Los Angeles

I was at home sick with a aching, sneezy cold on a gray, incessantly rainy day and happened to have gotten to the library recently and pulled a book off the shelf that wierdly felt like I already knew all about it, and in a way, I did. The book is resonant with concepts of deja vu, and problematizes memory in ways that Proust is famous for, though sadly I find that eminent author impossible to read. This book I found is the kind that can make you glad you have a terrible cold, almost. Also, if you're a Phillip K. Dick fan, or a *Blade Runner* fan, you definitely will want to check out Los Angeles {click here} by Peter Moore Smith, a novel I enjoyed almost, but not quite, as much as Grant Bailie's *Cloud 8* and for similar reasons. First of all, it's a page turner, and secondly it deals with a lonely figure whose effort to figure out love, life and the world takes you into unexpected regions. In this case that region is Los Angeles, a mythical Hollywood that exists as much in the imagination of the world as it does in the mind of the central character of this striking second novel. The main character is an albino who is misogynistic, drug and alcohol addicted, but, in his own way, as charming as Salinger's Holden Caulfield. One of his quirks is leaving *Blade Runner* on on his TV all the time, something I nearly did myself for many years (the Ridley Scott movie came out in the early 80's). Who knows, Angel may become this generation's "Catcher in the Rye" (of course, this one is 30, not 16) whose attitudes cut right through all the contemporary platitudes about money, love, religion and politics. What happens is that rich, lonely albino Angel (his father is a fabulously wealthy movie director) gets visited by sultry, electrifying, black Angela, who then disappears, making Angel (himself, a putative screen writer) a Blade Runner in reverse; he has to find Angela to save her. His travels take us through the underside of Hollywood as a metaphor for contemporary existence, most pointedly, family, memory, and the agonizing process of maturation. The tough, noir language is as irrisistible as a second scotch on a lonely night. And it's as hard to book this book down as it is for Angel to put a bottle of pills down; the trip is wild, and worth it.

As simple as that. It's great. It's different. It blows away tons of so-called noir novels. "Los Angeles" doesn't come from no snotty writing school, fellas. Strictly from the heart, this one. From the very first page you're hurled inside the personal hell of the main character, hoping for redemption. Peter Moore Smith's novel is literary, it's a page turner, it's lyrical and sometimes nasty, with a sad sad sad love story at its very core. How do you spell great, indeed?

Angel Jean-Pierre Veronchek is son of Milos Veronchek, an associate producer for splashy movie productions with scenes for Universal. Angel is working on a screenplay after failing UCLA. He graduated from Vancouver School and went to UCLA to study physics with a specialty in the science of light. He is living in a one-bedroom apartment on San Raphael Crescent, off of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Angel has a sensitivity to light and especially sunlight since his skin is extraordinarily white and pink. In fact, his skin is translucent and has white hair-an albino. Angela, Angel's neighbor, has just moved in and brings over a special casserole dish. They talk and both discover they sleep during the day. There seemed to be an instant commonality between the two with similar names and sleep patterns. Angel is taking an array of medications-Xanax, Valium, Inderol, Navane, Ludiomil, Librium and Centrax, and the list continues. He takes drugs to counteract drugs. The line of reality, insanity or movie set may seem to blur in Angel's life at times. Angel's parents are divorced. Remember this is L.A. His mom is French-Swiss and visits the plastic surgeon every couple of years. Angel's dad is married to a woman about Angel's age, rather than his own. Just what is it about Angela that is so intoxicating? Her face, blue eyes, or her kindness. Angelis fascinated by Angela's beauty and friendliness. From Angel's point of view, he is very lonely and Angela fills a void. She fills his daily thoughts. Then he gets a call from Angela with only a "hello" and then a click. She turns up missing or is she really missing? Is she the girl Angel believes she is or an elusive dream? Readers will be entertained, challenged as Angel tries to solve the mystery of what has happened to his "perfect" woman, Angela. You keep wanting him to succeed and make this unusual love story complete. In the end, find out if he finds his true love?

Reviewed by Tyrone Vincent Banks of Betsie's Literary Page Angel Veronchek lives a rather sheltered life. He is an albino with sensitivity to light and therefore he spends most of his time holed up in his dark apartment watching a Blade Runner DVD. He spends his days working on a screenplay titled Los Angeles while taking medication washed down by cups of bourbon. He's a self proclaimed loser by most accounts and he lives a rather uneventful life - or does he? Angela comes into his life and she becomes the light that he has avoided for many years. They spend time together engaged in conversation and he opens up his lonely existence and makes space for Angela. He receives a call from her one day; she simply says his name and hangs up the phone. From that moment forward he dedicates his life to rescuing Angela from and unknown foe that may have kidnapped or killed her. Angel ventures out into the sunlight and starts his noble quest. He can feel that Angela is in a dark place and waiting to be rescued. As moments go by he is desperate and he fears that time is running out. Through Angel's eyes and actions you can feel the loss of control and the uncertainty that he lives with. He can be labeled as a schizophrenic, depressed alcoholic existing in a made up world. Or, he can be labeled a heroic savior who overcomes his fears and anxieties to save the woman that he loves. At times, while reading this book, both labels may apply. But, even when the truth is revealed, you are still uncertain. Peter Moore Smith has reincarnated Don Quixote as a delusional Angel Veronchek in search of his damsel in distress. We must think that once the windmill is defeated it is still honorable that this Knight in Pale Skin challenged the Dragon just as Smith has challenged our imagination with a surreal tale about the line between sanity and insanity as it is breached. LOS ANGELES: A NOVEL is enjoyable and well-written. I guarantee that you will form a conclusion about the mystery that Angel is trying to solve only to find that all that may appear to be living and breathing - may not be.

In a run down part of West Hollywood thirty-four years old Angel Veronchek, son of a thriving producer, lives a near hermit-like existence. Part of it is caused by his being an albino, but much of his hiding is psychological. The recluse sees no one and does little inside his apartment except occasionally work on a screenplay "Los Angeles" while his DVD eternally plays Blade Runner. He survives existence predominantly by psychological drugs. A new neighbor visits Angel introducing herself as Angela to the loner. : She is his opposite as she is effervescent beautiful black person who plans to one day own Hollywood. Clearly opposites in appearance and outlook, Angela's energy and élan awaken Angel; he quickly falls in love for the first time in his lonely life. Surprisingly, Angela seems to share his deep feelings. Angel struggles with a foreign emotion, happiness until he receives the call. She whispers "Angel" and hangs up; disappearing from his life. Stunned and not ready to go out into the world, Angel investigates his Angela, not even sure she truly exists. LOS ANGELES is an excellent psychological suspense drama that explores the concept of what is reality mostly from the perspective of Angel. The story line is moving and depressing as the lead protagonist is not an easy person for readers to understand or empathize with; thus this is not a one sitting tale as the dark mutterings (terrific prose) of Angel is disheartening and difficult to accept. Yet this deep look at reality is a two edged sword that makes Peter Moore Smith's tale compelling albeit with a warning label that the "star" is as gloomy a protagonist as one will find. Harriet Klausner