Book Review : Apathy and other small victories by Paul Neilan
Reviewed by Christo.
As a near exclusive Sci-fi/fantasy reader I picked up this small, humble blue-covered book by unknown author Paul Neilan merely to satisfy my curiosity. One short paragraph later I was hooked. Since the age of 13 I thought I would never read a book as funny as The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy (a trilogy in six parts). I was wrong. I challenge anyone with a sense of humour to read this without laughing out loud. I couldn’t make it ten pages without giggling myself silly then stopping to catch my breath. Neilan’s anti-hero Shane, with a heavy emphasis on the anti, stumbles through bizarre encounters with even more bizarre characters while narrating with disturbing yet hilarious comments he mercifuly keeps to himself. The story itself is nothing more than a way of stringing each event together, like a painted background or handy prop. One could easily forget the conflict at the heart of the novel, yet like a Monty Python sketch it can be enjoyed for simply what it is: Comedy Gold. Not for the faint hearted or easily offended, Apathy will sicken you in a delightfuly twisted way. Here’s hoping Neilan writes even one more book in the future. Shine on you beautiful reader types.
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