3 out of 4 stars
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I picked Drive East Until You Hit An Ocean as my first book review because of the ambiguousness of the description supplied by the author. What better way to draw in a reader than being insanely vague? I wasn’t, however, expecting what I experienced. Poems; short stories, short scripts, even a game. That’s what this book had in store. Each bizarre in it’s own way and some with unexpected twists at their conclusions.
It’s difficult to summarize a book comprised of many small parts instead of one storyline, but if I had to summarize Drive East, I would say that it is a book about life. It touches on love, loneliness, happiness, and the nature of mankind. It uses both humor and drama to entice the reader and, at times, keep just the edge of the seat warm. Even though Drive East wasn’t a novel, I had no problem painting mental pictures of each scene laid before me.
My favorite piece was “Suicide Café.” Dark humor appeals to me probably more than it should. When you read it, even though you’re slightly off-put, you realize that this piece is mankind in a sardonic picture. I love literature that embodies mankind, whether in a positive or negative light. A lot of Swartz & Waite’s pieces did just that, so I enjoyed that aspect of Drive East. I skipped over the genitalia bits because they made me uncomfortable; that isn’t my slice of cake. That is the only critique about this book that I have, and that’s just personal preference. I find that I am in the minority with my dislike of sexual humor.
A lot of times I think people avoid books like this because they would rather view life like a movie: a cute love story with a happy ending. Drive East is not that book. There is death and it is ugly and unexpected, just like life. There is love that doesn’t work out, just like life. There are moments of hilarity and bizarreness, just like life. There is complete nonsense, just like life.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was eloquently and smartly written. It needs another look over, due to some spelling errors, but no book is perfect. I really enjoyed Drive East Until You Hit An Ocean and would recommend it to anyone who isn’t afraid to view life through the lens of a realist or that has a very mature sense of humor. If you like soft, cushy books, then this is not the book for you. Open your mind to a point of view you may not have had before and enjoy the incredibly interesting ride.
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Drive East Until You Hit An Ocean
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