Sunday, May 02, 2010

Stairway to Hell -- Charlie Williams

This is one of those books that's almost impossible to describe, but I'll give it a try. Let's assume that back in the '70s, Jimmy Page (yes, that Jimmy Page) was a warlock and that he discovered a way to switch souls from one body to another. And let's assume that he did it.

In the present day, the novel is narrated by Rick Sutton (aka Rik Suntan), a singer with a cleft lip (but a great moustache) and every little talent. He believes that he has great talent, great sex appeal, and lots more. This is a very funny book, and a lot of the humor comes from Rik's narration, as he's a guy sublimely unaware of his shortcomings, completely unable to see himself as others see him.

When Rik loses his job at a local club, things start happening, most of them bad, and all of them extremely odd. Ted, Rik's manager, is gathering the people who, like Rik, have other people's souls (Rik, in case you're wondering, has David Bowie's). Ted's plan is to reverse the process. It's complicated, completely nuts, and, as I've said already, very funny. You definitely won't read another book like this for a while. If ever. Check it out.

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