Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner

Leaving the Atocha Station: A Novel, Ben Lerner. Minneapolis: Coffee House Press, 2011. e book, 142 pps.


     Leaving the Atocha Station is Ben Lerner's first novel. We follow narrator Adam Gordon in 2004 during the Spain train bombing. He is a young man on a fellowship claiming to be interested in the Spanish Civil War. But he gets no research done. Instead, he spends his time generating poetic phrases under the influence of hash, conning women into believing his re-inventions of himself, and having crises generated by narcissistic injury.

sapphoq reviews says: Ben Lerner's first novel is a charmer. I was not exactly smitten by Adam Gordon. It was more than that. The lost poet in a foreign country has a certain appeal. The author described perfectly the process of becoming fluent in a foreign language. I too have had a sense of what others were communicating rather than literal translations. I liked this book. The author also has three books of poetry out and a new novel.
Recommended.

Twelve-Step Fandango by Chris Haslam

Twelve-Step Fandango, Chris Haslam. New York: HarperCollins e-books, 2003. 277 pps.


N.B.: Twelve-Step Fandango has absolutely nothing to do with recovery groups who use "twelve steps" in their program. If you are in search of books about recovery, this one is not it. The main character-- an English ex-pat on the run in Spain-- does admit that he'd rather have cocaine than anything else. But there is no recovery here. Look elsewhere if that is your schtick.

     Martin lives in a crumbling sort of castle structure in Andalusia, Spain with other foreigners eeking out a living. The place is drug-infested for sure. There is a small bar on the grounds and a thriving drug trade.

     But all is not well in stoner haven. Martin's girlfriend Luisa is tempermental and difficult to live with. His buddies are junkies. He has no prospects for any sort of future. He cannot think. He makes poor decisions. His decisions puts a lot of people at jeopardy. And, uh there is quite a bit more going on here.

sapphoq reviews says: Chris Haslam has penned a fine first novel. I loved it. There is some violence, dead bodies, car chases. I was transported to Andalusia when reading Twelve-Step Fandango. The book left me wanting to travel to Andalusia. The ending was very satisfying yet left me wanting to hear more about Martin's mis-adventures. For fans of the counter-cultures, highly recommended.