Fast Forward Book Review for July 2010
Keith Miller
A review
by Colleen R. Cahill
It is sure that author Keith Miller is a bibliophile, a man who loves books. In his first novel, The Book of Flying, he brought beautiful prose in a enthralling tale with books as an important element. This can also be said of his newest work, The Book on Fire, from Immanion Press, as we meet a book thief in Alexandria looking for the underground library which holds the rarest treasures of the book world. His quest is crossed by two women who will change his view of books and life.
Balthazar is a thief of books, some to maintain his lifestyle, but some his heart seeks; ¡°beautiful books: intricately textured, with music to break your heart, a typeface to sink your teeth into, a story that grips your throat.¡± In pursuit of this goal, he goes to Alexandria, which is not the city we know, but one where the lighthouse still exists and the Library is a secret place only a few can enter. Alexandria is a center for books and is it not a safe place. Dark souls haunt the streets, and every sort of vice is available. Not surprisingly, books are very protected and book borrowers who do not return a volume are hunted down by bibliocommandos and hung for their crimes. The Library is guarded by dedicated female warriors who can kill with a flick of their hand and allow no one near the precious tomes. And that, of course, is Balthazar¡¯s goal: to steal away the rarest of the rare. During his first day there, he meets Zeinab, a book prostitute who will fulfill sexual dreams at the cost of a precious volume, a cost Balthazar finds quite high. When he finally succumbs to her charms, Balthazar discovers Zeinab burns his book page by page. While this distresses him, it is soon clear that only with Zeinab¡¯s help will Balthazar find the path to the Library. It is help she gives, even giving hints on how to thread the maze under the city that leads to the books, clues that allow him to finally reach his goal. The wonder of the books in so many forms and languages is mind boggling, but Balthazar is completely overwhelmed when he sees the youngest librarian reading, and suddenly he has a new obsession; to know this strange young woman..
As in his previous book, Miller has sculpted a work that is a story, poetry, humor and verbal beauty. Nothing is done by half, from the lush language, with both earthly and light tones, to the intriguing world of bibliogigolos and librarians ¡°barehanded, shaven-headed, the open book tattooed on their wrists¡±. Not a frothy place, Alexandria is a city of ¡°reek and perfume¡± and for every delight there is an equal disgust. This is embedded in Miller&##39;s words, as the reading will at first compel then repel, but always I keep on reading because he also delivers a work of great feeling and imagination. It is also a mature work, with elements that are very adult; while a fantasy, this book is not for children or even teens, who could miss the bigger message in the erotic details.
A must read for any book lover, The Book on Fire is another masterpiece for Miller and one that should be on your book shelf.