Naked Metamorphosis

The concept of an author being a literal God isn't a new one, but it's taken into an original and innovative direction in this book while. The concept is an occult one and this is very much a literature addition to not only the Shakespear mythos, but the Kafka and Burroughs ones. Naked Metamorphosis stars some of Shakespear's more recognizable characters to a Freshmen class's study of his works, but also some that wont be showing up on any multiple choice test, and they are all depicted with irreverence and charm; like Hamlet being a drug addict. There is a lot of absurdity, as one would hope, given the publisher, but the reader isn't left to fend for themselves or to follow along because Horatio is very sympathetic in his being troubled and vexed with being involved the book himself. Fantastic book, smart writing, worth the buy.

Bizarro titles are supposed to barrel the reader over with sheer narrative momentum, inventive dialogue, and inspired weirdness. NAKED METAMORPHOSIS certainly succeeds at all of these. It's not all just strangeness and transgression, however. There is a clever literary structure hidden under the Burroughs-esque imagery here. Part of that comes from using "Hamlet" as an inspiration, of course, but most of it is the author's own doing. It's sort of a revelation to get to the end and discover that there was a literary plan there all along, wearing a surreal disguise - it's like attending a building demolition and then waking up at the end to discover you're at a Kabuki play. I was interested to see how the author would combine "Hamlet" and "Metamorphosis", since the former work gives us tragedy as the result of character and the outcome of the choice to either act or not act, and the latter work gives us tragedy as something that happens upon us regardless of our character and regardless of our decisions. I think - though I'm not sure - that the author thinks it's both at once. And shows that to us using a bawdy, funny, ridiculous comedy - while off-handedly having his narrator invent existentialism along the way, while dealing with some annoying actors. A definite recommend. You can add a star if you're "into" the critical history of the original material, since a number of history's ephemeral "interpretations" of various Shakespearian characters make absurd appearances here or are reimagined in comical ways.

And then it turns marvelously weird. Poor, poor put-upon Horatio. Much to his dismay, every despairing soliloquy Puck interprets as a prayer. The hobgoblin answers them, but as he sees fit, and while weaving in and out of time. Horatio soon finds himself in the right painting, but who is wielding the brush? Horatio is not in the play he's supposed to be in. Things are getting muddled and they don't seem to be going as written. Horatio is responsible for his college roomate, Hamlet, and that ain't no easy task. The prince is grieving for his dead dad, and on top of that, Hamlet is always completely drug-addled. He sees specters everywhere. Spiders emerge and the prince is convinced he's morphing into a cockroach. Fortunately, Horatio has a contingency plan. But you know full well that many more surprises await both Horatio and you, the reader. "Surely a man would suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous bullsh**." This is fun stuff. Eric Mays has twisted Shakey and Kafka and turned them into one hell of a badass balloon bug. If any of the classics were as enjoyable as "Naked Metamorphosis", perhaps I would have stayed awake a little more in class. Take that, boring English Lit! But this book is what high-brow was meant to be. I even felt a little smarter when I finished reading it. Granted, that wasn't much of a stretch. I can't wait to see what he pulls out of his magic hat next. Wah!!

It's Hamlet. Sort of. It's brilliant, really. Eric Mays has rewritten Hamlet into a bizarro world of not quite right and completely perfect. The book starts almost like Hamlet begins. It ends almost like Hamlet ends. Between beginning and end is a gorgeous, hilarious, bizarro ride through a deranged play within a play within a play. The Bard would roll over in his grave only for the chance of bumping into Kafka; both have been resurrected and mixed up with a dash of literary magic. I admit that it took me a while to read this book. It's not necessarily a quick read. You have to pay attention to get all the in-jokes, wordplay, and ideas packed inside. It's really a lot like Hamlet. But it's not a difficult read. Mays' style is flowing. His writing is tight and right. I couldn't put it down once I hit the middle of it. It's funny, insightful, interesting, crazy, fun, and the ending is PERFECT. Fans of Shakespeare, Kafka, Alfred Lunt (you have to know what you're looking for), a surprise famous author, and Bizarro will love this book. Order now!! Bravo to Eric Mays. I can't wait to see what he does next. Whatever it is, I'll be he shines.

When I first heard about a Shakespearean bizarro book, I was like "Uggghhh..." because I just wasn't into that old English stuff. But I heard that it was crossed with Kafka but still, I wasn't really a huge fan of Shakespeare and so I was reluctant to check it out considering how little time I have to read new books. But then I had the pleasure to attend a reading by the author at this year's Bizarro Convention. After that, I was sold. His performance was animated and funny, capturing the characters perfectly and I'm a guy who usually finds author readings a bit boring. So the fact that I enjoyed it says a lot about the his talent at storytelling. First of all, the book is straight out hilarious. I'm sure I didn't get all of the in-jokes about Shakespeare but the ones I did get are funny and the dialogue is quick, witty, and clever. I'm not easily amused when it comes to comedy in a book but this one amused me a lot and I found myself shaking my head many times (in a good way). Second, the writing is excellent. There was no awkwardness to the prose or bumps in the road that you see from many new authors. Despite this being the debut work of the author, you didn't get that feeling. Third, the ideas presented are both bizarre and entertaining which is a hard thing to accomplish. There is actually a "twist" that I will not spoil but I found it to be an excellent close to the novella. It was something that crossed my mind during the middle of the book but the fact that it actually happened made me wonder if the author was reading my mind, haha! The Shakespeare thing is the obvious angle of the book but believe me, even if you hated reading it in school, don't let that turn you off. THIS is what Shakespeare should sound like. It's anachronistic, weird, funny, and fast moving. I supposed my one criticism is the length. Though the whole plot is played out well, I think there are certain aspects that could've been expanded. I don't really want to mention them specifically (don't won't to spoil it) but if you read it you'll probably agree. But let me put it this way. I would love to read five more books set in this "world"... it's that entertaining. It's a quick read, too, so those with tight schedules don't have to worry. I imagine that even if you didn't love it as much as I did, you wouldn't feel like you've wasted your time. So basically, if you like both Shakespeare and Kafka, or you dislike Shakespeare but you like funny and weird stories, you should check this out. It would also make good stocking stuffers for fans of Shakespeare, Kafka, or weird/bizarro fans in general.