The novel is filled with characters with names such as Reverend Fullalov, Judge Aswell Whynot, King Solid Fume III, Rob Roy Rogers, and Little Knowing What, who is often referred to simply as What, which allows the author to do a little parody on the Abbott and Costello routine. As these names demonstrate, the humor in the book often comes from words used in strange ways: misusing terms, running words together, or simply putting in phrases in weird contexts. An example of this last one is “We listened intently. Sometimes there seemed to be more than one voice, making it difficult to make out individual words. But the message itself was clear: ‘Eat at Joe’s.’”
The satire is not confined to book genres. Other subjects are also targets of its pointed humor. Here the authors are taking on politicians:
Atiqtalik sensed that everyone in the crowd was watching, waiting to hear what she’d say next. She was centre stage, and almost in control. Power was, she conceded, a large pleasure and her desire for more knew no bounds. This was before she developed her unbearable loathing of eyes. She felt like belting out a verse or two as the edge of the precipice rushed towards her and leapt. Swinging her fists she pumped out a dance hall chorus, “Man ist was man ist!”
Characters in the book die often, then reappear later without much of an explanation, like something out of the old Roadrunner cartoons. The story has sections where the villains are molluscs allowing lines such as “To be safe I searched for the salt cellar in my leggings - never trust a mollusc.” It also has an odd scene where one of the main characters attempts to turn into a fish.
I loved the humor but felt it became redundant as the book went on. Perhaps this style would be better suited to a shorter format. I recommend this book to someone who likes satire and is looking for a unique read.
