The Union of Smokers - BookWyrm.World

English language

Published by Invisible Publishing.

ISBN:: 978-1-988784-45-8

(1 review)

Longlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour Huckleberry Finn meets The Catcher in the Rye meets Ferris Bueller's Day Off in this outlandish debut novel. Kaspar Pine begins his day with a simple replace a pet canary. By day's end, as Kaspar is being loaded into an ambulance, he delivers one hell of a "theme essay," covering such subjects as his ability to source and catalogue the cigarette butts he harvests; information on maintaining the social order of chickens, along with general and historic farming details that run from Saskatchewan to Ontario; insinuating himself between other kids and people who wish to do them harm; fire marshalling; and his inability to maintain an essayist’s cool detachment in the face of unrequited first love. The Union of Smokers details the heartfelt and heroic last day in the life of a reluctant, irreverent, and oddly wise hero. "A narrative voice …

Longlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour Huckleberry Finn meets The Catcher in the Rye meets Ferris Bueller's Day Off in this outlandish debut novel. Kaspar Pine begins his day with a simple replace a pet canary. By day's end, as Kaspar is being loaded into an ambulance, he delivers one hell of a "theme essay," covering such subjects as his ability to source and catalogue the cigarette butts he harvests; information on maintaining the social order of chickens, along with general and historic farming details that run from Saskatchewan to Ontario; insinuating himself between other kids and people who wish to do them harm; fire marshalling; and his inability to maintain an essayist’s cool detachment in the face of unrequited first love. The Union of Smokers details the heartfelt and heroic last day in the life of a reluctant, irreverent, and oddly wise hero. "A narrative voice that gets in your head and proves unforgettable, [and] a story that manages to be utterly devastating and uplifting at once." —Kerry Clare

1 edition

David Scrimshaw reviewed The Union of Smokers by Paddy Scott

Try reading this without reading the description or any reviews - Like I did

5 stars

When this book appeared in Libby, I had no memory of why I had reserved it. But I was ready for a new book and started. Within pages, I was hooked.

I just adored the book and the narrator, Kaspar.

I logged in to give it a 5-star rating and that's when I read in the description that it's the last day of Kaspar's life. Why? Sure he's in dire shape at the end of the book, and because he's the narrator, I guess he couldn't say "and then I died." But still. If it's only in the blurb describing the book is that what really happened?

Anyway, I'm not happy that he apparently died and there won't be a sequel and adorable Kaspar didn't get to grow up. But I can't take off even half a star for it. The book is just too good.