Rate this book

A Million Versions Of Right (2009)

by Matthew Revert(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0980593816 (ISBN13: 9780980593815)

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

LegumeMan Books

review 1: Before "if you touch my junk" became an Internet meme, Matthew Revert published this gem about worlds where school authorities lend their junk to students for presentations; tiny, ejaculated builders cover their procreators in layers of tile; scientists try to reverse menstration in women; and earphones play nothing but the sounds of masturbation.A MILLION VERSIONS OF RIGHT is a collection of "terribly unusual short fiction" that will burn in the reader's mind long after the book has been digested. And while not for the squeamish or the prudish, it is highly recommended for those who love the outlandish.Witty and well-written, readers will be hard-pressed to find talent like Mr Revert. He sits clearly and proudly with the likes of Carlton Mellick III, D. Harlan Wilson, Gin... morea Ranalli, and the other scions of the bizarro fiction tradition heralded by writers like Franz Kafka.
review 2: I’m going to try to write this review without gushing too much. Up front I want it known that I’m in love with this book but I want to provide compelling reasons to read it and not dwell on hyperbole.This is one of those books with a description that doesn’t really tell you much. After reading the book though, I’m not sure how else you’d describe. It’s a book that dwells in the gutter as the blurb suggests, but it’s a divine gutter. The filth and vulgarity within has been imbued with something profound. The absurdity somehow says more about life than almost any “straight” book I’ve read. Basically, it transcends.I haven’t read much about this book that really explains the stories within. Yes, this is a book of short stories even if one of these stories is longer than most novellas currently doing the Bizarro rounds. So I’m going to spend some time talking about each story.A Million Versions of RightThe first story lends the collection its title and sets the tone from the start. Essentially this is a story about masturbatory guilt and sexual confusion. The protagonist is alarmed to discover that his first orgasm is accompanied by a little tiler that wreaks havoc on his life. It scares him off masturbation and sexuality in general. He becomes painfully repressed, terrified that another orgasm will result in another little man. Throughout it all, this story encompasses the father/son relationship in a way I’ve never read before. It’s creepy. It’s uncomfortably hilarious and it really gets you thinking. The Bricolage ScrotumOn the surface, this story sounds utterly ridiculous. It’s about scrotal aesthetics and the war waged between those who love the scrotum and those who hate it. To me, this story struck me as a veiled attack on religious indoctrination. Children are raised to hate the scrotum by one group and love it by another. Each side extols an extreme point of view and doesn’t waver. It’s pretty clever to use the scrotum to get this message across. It’s one of those body parts that most people don’t like to discuss.The Great Headphone WankOne of the most depressing and distressing things I’ve read. With a title like that, I was expecting it to be quite funny but it’s quite soul destroying. It paints such a corrupted view of relationships that I’m not sure I’d ever want to date someone like Matthew Revert (if I were a female). They seem to hate eachother while not being able to live without eachother. The headphones of title involve a set of headphones that only plays masturbatory sounds. Obsession follows and they can’t quite shake it. On top of it is one of the bleakest representations of the working man’s life there is. The protagonist’s job is literally to yell at walls all day. The hopelessness is stifling.Meeting MaxThe longest and most complex story. Set in a place called the hair district, the story starts off like a hair-obsessed film noir. Someone is knocking over deluxe comb jars and it’s up to the protagonist, Jack Backtrack, to crack the case. The case leads to Jack turning into the pariah of the district. Soon after he meets the man toppling the comb jars, Max. The two develop a creepy relationship that somehow leads toward male menstruation. It paints a portrait of sexuality devoid of sexual contact and gender. It keeps travelling deeper and deeper until the psychological overtones crawl under your skin. So much more happens in this story to even begin describing. It could have been released as a book in its own right. There’s nothing else like it.Power BlinkFollowing the previous four stories, it’s a bit of a relief that this story is lighter in tone. It’s a study in melodrama and the absurdly complex repercussions of a slight cut to the finger. It’s funny, it’s silly and of course, slightly creepy. Probably the lesser story but in a collection like this, that’s not saying much.The Bookmark the Wouldn’t WorkThis is the story that alerted to me existence of this book. It follows an alternate history of the common bookmark. Using the theory that the bookmark was a new development in history, Revert paints a fantastically creative history. It’s laugh out loud funny and has a nice light tone in which to finish this book. So this review has gone on a lot longer than I thought it would. But I believe this book warrants it. The level of imagination is second to nothing I’ve ever read. The prose is incredible and shows Revert to be a real wordsmith. This isn’t throw away stuff. This book is lodges itself into your psyche. An amazing achievement. One that by all rights will be recognized as a milestone in weird/bizarre fiction. less

Download links for: A Million Versions of Right

Advertising