Crooked Little Vein

Ok I nearly put this book down after reading the first page about a rat pissing in our hero's (anti-hero's?) coffee-I have a thing about rats- but I'm glad I didn't. I became so engrossed in the book I read it in one sitting. While a quick, funny read, this book also touches on some important issues about our country and culture. What is "underground" in a society where anyone has access to the internet can find information about anything no matter how disturbing to some? Shouldn't tolerance and diversity not conformity be considered our strength? If you have a weak stomach or closed mind stay away, otherwise I think you'll find this a thouroughly enjoyable and thought provoking book.

As a long-time Ellis fan, I was sure this book would contain the following: - Swear Words - Bizarre Concepts - Sex - Drugs - Originality Good grief, it not only delivers all of the above, but it does so in amounts I was wholly unprepared for. I could wax rhapsodic over this book for paragraphs, but instead I'd like to focus on the most important aspect: the characters. One of the main reasons the plot cooks your brain like an egg is that Ellis has created very, very believable characters. They'll remind you of someone you know. Their situations are ones you probably have been in, albeit with some added piss, crackheads and guns. It's truly easy to slide into McGill's head and feel his trepidation, disappointment, excitement and anger at the horrible situation he's been forced to swallow. And the ending has to be read to be believed. If you're a fan of Hunter S. Thompson, Ellis's graphic serieseses...es, or noir detective fiction, you CANNOT go wrong buying this book.

The best blurb on the rear cover is by the great William Gibson: "Stop it, you're scaring me." Which shouldn't surprise anyone who is familiar with Ellis's work - because this is pure Ellis from the very first page, in his decidedly twisted, viciously funny commentary on our world and ourselves disguised as detective fiction. Some may accuse Ellis of being a little blunt here, but they'd be missing the point. Those who follow Internet Jesus's postings will find several familiar references in the novel, as it collects a hefty set of examples of our sick nature that have been frequently mentioned in his blogs, so reading the novel will be an adventure in the familiar but terrifying amusement park that is Warren Ellis. On the other hand, if you're new to Ellis, you're in for a ride. And if you end up liking it, do check out his graphic novel work, particularly Transmetropolitan and Fell.

Warren Ellis has made a name for himself with writing top notch material such as Transmetropolitan, Switchblade Honey, and other works. In his first novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, he gives us a tale that at times resembles some of his more interesting and entertaining musings he sends from the pub but fleshed out and developed. The result is a book that is funny and entertaining and while maybe not as deep as some people like has something to say. Warren gives us a road trip of America showing just glimpses of some of the subcultures that have thrived in the 21's century. Michael McGill and Trix are interesting characters that are the reader's guides for the sureal and at times touching journey they embark upon. Many are going tp focus on certain aspects of the book from the godzilla bukkake to the eccentric Texas family and miss out on the delightful story. Part mystery, part musing on today's world, this litle gem of a book is a fun, thoughtful, and entertaining read.

Comic book shock-jock Warren Ellis appears to have glanced over Irvine Welsh's body of work and decided he could freak people out better than that if he moved over to straight prose. Or perhaps he had some story ideas (I'm thinking particularly of a subculture of people who inject saline solution in parts of the body you probably wouldn't think of injecting anything into) that not even the popular Mr. Ellis could find artists iron-stomached enough to draw. Whatever the reason Ellis turned to novels, his is the most auspicious prose debut from a comic-book writer I've read yet. Crooked Little Vein is a detective novel crossed with a road movie, in which long-suffering loser detective Mike McGill traipses through the seedy underbelly of the United States in search of a book the President's chief of staff believes is the magical Second Constitution of the United States, to be used only in case of emergency. McGill's search is Ellis's excuse to parade his prosaic protagonist before a series of weirdoes and deviants - but not just for our amusement. Between jokes, Ellis also argues that weirdoes and deviants are part of what makes America great, and, in a repeated theme, that you can hardly call them "underground" or "non-mainstream" when anyone with a computer can find out as much about them as an initiate into their mysteries. Ellis's pitch for tolerance will stretch your mind no matter how tolerant you think you are, I'll wager. But the moral of Crooked Little Vein does not overpower the book, which is mostly a transgressive travelogue designed to test the bounds of one's sense of humor and gag reflex. Ellis's comic-book fans will find him in his best form since Transmetropolitan and will be pleased to know his skills work well in pure prose. And, though I imagine a number of readers will find the humor and situations too extreme, I figure since Irvine Welsh's humanistic gross-outs find readers, Ellis will find plenty of new fans with Crooked Little Vein.