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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious metafiction with surprise heart, August 29, 2009
This review is from: Major Inversions (Paperback)
Gordon Highland's Major Inversion is a first-person meta-tale dominated by the seductive and confident Drew Ballard, 80's tribute and Jazz fusion guitarist by night, commercial jingle scribe and drug enthused security guard by day. Highland writes with a narrative voice so full of wit and humor, it would be wise to read with a cynical cock-blocking fat friend at your side; the hair-metal spandex and verbal dexterity can make a persuasive cocktail.
Cynically sarcastic, though driven once the "pale and thin - bookish" (27) Layla enters the fold, Ballard jokes his way from jingles to a legitimate film score job, and ultimately into Layla pants, eventually shedding his rock-whore stage persona in favor of exclusivity. But despite the promise, Ballard's upward trend does not last.
Major Inversions incorporates metafictional elements to immerse the reader, beyond even the ability of Ballard's wit. References to the book itself permeate the text ("I'm getting better at this putting-one-word-in-front-of-another thing...Little periods every now and then to break it up for your short-assed attention span" [76]) and casual asides jolt the reader into introspection (when discussing his own adoption with a therapist the idea of journaling his experiences opens for the seemingly innocent, "Now there's a novel idea" [238]). But the most obvious and unique meta-element is the inclusion of song lyrics, complete with chord progressions, which act as distilled moments of clarity, delivered perhaps in the way Ballard naturally thinks (check out the "Look Inside" feature to see examples of these)
With the early introduction of Barron Vaughn, Major Inversions begins its true arc. The cable installer turned roommate, true to his "reptilian" (43) features, integrates his way into Ballard's residence then life then personal arc in surprising ways. He is the story's lurking demon, an arresting presence in all his scenes.
Major Inversions, from its...filthy...opening scene, to its final tragicomic pages simply works. You will likely not read a funnier book for quite some time.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent debut!, September 26, 2009
This review is from: Major Inversions (Paperback)
Gordon Highland's first book is a stealth opus of sorts, borrowing from genres contemporary and historical. Greek Tragedy, Modern Comedy, high concept film, mockumentary, on-the-road epic, musical, you name it, it's in here! The story concerns one Drew Ballard, security guard by day, tribute band rocker by night, studio musician whenever he can land a gig or find the motivation...
Drew's trapped with an awful and manipulative roommate, trying to find his way in the world. He's at that tipping point from the inertia of a misspent youth into an unknown future as a "grown-up". It's difficult to get into major plot points without going spoiler-heavy, but suffice it to say Drew has his problems. He's tied up in Drug Dealing, a slowly failing band, a newly budding relationship, and new hauntings from ghosts of his past. It's simultaneously a slow dissolve into failure and an arduous climb to...if not success, then something that kind of looks like it.
Major Inversions is a solid first effort from Highland - if you like romance, slacker comedies, family dramas, if you're a music fiend, or you just plain want a good story, then pick this up. There's something in here to satisfy every taste.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something so Simple, September 26, 2009
This review is from: Major Inversions (Paperback)
It's so simple on the outside, this book. A slacker, content with a life many others would be writhing to get out of, in love with the perfect girl and in hate with the worst possible roommate. It seems so simple, the music inherent to the prose, adding an almost Pynchonian-quality to the prose, underscoring the scene with amusing little jingles. The day to day life of a dealer and user of whatever drug he can get his fingers on. On the surface, MAJOR INVERSIONS is so simple, but then you realize that it's anything not. Perfectly plotted, to the point that nothing is forgotten, everything driving the story closer and closer to the most fitting and unexpected of ends. At the end, you'll need sometime to sit there, let all the pieces settle in place, and realize exactly how perfect this book is constructed.
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