Choko's Reviews > A Night in the Lonesome October

*** 5 +++ ***

A buddy read with the Roger Zelazny Newbies Group, since we wanted to start with a bang!!!

Where do I start??? Let's begin with my thanks to Evgeny, who had the good sense to invite several of us for the Halloween Read and made us read it! Thank you!!!

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. After all, I am not a horror reading type of a gal. However, I believe Horror is the last thing I would associate A Night in Lonesome October with. The first would be smart and second, funny. It is like a Halloween Scavenger Hunt of Classic Characters, all of them counting the days from the First of October to The Night, the Thirty First.

"..."I am a watchdog. My name is Snuff.... I fetch things for Jack on occasion—his wand, his big knife with the old writing on the sides. I always know just when he needs them because it is my job to watch and to know. I like being a watchdog better than what I was before he summoned me and gave me this job...."..."

We are told the story, happening in Victorian London, from the POV of Snuff, the watch dog familiar to Jack of dubious fame from that time period. As I said, the book is loaded with clues and connections, which are a delight to decipher, and I have to say, doing it in a group is much more fun, because if you missed something, your buddy reader might have figured it out and it truly feels like a game! You start from no knowledge at all, and then you get pieces little by little, with every chapter covering a day in October and giving us some more players and clues to go with. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that teams of "openers" or "closers" are being created, but no one knows who is on which team...

"..."I addressed the squirrel through a hedge:
“Are you in the Game?”
It scurried to the man’s nearer shoulder and peered.
“Who asks?” it chattered.
“Call me Snuff,” I answered.
“Call me Cheeter,” it replied. “Yes, I suppose we are. Last minute thing—rush, rush.”
“Opener or closer?”
“Impolite! Impolite to ask! You know that!”
“Just thought I’d try. You could be novices.”
“Not new enough to be giving anything away. Leave it at that.”
“I will.”
“Stay. Is there a black snake in it?”
“You ask me to give something away. But yes, there is: Quicklime. Beware. His master is mad.”
“Aren’t they all?”
We chuckled and I faded away."..."

Needless to say, the familiars were the main characters, since we saw everything from the point of view of a dog. This is what made the story even more enchanting than it already would have been, given the brilliant way the author lets us in on it. Snuff is not only a great watch dog and assistant to Jack, he is also a mathematical genius who sees and deciphers patterns and even knows when to act like a lovable goof of a dog too!!! I am in love with this character and if Jack and Jill don't work out, I can take on the care for Snuff and Graymalk the cat at any time - voluntarily, this is how willing I am to work for the greater good!!!

"..."“The crazy witch’s companion may be running out of steam about now.”
“What do you mean?”
“‘Ding, dong, dell.’”
“I don’t follow you.”
“Literally. Pussy’s in the well.”
“Who threw her in?”
“MacCab, full of sin.”
“Where is it?”
“By the outhouse, full of shit. Back of Crazy Jill’s place. Keeps it from going dry, I guess.”"..."

The banter is almost as awesome as the structure and simplicity of the storytelling. I think half of the book is quotable, but to truly experience it, I would recommend you to get several friends together and read it, preferably some time in October:):):) You will enjoy the way the characters gather their needed materials, which are supposed to be acquired in some very specific ways and times... Zelazny exhibits a particular talent in knowing when less is more and makes our imaginations work overtime with the hints he gives here and there. I am not sure I can find a weakness in the whole thing at all, and I am not even going to look for it. I just enjoyed it and the way it made me always look for the second meaning of every word and hint, making my brain feel full of champagne bubbles and kept me slightly buzzed throughout! Evgeny, you recruited me into the Legions of RZ's fans! Thank you once again!

"..."“I took Jack his slippers this evening and lay at his feet before a roaring fire while he smoked his pipe, sipped sherry, and read the newspaper. He read aloud everything involving killings, arsons, mutilations, grave robberies, church desecrations, and unusual thefts. It is very pleasant just being domestic sometimes.” "..."

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!