This is an odd collection of novella and short stories with the surrealist bent of dreamscapes. And, for the most part, these are weird fever dreams, replete with sex and gore.
In the titular story, Leggett leans on his professional history in medicine to write a mind-bending mystery centred on psychologist, Garrick Willis. Willis is seated next to a man with distinctive features who (Willis diagnoses on the run) has an epileptic seizure, muttering the words, ‘Sorry, Jade’. This disturbs Willis as his lover is also called Jade. As is consistent with dreams, the man is Willis’ next patient. More disturbing is that the man, Nick Myshkin, has a photo of Willis’ mother in his wallet. Myshkin is a drug dealer and supplies Jade, along with fellow nurse, Rachel. The narrative follows the interrelationship between those four characters. An intermission of sorts (longer than necessary) sees Willis at his grandmother’s funeral. Jade’s addiction deepens along with her degradation; Myshkin’s violent tendencies increase; Rachel becomes closer to Willis; and Willis himself seeks finite answers about Myshkin’s identity. The short, sharp stories which follow – with disparate settings – are either nightmarish or just odd.
The stories share a jerky, quick-shift style, much like dream images. Interestingly, though, the narrator is always keen to let the reader know exactly where they are (especially within Brisbane and Lismore). Elmore Leonard, who knows a thing or two about writing gritty crime novels, suggests the severe limiting of exclamation marks. Leggett disagrees! Often! Successfully balancing the contingent imagery of dreams with writerly desire to craft a narrative is notoriously difficult. Leggett’s attempts are worthy but ultimately fall short.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Leggett is an author and editor of fiction, poetry, academic papers, reviews and songs whose writing has been widely published and recognised internationally. He lives in Queensland and is an Associate Professor at the James Cook University College of Medicine and Dentistry.
His work has placed, been commended or shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Bridport International Poetry Prize, the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize, the Australian Catholic University Prize for Poetry, the Joanne Burns Microlit Award, The Arts Queensland Val Vallis Award, The Whitsunday Writers Festival Heart Awards Prize for Poetry, The South Coast Writers Centre Poetry Prize, The Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Award, The IP Picks National Poetry Manuscript Prize, the Tasmanian Poetry Cup, The Melbourne Poetry Cup and the Australian Songwriters Awards (Australia Section).
Read more about Andrew Leggert here.
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