Hidden Place

by Shawn Shiflett

"Intriguing and absorbing, story-telling of the highest order."
—Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting

"Shiflett resists taming his characters, lets them burn in the brambles, in the heat of Mexico. They grow and they learn. We grow and we learn."
—Carolyn Chute, author of The Beans of Egypt, Maine

Hidden Place is a coming-of-age story in which the irreverent voice of Trainspotting meets the tropical mystery of The Beach . Set in Chicago and Mexico, the story focuses on six uncomfortably real characters. On a Mexican beach, a conflict between the local Indians and hippies from the U.S. escalates into a cycle of violence.

Shawn Shiflett was born and raised in Chicago. He is a tenured professor in fiction writing at Chicago’s Columbia College. He lives in La Grange, Illinois, with his wife and two children.

330 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Seven S · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’ve had shiflett as a professor and was lucky enough to read a copy of this book with his handwritten notes in it. it’s an abrasive novel about a 21 yr old boy reflecting on the gravity of the young adult condition. the reader is meant to root for roman but does not necessarily have to like him - a line shiflett toes quite well. i especially enjoyed the reflective chapters where roman shares the insights he’s gained in the years since he was 21. shiflett has some phenomenal setting descriptions and allegories/metaphors that made this novel shine even in weaker, less engaging plot moments.

roman is a bad person who is trying to be a better one despite not really knowing what that entails. that’s a hard character to nail and i quite enjoyed the experience of reading this book.

[Mickaugrec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hidden Place, Shawn Shiflett. Published as “A Novel” but reads more like a personal journal en route to becoming a memoir / travelogue. Urban post-hippie artsy-types Roman (who serves as narrator and Shiflett’s alter ego / henchman) and his girlfriend Mila vacation in Mexico to salvage their wobbling romance (ardently sexual but emotionally tempestuous), and drop into a small oceanfront pueblo recently discovered by other USA / Canadian tourists. The gyrations and conflagrations Roman and Mila endure and inflict upon each other mirror the violent clashes erupting between natives and turistas on the beach and in the town. An engaging premise, but getting there is bush-whacking through a lot of superfluous narrative and dialogue, much of which is Roman gassing about what a politically-correct, liberal, multicultural Dude he is (a proto-Pico Iyer of blissful adulation of most things foreign) -- and conversely what a frenzied, malicious viper Mila is. The book starts off nakedly processing “Roman”’s suffering about his relationship with Mila, but doesn’t show what she does to justify such feelings of torment (he references some quotidian infidelity or dalliance, which they argue and fight about), or why he would stay with her (though as mentioned the sexual chemistry between them was intense; apparently Bacchanalian). Assuming that Roman’s accusations are journalistically true (within the narrative), there is not enough shown to bring the reader into Roman’s experience of it, much less coax the reader’s empathy with Roman’s consistent sniping at Mila. Interspersed in the contemporaneous action in “Escondido,” Mexico is Shiflett’s paean to Chicago, complete with portraits of neighborhoods and personalities, and belly-aching about the Chicago Cubs baseball team’s perennial misfortunes (we hear that a lot in Chicago). The characters are fairly well-developed, though Roman’s editorial feelings about each is unequivocal, and somewhat rigidly fixed, from the moment of their respective introductions. There is a revenge / payback arc that has a dramatic climax; the relationship and strife between Roman and Mila fizzles out the way those phenomena mostly work out in life (though the story is set in 1975, book published 2004 -- here’s hoping Shiflett isn’t still casting about over “Mila” after some 29 years). Full disclosure: I am acquainted with Shiflett; I certainly find him to be an affable guy, and an engaging raconteur. I am also acquainted with some of the people who might have inspired Mila and her family. Ergo, it’s difficult to be truly objective. There is enough in Hidden Place to transcend a “1-star” classification, but it’s a couple rewrites upstream from the romantic tempest / nationalism-culture wars revenger’s tragedy Shiflett’s angling toward.

[Marc Masor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shiflett uses a setting of twenty-somethings on vacation in a Mexican beach town and creates a palpable sense of tension and uncertainty with relationships for the primary couple with each other, between them and other Americans, and with the unpredictable and somewhat frightening nature of the local authorities. He plays on emotions ranging from nutty parents affecting how we develop relationships to overt and subtle racism. And if you lived in Chicago in the 60s or 70s you'll also experience a bit of nostalgia.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was alright. No general complaints other than the fact that I would have like to know if this was Roman's 1st sexual relationship. I get the attraction to Mila, despite her faults, and think that her character is a great deal more developed than the narrator. But if this story is about his personal adventures, then where's Roman at in all of this?