A LITERARY REVIEW
A LITERARY REVIEW:
AMERICAN BLASPHEMER American Blasphemer By Jadan Horyn By Jadan Horyn
SS
acrilegious. Irreverent. Shocking. All apt superlatives for John Matthew Gillen’s debut acrilegious. Irreverent. Shocking. episodic novel: American Blasphemer. Part All aptpartsuperlatives for stories, John narrative, collection of short Matthew Gillen’s episodic part memoir, part fictiondebut the book follows novel, American Blasphemer. Parta the life of a twenty-something lovesick heretic; narrative, part collection of short young man deeply wounded by life, liars, and lost stories, memoir, fiction,the theabsolute book love, whopart is bold enoughpart to confront follows theinsanity life of athat twenty-something lovesick authentic everyday existence throws at him. a young man deeply wounded by life, heretic;
liars, and lost love, who is bold enough to Deeply human and totally absurd, the reader confront the absolute authentic insanity that confronts existence accounts ofthrows mundanity that Mr. Gillen everyday at him. invariably paints in vivid colors with deep descriptors
that hover on the and edgetotally of believability. Deeply human absurd, when the book confronts the reader with accounts of In Manslaughter Fight Club,invariably Mr. Gillen ispaints knocked mundanity that atMr. Gillen in out cold on the dance floor after dancing on vivid colors with deep descriptors that hover another man’s woman. As he comes to, a man on the edge of believability. offers to assist him with ice and invites him to a place where he can let out the desire for revenge. In “Manslaughter at Fight Club”, Mr. Gillen He went.
is knocked out cold on the dance floor after dancing another man’s As he “At 2:00amon I was standing on thewoman. corner of Fortieth comes to, a man offers to assist him with ice and Park. Hi Bob I said” - a direct connection to Fight and invites him to a place where he can let Club - “You ready? He asked. I am Jack’s raging out the desire for revenge. He went. bile duct. He smiled and took a blanket out of his backpack. Take this and sit up there. They won’t
“At 2:00 amhere. I was the corner of know you’re Juststanding watch for on tonight. Fortieth and Park. Hi Bob, I said” - a direct connection Fightwere Clubeight - “You ready?Eight He “By 3:00am tothere of them. asked. I am men Jack’s bile duct. Heofsmiled anonymous in araging little circle outside a Park Avenue office building in the dead of and took a blanket outatof3:00am his backpack. Take winter. something low know aboutyou’re them. this andThere sit upwas there. They won’t Stooped Eyes on the street. Slow feet. here. Justshoulders. watch for tonight. Desperate losers with impotent rage. They all had 3:00 their reasons for were being eight there of andthem. most Eight of the “By am there reasons were obvious.” anonymous men in -a little circle outside of
a Park Avenue office building at 3:00 am in the dead of winter. There was something low about them. Stooped shoulders. Eyes on the street. Slow feet. Desperate losers with impotent rage. They all had their reasons for being there and most of the reasons were obvious.” -
What followed was a tirade of verbal vitriol delivered to each man. They demeaned and castigated What followed a tirade of one verbal each other. This was accelerated until manvitriol said delivered each man. They demeaned and something to that hit an unknown and hidden hurt. castigated each out other. accelerated That man lashed andThis slashed the other until man one said something that hit- aan unknown with man something else he had hidden knife.
and hidden hurt. That man lashed out and slashed otheronman withoutside something else “I was stillthe shivering the steps the Kalikow building as the -sun came up Sunday morning. he had hidden a knife.
Staring at the blood. Counting scars. I never went
to still Fightshivering Club. But on I stillthe have the blanket.” “Iback was steps outside the Kalikow building as the sun came up Sunday It is these small narratives, their Counting disarming morning. Staring at the with blood. non-linear storywent resolutions, abrupt endings scars. I never back toand Fight Club. But I thathave makethe American Blasphemer an unstoppable still blanket.” read. In story after story, witty rejoinders or lack the reader stunned either Itofisconclusion these smallleaves narratives, with their disarming laughing to themselves or shocked and deep in non-linear story resolutions and abrupt thought. Mr. Gillen has woven a tapestry of 2020’s endings that make American Blasphemer an twenty-something male angst. The novel is raw unstoppable read. In story after story, witty and powerful. It is a must-read for those seeking a rejoinders or lack of conclusion leaves the literary shock-jock tour de force coupled with deep reader either to themselves spiritualstunned hunger and lost laughing love.
or shocked and deep in thought. Mr. Gillen has wovenBlasphemer a tapestry 2020sbuttwentyAmerican will ofoffend great something male angst. The novel is raw and literature ought to challenge us with authentic powerful. It is a must-read for those seeking a reflections of our own experiences. This is not just literary de meant force coupled anothershock-jock novel, and ittour is not to be, butwith for deep spiritual love. those who havehunger earned and theirlost place in the home of the brave, Blasphemer throws down the literary
American gauntlet. Blasphemer will offend but great literature ought to challenge us with authentic You can ofpurchase American Blasphemer reflections our own experiences. This is not on another novel, Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/ just and it is not meant to be, American-Blasphemer-John-Matthew-Gillen/ but for those who have earned their place in dp/1951937120 the home of the brave, Blasphemer throws down the literary gauntlet. You can purchase American Blasphemer on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/ American-Blasphemer-John-Matthew-Gillen/ dp/1951937120
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