Craig Clevenger – The Contortionist’s handbook (fourteen)

I’m not really sure what to write about the C’s H. It is the story of a man, hiding from the law, from the system, and doing it really well. It is a clever, intriguing and with some weird error of refraction; the story comes through at an angle, distorted, or maybe it’s just the way the world looks when you don’t quite belong. For the most part of the book I couldn’t figure out what it was. Was it critique? It raises some pretty harsh images of the mental health care system, of badly administered and poorly staffed facilities, sedation instead of treatment, restraints instead of recovery. Maybe it was a crime novel? The main character fractions the law at regular intervals, in order to stay afloat, stay free. There is also a vortex feeling, a slope to a ledge, a trip, a slip and a tumble will turn into a fall. Is it the law that will get him? Or the crime?
However, at the end of the day, there is such sweet simplicity. Clevenger has written a love story. And when this became clear to me, I began to love the story.
Furthermore, it is a well-written story. It is smart, thorough, diabolic, suspenseful, darn! It’s good.
Wow, I managed to get through that without comparing to Chuck Palahniuk. That wasn’t easy.