| Author: | J. W. Bidewell | ISBN: | 9781465837059 |
| Publisher: | J. W. Bidewell | Publication: | December 7, 2011 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | J. W. Bidewell |
| ISBN: | 9781465837059 |
| Publisher: | J. W. Bidewell |
| Publication: | December 7, 2011 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
“The Ten Towns” recounts the hair-raising travels of a dissatisfied youth in search of the perfect town which he believes must exist somewhere, anywhere other than where he is and where he has been. Early wanderings through the The Land of Strange Ways bring the youth to a crossroads where an idler keeps company with a signpost. Accepting the stranger’s advice, the youth takes roads leading from the signpost and to various towns that promise perfection in their own unique way. After conquering nearly impossible obstacles, the youth is dismayed to discover each town to be a nightmare of human folly. Each journey sees the youth back to the crossroads after rejecting nine of the towns as “not to my liking”. Upon learning why the stranger dares not visit the tenth town, the Town of Bliss, the youth sets out for it against the man’s exhortations never to go there.
Genre precedents include classic bildungsromans such as Voltaire’s “Candide”, and de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”, with allusions also to Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”; yet “The Ten Towns” is conspicuously original. The fast, quirky narrative combines rough-and-tumble action with reflective moments. Recommended for a mature readership. Contains adult themes, occasional low-level violence and infrequent mild sexual references.
“The Ten Towns” recounts the hair-raising travels of a dissatisfied youth in search of the perfect town which he believes must exist somewhere, anywhere other than where he is and where he has been. Early wanderings through the The Land of Strange Ways bring the youth to a crossroads where an idler keeps company with a signpost. Accepting the stranger’s advice, the youth takes roads leading from the signpost and to various towns that promise perfection in their own unique way. After conquering nearly impossible obstacles, the youth is dismayed to discover each town to be a nightmare of human folly. Each journey sees the youth back to the crossroads after rejecting nine of the towns as “not to my liking”. Upon learning why the stranger dares not visit the tenth town, the Town of Bliss, the youth sets out for it against the man’s exhortations never to go there.
Genre precedents include classic bildungsromans such as Voltaire’s “Candide”, and de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”, with allusions also to Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”; yet “The Ten Towns” is conspicuously original. The fast, quirky narrative combines rough-and-tumble action with reflective moments. Recommended for a mature readership. Contains adult themes, occasional low-level violence and infrequent mild sexual references.
