Have you heard the one about the guy who fell asleep on the couch and woke up in the hospital, with friends suggesting he break out? It's one of Golden November's black comedy sketches in the book Varrius: No Plot. Spoiler alert: there are plots. If you enjoy clever dialogue and glossy stock photos to set a scene for a night playing pantomime, November does not disappoint. Varrius is the name of a character in the book who shows up in most of the scenes. These are loosely threaded together and start with a plan to kidnap a man, ending with a near-death escapade on the high seas. Getting from point A to point B is a basket of laughs, laced with an acerbic script to fuel the fun.
Dialogue is the highlight of Varrius by Golden November and the method of story delivery requires it since that is all there is in the written manuscript. As I said before, the dialogue is intelligent and witty. I am of the opinion that Golden November is well suited for screenplays that maybe use the photography of their books in lieu of stage setting. There is an ease in reading when people and places are not described in loquacious detail and, like stories of the past, instead rely on the imagination of a reader, with a tiny push of a picture. November and their books do not have a meaningful footprint in a reader's middle ground. It is either Team November with fans who love the art, or Team Grumpy-Sad Face for any who do not. It's not necessary for me to tell you where I fall.
In what can only be referred to now as the established hallmark writing style of Golden November, the book Varrius: No Plot follows in the footsteps of its predecessors with the author's unique formatting. Varrius is an interactive novel best read in a group and assigning characters amongst the readers. The characters are largely the same ones November introduced us to in other books, all of whom at this point feel like old friends to me as a reader. In this installment, the titular character, Varrius, and cohorts are running interference for a client who wants a con artist delivered to them. The crime? Losing money in Petrolemonnolimesslickertheorn. Of course, to a reader, Ross's melody, “CHICKA BWROW BWROW...”
There are several other subplots in Varrius even if the title coined by Golden November claims none exist. I had the most fun with a date between Varrius and Patience where they are clearly perfect for one another, repeating what the other says throughout with phrases like, “I’m happy that you’re happy that I’m happy that you’re happy.” Also woven in is what might just be the most infamous spellcheck fail in the history of spell check: “ducking”. Mac employs it first while ironically shouting that he does not have anger issues, and the word makes appearances in several other scenes. The photo inclusions are new from the rest of the books and bring in fresh locales. Varrius is another winner in November's long list of them. Recommended.
