Scooter Chronicles

This afternoon I finished “The Girl in the Glass” by Jeffrey Ford. This was the second novel by Ford that I have read this summer.

Being as lazy as ever, here is the rundown courtesy of Amazon.Com and Publishers Weekly, with some tweaks by yours truly:

A band of con artists-cum-spiritual mediums focus their psychic and sleuthing powers on a murder mystery …… set in Depression-era Long Island, on the posh North Shore. Diego, a 17-year-old Mexican illegal immigrant, narrates the escapades, as he follows his mentor and surrogate father Thomas Schell, who rescued him from the street and tutored him in subjects from English to chicanery. Disguised as a Hindu swami, Diego helps Schell conduct phony séances to bilk wealthy Long Islanders. But when Schell sees the apparition of a young girl during a séance and then hears of the disappearance of Charlotte Barnes, daughter of shipping magnate Harold Barnes, he determines to solve the case. Schell and Diego – along with henchman Antony and phony psychic Morgan Shaw – set out to find Charlotte’s body, and soon find links to the Ku Klux Klan symbol and some grotesque eugenics experiments.

The first thing I noticed with this novel is that the fancier prose from the first novel I read “The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque” is missing. Or to say it is really tamed down. He still shows his skills as a writer. But even though the Diego, the narrative character told in first person, goes on to higher education, we are dealing with a Mexican immigrant who English is a second language. So it makes sense that he wouldn’t speak with such flair as Piambo, the main character who is the first person narrative in the previous novel.

Something that isn’t missing though is well drawn out characters. Especially the main foursome of Diego, Schell, Antony, and Morgan. There is plenty to see in all of them; their strengths, weaknesses, nervous ticks, etc. Like most books, I got attached to them. And in the closing pages of the book, you learn the fate of the cast.

The story itself moved very fast. Always kept me wondering where it was going. I figured that the “girl in the glass” would be found near the end of the novel. Not to be. They found her with almost two thirds of the book still to read. It kept me guessing. Which is always a good thing.

One point that was made more at the end, which actually was central to the whole story, was the Eugenics Movement. Here is a LINK to a site that Jeffrey Ford linked on his ON-LINE JOURNAL. In basic terms, it was a basis of what the Nazi’s did before and during World War II, though they “exterminated” those that were unacceptable, instead of just weeding them out. The concept could have even gone farther in this book. Or a book written from different view points, instead of the first person narrative. Still, in todays’ society, interesting to see someone bring this forth in a novel. Given the livelihood and past of Schell and Antony, it is important to them and their former “co-workers” who are smaller characters in the story. They all at one time were part of the “freak shows” on the boardwalk at Coney Island and other carnivals.

As for the ending of the book, I was at first disappointed that it appeared some issues would not be explained. The apparition, or girl in the glass, literally doesn’t get explained until just a few pages short of the end. It was driving me crazy that it hadn’t been explained or at least the question acknowledged by the characters throughout. But when we eventually got to it, though quirky, it was satisfying. And quite honestly should have been seen. Well, at least to a point.

Overall, another very good read from what I see as an up and coming author. And this coming Saturday, if all goes to plan, I will be meeting Mr. Ford and getting him to sign my copy of the book.