Amberville

From the back cover of Amberville one might expect a cross between Sesame Street and The Sopranos. Eric Bear, years after leaving behind a life of drugs and a job as a runner for a mafia king, opens his apartment door to find his former boss, the mafia head Nicholas Dove visiting with a request--take Dove's name off the infamous Death List (literally a list of those slated to disappear from the world) or he will have his gorillas tear apart Eric's beloved wife, Emma Rabbit. This kicks off the reforming of Eric's small gang, Tom-Tom Crow, Sam Gazelle and Snake Marek, who have all moved on from their criminal pasts in their own ways, and a desperate hunt for the society's biggest secret, the Death List and its writer. But after finishing Amberville readers will find it to be a very peculiar book. Somewhere between a mafia mystery and a higher-brow literary work addressing the nature of good and evil in the world, Amberville balances a deep mystery and action with deep, soulful contemplations (by mad men, or mad bears as the case may be). In fact the literary, contemplative sections which can, at times come off as lagging bits in the pacing of the plot, genuinely serve to distract and set up the reader, a sign of some truly clever writing. Yes, the characters really are stuffed animals, living in a world where many things are very clearly defined for them (such as the good areas of town literally being painted different colors from the bad ones). And that analogy doesn't go very far, in that the type of animal a character is doesn't necessarily define who they are. And there aren't really any musing on the nature of man versus beast. But each animal is a full, fleshy--or stuffed--whole with a parallel personality type in our world. Amberville is the kind of book you wouldn't think about reading, or you'd expect to not like, only to discover it has a lot more to offer than can be explained on the book jacket. It absolutely keeps you guessing, up to the last sentence, and asks questions but never presumes to offer answers, making it a very good read indeed.

Amberville by Tim Davys is one of the more unique books that I have ever read. It is a very well written and paced story set in an alternate reality where stuffed animals are the only living beings in Mollisan Town. The plot revolves around Eric Bear, a successful member of an advertising firm whose post association with a gangster, Nicholas Dove, comes back to haunt him. Dove has made his way onto the Death List, and he decides to make it Eric's task to get his name removed. Dove uses the persuasive powers of his goons (who are fittingly Gorillas) along with a threat to Eric's wife Emma Rabbit to entice Eric into taking the job. To assist with the task, Eric reassembles his former associates Sam Gazelle (a homosexual male prostitute), Tom-Tom Crow (a simpleminded man who has taken up knitting), and Snake Marek (a deep thinker with questionable allegiances). The story follows this group's attempts to prove the existence of the Death List and discern its secrets although nothing is as simple as it seems on the surface. What is striking about Amberville is the depth beyond the main plot. Davys explores topics that are certainly not new, but the use of an alternate reality allows him to take the reader on a journey of thought in a disarming way. The characters in Amberville seek answers to life's fundamental questions. What is evil? How does one distinguish good and evil? Why does evil exist? Is there deeper meaning to the cycle of life, birth, and death? What happens after death? Who is God? What is the role of the Church? Suffice it to say that this is a thinking person's book. Davys writing style is top notch. I am not typically a fan of highly nonlinear storytelling, but I cannot imagine Amberville being told any other way. It does require the reader to stay focused in order not to lose their sense of where in time the story is or from whose point of view a particular section is told. I have read many novels where the shifting point of view is done in a very jarring way that destroys any semblance of continuity. Davys also masterfully avoids this common pitfall. I look forward to seeing future work from this promising new author. Overall A+

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Amberville. I love alternative reality stories, and this one was quite unique in my opinion. It's set in a world populated by stuffed animals who live and breathe as you would expect humans to. The center of the tale involves two brothers: Eric Bear and Teddy Bear. They are identical twins. In their world, you are not born, you are made in a factory, and those who wish to become parents are put on a waiting list. If they are deemed suitable, they are brought offspring to rear as their very own. What struck me as interesting was the fact that the stuffed animals intermarried. A rhino might be married to a dog, as Eric and Teddy's parents were, and when they apply for a cub--what they call their offspring--they may get anything, a cat, a rat and in Eric and Teddy's parents' case, two bears. Anyway, when the story begins, Eric and Teddy are adults. Eric has led a full, adventurous life. Teddy has decided he wishes always to do good, so he has led a quiet, almost monk-like existence. Eric has a criminal past, and that past has caught up with him. The crime boss he used to work for at a casino has been put on the death list, and he demands that Eric find the list and take his name off of it. If Eric doesn't, the crime boss threatens, he will have his gorillas tear Eric's wife, Emma Rabbit, from limb to limb. I have to admit, while reading this novel, I could imagine it as an animated film. Rated R. There are certain things in it unsuitable for children. For example, when Eric goes looking for his old compadres with whom he busted heads in the past. One goes nuts at the slightest provocation and tears the stuffing out of unsuspecting stuffed animals. One is a homosexual prostitute who hurts his johns for money and has a thing for Eric. One is a slimy snake who will stab anyone in the back to further his career. These three, plus Eric set off to find the death list. And what they find makes for a very entertaining noir-type tale in which you never know whom you can trust. I recommend this book to anyone who isn't afraid of trying something a little different.

I really liked this book, so much that I read it twice. The setting is unusual. It reminded me of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". In this cartoony setting, the characters are able to be a little more real than humans would be. Evil is more evil, madness is more mad, and violence is shockingly violent. A bear in love will do anything to protect his beloved, even face psychopathic gorillas and junkyard rats. There is treachery everywhere, and sometimes a bear will make hard choices when faced with moral dilemmas. It all adds up to a rousing good story. One of my favorite books so far this year!

This highly imaginative story may be the most unusual book I've ever read. I'm not sure I even understand the whole thing. Set in an imaginary town where the streets are painted candy colors, living stuffed animals go about their lives. But this isn't a playful story. Eric Bear has been asked by gangster Nicholas Dove to find the "Death List" and take his name off of it. Eric enlists the help of his old cronies Tom-Tom Crow, Sam Gazelle, and Snake Marek. As Eric searches for the list, the story analyzes the dichotomies of reality vs. insanity, good vs. evil, church vs. state, with gangsters, drug users, and thieves as the doers of the deeds. The story weaves in and out of the players' lives, seemingly on-the-level, but surprises await. Not everyone is as they seem. This book will have you guessing until the very end, giving you some serious ponderings along the way.