little zany in a post-Douglas Adams kind of way.

While it starts a bit slow, setting things up and teasing you a little, just be patient – it will draw you in by the myth, magic, time travel, alternate universes and playfulness. It’s an interesting setting – the 1970’s in a fictitious town on Door Peninsula in northeastern Wisconsin (of Green Bay fame). John Hampel does a good job depicting these surroundings as well as moving the action forward, imagining the nuances of the magic and time travel. The twists and turns where the plot takes you are amusing and engaging.

Hampel fleshes out the characters and their relationships fairly well. While the characters aren’t too complex, they are quite an enjoyable set of people that you can’t help relating to. And then there is the fun the author has in how these people relate to each other that adds an extra element of entertainment to the main plot itself.

In the end, while it might be a bit hard to label because of the different genres and ideas, I actually enjoyed the creative mix and originality of the story, making it a fun read for me.

[Daniale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I was excited to read this book after reading Glass House 51 and Mr. Hampel did not disappoint. I must make a note here though. For new readers of John Hampel. I noticed it in both of his books. The way he writes seems almost like running thought, to me, I don't know if that is an adequate description. When I first started Glass House 51, it seemed hard to get into because of this. The same thing occurred with this book as well. However, I was able to recover a little more quickly this go round because I was familiar with the rhythm. It's not what I am used to but I like it. Once you get the rhythm down, you are in and it's a wild ride to the end. I love how the story builds and builds and the characters grow leading up to the namesake in both books, Wherever You Go, There You Are and Glass House 51. It's like an aha moment when you think, so this is what it's all about and you have the whole story behind it to really feel the impact. I just can't wait to read more from this author.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as part of a Goodreads first giveaway!
I had high hopes for this book, and they were mostly met. The humorous and satirical elements kept the plot moving, and the characters were fun. I wish that the author had stuck more with the most interesting element of the story, the ability to travel through time, as it seemed to be a major element at the beginning, and then just sort of disappeared from the scene, as well as some other minor plot points that seemed forgotten by the ending, which was a bit rushed and predictable. I did laugh out loud at many times during reading, and this book has inspired me to read the author's other works, as I really enjoyed his style. I would recommend this book to fans of Tom Robbins.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot but it was being pulled in a lot of different directions by each of the main characters. In the beginning, the protagonist wanted it to be hardboiled L.A. detective noir, then he turned it into a 1970s sex and drugs and rock n roll romp. His girlfriend Synandra made it a mystical adventure, a Russian inventor made science fiction of it with a time machine and then it erupted into an archaeological adventure, complete with rewriting pop culture history. It was LOT of fun and I was sorry that it had to end. There was even a little bit of philosophizing near the end to justify the title. This is definitely something different!!

[Marjorie Hakala]

I'm so tickled that this book has a GoodReads page! I bought it years & years ago at a bookstore that was very likely within a 50-mile radius of the author's home (it takes place in Door County, WI and I have the impression it's self-published). It's one of the earliest intentionally-ridiculously-weird books I've read, so even though, say, Tom Holt and Christopher Moore are probably at least as weird, this one was the first to make a real impression on me in terms of the fabulous possibilities of the absurd.

Not rating it because I have no idea how good it actually is, but I liked it a lot at the time.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a first reads giveaway and I am thrilled. I find that somethings seem to be made for certain people, and if there ever was a book that I was destined to read, it is this one. The themes in this book combined pretty much all of my loves, from time travel, to John Lennon, to environmentalism, and even the Packers. I think any review I would give would be biased out of sheer amazement that one book could contain so many topics that I hold near and dear. I think this book just got added to my list of books that I will make a point of rereading over and over. Thank you to the author for sending me this book.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars.

I'm a fan.

"A Masterful Triumph..." - Milwaukee Journal (& Me)

After I got past my own self, I have to say I fell a little in love with this book. "could be a cult classic..." - South Bend (Indiana) Tribune - Sure. Why not? At the end I was wishing it wasn't (the end). Just really, really, good. A very worthy read.

Highly recommended.

I received this book from the author/publisher after being selected in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway as a winner. All opinions (except those quoted) are my own. Thanks so much!

[Alysa H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Try as I might, I just could not get into this. There are some interesting characters, places and ideas -- especially Synandra Wasson and Mystery Rock Hill -- but the writing wasn't for me. It's got a dated, dudely style that I found more distracting than engaging. And I was under the impression that this book would be funny, but I did not find it so.

I'm sure there's an audience for this type of writing, but I guess I'm not it.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book free from the Good Reads First Reads program. This book is about a man named Basil who is a private detective who is sent on a case to find a man named Jimmy. Along the way he meets the woman he has always been looking for. They go on a magical journey with a lot of twists and turns and magic. This book if full of funny moments and I found it to be very enjoyable.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book through free reads on goodreads. It was a well executed book, but it just didn't do it for me enough to get 4 or 5 stars. I like the ending, but I honestly don't know what the overall point of the book was. Parts of it felt very hodge podge to me. Luckily the characters were enjoyable, so I forgave a lot of that.

[J.Bayze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really strange book. There's really no other way to describe it. I did like it, but I felt that much of it was very 2-dimensional, particularly the characters and some aspects of the storyline. There's little development through the book. That's said, it's a fun read and unlike anything I've read before.

[Debi Askew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this on Goodreads. I thought it was a mystery, and it was for a while...then it became something for a while, and then something else. It took me a lot longer then usual to read this book. I like to read a lot of different types of stories, just not all in the same book.

Wasn't my cup of tea, but it was interesting.

[Haley Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wherever You Go, There You Are is very well written, so I can't provide any reasonable criticism for it. This book just was not particularly enjoyable for me. It does have some interesting theories and philosophies, most of which are spoken by the character Synandra; this, however, stands as the book's only redeeming point.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.

[Carie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was billed to me as "Harry Potter for grown-ups". While it does have elements of magic and fantasy, it last the transportative powers of Harry Potter. I found it more like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --- fun and enjoyable, but with less development of plot and characters and more sporadic in its flow. Sort of a "what wacky things is going to happen next," read.

[Anthony Toro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basil Lexingtonis, private detective is hired to find Capt. Jimmy Kowalske, Vietnam Vet and founder of the occult church of the Electronic Trinity. That is how its starting a magical journey with a lot of twists and magic turning back in time in 1970s.
A tale very enjoyable!

[Tamra LeValley]

Review to be revised!

[Sabrina Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I really enjoyed this book..humorous...can always use a good laugh!!

[YYY]

Thank you First Reads for winning this free book. I will read and review soon.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

*received for free through Goodreads First Reads

Hard to become involved in the story and did not keep my attention.

[Don]

I did mot read this book. I clicked on it by mistake, and could not figure out how to delete it from "Currently Reading" status.

[pgupta6 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a great book if you enjoyed reading Power of Now!!