Ed's Reviews > Telephone

First off, I read the NW/"B"/For Miles and Henry version of this book -- if you don't know what I'm talking about hold on and I'll get to it, ha!

This is my 2nd Percival Everett book and also my 2nd Everett book that I have read thanks to Tournament of Books (ToB). I had 'Telephone' on my radar given that I did like 'So Much Blue,' but as is often the case in my reading life I hadn't quite got around to it until its inclusion in the 2021 ToB sent it back up the priority list.

I'm thinking Everett is one of the more underrated/under-read contemporary literary fiction authors out there -- like 'Blue' this novel takes you to places and plot lines that are totally unexpected which granted may leave you scratching your head at the end wondering what it was all about, but -- as has been in my limited Everett experience -- still glad you did. But to put it kind of simply this book is about an unhappy marriage between college professors (geology and poetry), a dying (young) daughter, and human trafficking. Like I said, Everett is good at throwing a curve ball in there. And there was stuff that was definitely over my head like Everett using this repetitive device breaking up intra-chapter sections with geological tidbits, chess moves, art works, etc. -- again something that could have potentially bothered me if I chose to allow it to.

Now back to that explanation at the top. There are 3 versions of this novel (and guessing the reasoning behind the title) and again I read the NW (compass direction in red circle on cover), B version (letter after ISBN), and For Henry and Miles (one of three versions of the dedication) -- which seem to provide the easiest ways to figure out which version you have of the slightly different text and alternate ending(s). Much like those intra-chapter thingies, this could be a fairly self-indulgent gimmick on Everett's part, but again just based on these two reading experiences with him I feel like he knows what he's doing -- even if I don't, but again I find it both interesting and intriguing. Knowing of the three versions going in, I had absolutely no intention of seeking out another version -- but now having finished, I think I might. Though the only issue, is reading it fast enough before forgetting this version (reader amnesia!) and getting myself to a bookstore which I think I've only managed to do once in the last year due to this damn pandemic (or pan-damn-ic? I'm copyrighting that!)... and don't really want to chance getting a duplicate "B" copy to mail order or e-book (I read it in paperback).

Also, I need to add that I was quite surprised that part of this book took place in my home state of New Mexico and in fact, the protagonist likely drove through my home town on a couple occasions (tho it is never mentioned), but one thing that made me laugh is that one of the characters in the book says "There's no oil in New Mexico!" (or something to that effect) which couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, oil is one of the biggest industries in our state -- now granted, not largely (or at all?) in the area of the state where the action takes place (pretty much dead center), but in the southeast corner of the state bordering Texas (the Permian Basin region). So anyhow, just some local-ish trivia/slight correction that I had to pass along.

Overall, giving this one 4 stars. Intriguing book, didn't totally get it all -- but apparently good enough that I'd consider reading an alternate version. This also marks my 11th and last intended read for the 2021 ToB. After being a "complete-ist" last year (read all 18 entrants), I am likely never doing that again as it sucked up too much of my valuable reading time on books I suspected I wouldn't like and did not -- so going forward, it will just be to read those books that were on my radar and never go to or something new that sounds like it's up my literary alley (so no cannabalism satire or more dystopias as I attempt to survive the one we're currently living in).