Light Boxes: A Novel [Paperback]

Shane Jones (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 25, 2010

A poignant and fantastical first novel by a timeless new literary voice.

With all the elements of a classic fable, vivid descriptions, and a wholly unique style, this idiosyncratic debut introduces a new and exciting voice to readers of such authors as George Saunders, Kurt Vonnegut, and Yann Martel.

In Light Boxes, the inhabitants of one closely-knit town are experiencing perpetual February. It turns out that a god-like spirit who lives in the sky, named February, is punishing the town for flying, and bans flight of all kind, including hot air balloons and even children's kites. It's February who makes the sun nothing but a faint memory, who blankets the ground with snow, who freezes the rivers and the lakes. As endless February continues, children go missing and more and more adults become nearly catatonic with depression. But others find the strength to fight back, waging war on February.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jones's brief and bewildering war fable pursues the plight of a town battling to free itself from the brutal hold of the month of February (also sometimes a person or a force or merely a metaphor), a meanie that has not allowed its wintry grip to lift for hundreds of days. When the despairing townspeople, led by valiant Thaddeus Lowe and his wife and daughter, suffer reprisals from February and the priests for trying to break the weather, a group of former balloonists don bird masks and, calling themselves the Solution, instigate a rebellion. Thaddeus's daughter, Bianca, is kidnapped, along with other children, leading Thaddeus to plot ways to deceive February: townspeople walk around pretending it's summer and secure light boxes around their heads to simulate the sun. February, meanwhile, may simply be feeling unloved by his wife, the girl who smells of honey and smoke and who seems eerily like Bianca. It's a quaint and bizarre allegory that explores the perils of equivocation, but it's likely more pleased with its own cleverness than readers will be. (June)
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From Booklist

Originally issued in a limited edition of fewer than 1,000 copies, this unique novel of seasonal affective disorder come to life is now being published by a major house. In spare prose that could almost be considered poetry, Jones tells the story of a town ravaged by endless winter. Well, nearly endless—it’s been February for several hundred days straight. But February isn’t only a relentless month; it’s also the malevolent being holding the town under its sway. Wracked by depression and spurred on when children start to go missing, the townsfolk mount a war against February, who also turns out, well, sort of, to be the author of the story, struggling to romance the “girl who smells of honey and smoke.” Jones’ imagery and layers of metaphor and metafiction are alternately difficult to penetrate and light as air, like wandering in and out of a fever dream where the moment things come into focus they dissipate again. In that vein, this literary gem of metaphysical malaise has that ideally weird blend of offputting sensualism and heartfelt emotion—just the sort of thing to ensure a dedicated, if limited, following. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Paperback: 149 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143117785
• ISBN-13: 978-0143117780
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #728,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shane Jones (b. 1980) lives in upstate New York. His first novel, Light Boxes, was originally published by Publishing Genius Press in a print run of 500 copies in 2009. The novel was reviewed widely, the film option purchased by Spike Jonze (Where The Wild Things Are, Adaptation), and the book was reprinted by Penguin Group in 2010. Light Boxes has been translated in eight languages and was named an NPR best book of the year. In August of 2012 Penguin released a new novel, Daniel Fights a Hurricane. Shane is also the author of the novella The Failure Six.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars No Flying in February June 3, 2010

By Blake Fraina VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Based on the Edward Gorey-esque cover illustration, the back cover copy and it's slender profile, I thought Shane Jones's Light Boxes was going to be a quirky, whimsical allegory. But this is no children's tale. As a matter of fact, despite its modest length, it's packed with so many agonizing moments, I found it difficult to get through quickly.

This strange fantasia tells the story of a town being punished by an unseen God-like figure for their love of flying (kites, balloons, even the local birds), which is surely a metaphor for the freedom and joy inherent in the creative urge. The despot sentences them to live eternally in the bleak month that happens to share his name - February. As the month's frigid days drag on into the hundreds, children begin to disappear or turn up dead and several disastrous attempts at revolt only deepen the townsfolk's suffering and leave them in state of black despair. February itself symbolizes the soul-sucking effects of depression on creativity.

The publisher employs some rather precious gimmickry to get the author's point across; most notably changes in typeface and font size to indicate the various different points of view, tones of voice or the relative significance of a particular passage. While I personally found this effective and appealing, other readers might be annoyed by it. Most of the characters are mere sketches, but Jones's prose is evocative enough that I was able to build on them in my imagination as if I was fleshing out a hazy dream. Which is really what this novel most resembles. A gorgeously atmospheric dream that one has to surrender to in order to enjoy its full impact.

While the material is pretty surreal, I still felt emotionally invested in the struggles of these people and was worn out by their repeated failure to bring back Spring, so I was surprised by the almost childlike simplicity to their long-awaited salvation. Jones is perhaps suggesting that we are ultimately the architects of our own happiness. Much like Dorothy's escape from Oz, the power to overcome the bleakest sorrow has been inside us all along.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical Little Book April 25, 2010

By C. Irish TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

As soon as you begin reading Light Boxes, you will realize it's a different little book. The story and wonderful writing will hook you right away. What would you do if that terminally, dark, cold month of February never went away? And what would you do if you could never dream of flying again, especially if your is hobby sailing upwards in a hot air balloon, or watching your kite flitter in the wind higher and higher in the sky? You'd probably try and not forget the feeling and beauty and the sensations of flight even as you watch the birds fall from the sky and bees become listless.

The inhabitants of the village in Light Boxes have those things to face because flying has been banned, and it's always cold and dark, day after day and month after month, it's always February and it's February's fault that the children in the village are all disappearing. Where are they going and has February murdered them all?

Shane Jones has written an enchanting book with sparse prose that creates grand imagery of a town in grave danger and how the villagers cope with all of it. This is a magical book that you'll want to read over and over and I am sure each time you do something new will reveal itself in the images and the thoughtfulness created by such a small, powerful book. There is a lot going on in this story and you'll enjoy reading it. There are a few lists in this book that are amazing along with the strong and meaningful writing and impressive imagery. Even if it's not February, make yourself a pot of mint tea and dive into this story. You'll be delighted and enchanted, perplexed and pleased, it will be a most sweet journey into that short but cold, dark time known as February. If you are just getting this book, cracking it open and are beginning to read it for the first time, I envy you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay first novel March 29, 2011

By Scott Richardson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

As a metaphor for Seasonal Affective Disorder, I suppose this book works on a certain level. As a novel, though, I felt that it fell short. It's a slight novel that reminds me a bit of Robert Coover and Steven Millhauser, but without the exquisite use of language employed by either of those authors. Still, there are enough interesting ideas here that I'm curious to see what Jones does next.