First thing I can tell you about Boyle’s debut novel is that it doesn’t suffer from Bukowskitis. Reviewers comparing small press novels to Buk always seems like a back-handed compliment at best and an outright insult at its worst. Boyle writes a clean line that occasionally sings. His style is all his own and it propels you through the story without ever once taking you out of the story. I could throw out the names of a few modern writers comparable, but it would only serve to pat myself on the back for who I’ve been reading.
Dollhouse follows the drug and musical exploits of Tony Diggs and his affair with the trouble Cindy and her even more trouble mother, Lois who has a penchant for hard liquor and deviant sex. Boyle’s flashes of wit keep the proceedings from getting mired in the grim circumstances surrounding the characters.
The novel takes place in the eighties and the prose keeps the reader firmly rooted in this time and place. I like that the novel deals with drugs and addiction, but doesn’t wallow in it. Nor does it preach against or glorify. I had problems with the end, where Tony Diggs turns into Charles Bronson to deal with some drug dealers hassling his woman. It didn’t feel quite right, far-fetched. That’s only a minor blip, however. For the most part, Dollhouse is a brisk, exhilarating read.
So do I recommend Dollhouse? Yes I do. Without reservation. Support this writer and support the small press. I get the feeling Michael Boyle has many more novels in him and I look forward to reading them. |
