I just finished reading Eric Arvin's excellent book - Subsurdity - and what a fun read it was! Subsurdity follows the lives of the residents of Jasper Lane - a neighborhood where gay and straight alike bond at gay porn parties, the straight kids don't mind go-go dancing and antiquing, and an old woman simply known as "Nanna" expels judgement and bigotry as easily (and as often) as she passes gas.
Subsurdity has it all - mystery, romance, social commentary, and generous amounts of comedy. In fact, I haven't laughed-out-loud this much while reading a book since my last David Sedaris adventure. The various subplots and characters are intertwined expertly - allowing us to effortlessly follow the various storylines without confusing them. And at the end of the book, the story is tied together by Mr. Arvin into a fierce little bow.
Personally, I loved the Cassie Bloom character - the grand dame and "Auntie Mame" of Jasper Lane (complete with a sidekick named "Vera" and a protege named "Patrick"). And smelly Nanna cracked me up every time she appeared on the pages on Subsurdity. But all the characters truly come to life beautifully in Eric Arvin's well-written novel.
LOGO - the gay cable network - should buy the rights to Subsurdity and turn it into a weekly series. I'm sure it would end up being the "next big thing"...
To order Subsurdity from Dreamspinner Press, please go HERE.
Next up is Eric Arvin's second Jasper Lane novel - Suburbilicious. I can't wait...
