Tatterdemalion

by Ray Succre

This is the amazing story of a man trapped in a mad, fantasy world that begins to change against his will. We are never quite sure whether he is in the real world or in the strange, surreal world that seems to have the power to take over his whole being at will. At times this book is hysterically funny and at other times it is incredibly moving. You will have to decide if it is the story of a madman trying to come to terms with the real, uncaring world or that of a caring, sane man in a world gone completely mad. Whatever answer you arrive at you will be certain that the author gives a brilliant and original insight into the workings of an unbalanced mind. Succre has found the 'Tatterdemalion' in all of us and in doing so could well have given us a better understanding of our place in an uncertain universe.

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2008

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was on my way out of the house to buy a new fiction book to read next, when I roommate stopped me and handed me a book that his friend had written. He said it was good and that I should check it out, so I did. And it mostly was.
Ray Succre is a good writer. I like the way he puts words together to form sentences, and how his sentences become paragraphs, and stuff like that. I didn't really like the characters, the story, or—especially—the ending though.
Tatterdemalion (what a pretentious name for a book) is about a dude losing his mind and experiencing an alternative reality. I don't know if this is supposed to be obvious or not, but it sure was to me. Whether it was the protagonist get a police, astronaut, and surgeon job through a temp agency with no experience or training (the maybe not obvious?) or his apartment being occupied by a series of disruptive dragons, it was clear that this man was not well. There maybe have been a page or two where I couldn't tell if it was a mental health thing or if the book was set in an alternative reality, but that was cleared up within a few pages.
I began to slightly enjoy it towards the end, when it seemed like he was going to drop some more clothes about how and why the protagonist is so messed up; but then Succre just spells it out for us and ruins the journey. Show, don't tell Ray; show, don't tell.
I bet if Succre had some patients and maybe a good editor, this would have been a really good book. I see on his Goodreads page that he's written other books, so maybe I'd check them out if they still exist somewhere. Otherwise, it's probably good he switched fields.

[Kevinlynn Kubli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of The Naked Lunch and Brazil will enjoy this book.
Though seemingly slow paced in spots, there is enough anticipation placed in just the right spot to make you feel the torture.