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 The Troika by Stepan Chapman
Ministry of Whimsy Press, Trade Paperback, US$14.99, 251pp
Available from the Ministry of Whimsy, POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315, USA.
reviewed by John Kenny
Original appearance: Albedo one issue 16, Spring 1998
The Troika landed in front of me and the first thing I noticed (as anyone would) was the cover design. This is a nice looking book; certainly something you wouldn't be ashamed to be seen reading on the bus. They say you should never judge a book by the cover, but in this case the wonderfully surreal cover painting (by Alan Clark, design by Duane Bray) is a perfect indication of what you can expect inside the book.
Alex, who inhabits the circuitry of a jeep, Naomi, who is a brontosaurus and Eva, an old Mexican woman are wandering across a vast desert (they also periodically switch bodies; and, no, it's not confusing). They have been doing this for a thousand years. Is this Hell, is this Heaven, are they dead, are they alive? These are the questions they constantly ask themselves. They are at this point, of course, completely mad and as the novel explores this madness, we get to see the characters in various incarnations over the course of their past lives, which are singularly harrowing although spiced throughout with humour, especially Alex's sojourn as a fumigator.
While there is a sense of the 'fix-up' about this book (different pieces appeared in various magazines over the past couple of years) in that it's structurally episodic, there is a framing device which ties the whole thing together and gives the novel a true sense of purpose. The sheer diversity of character, setting and imagery make this book an absolute joy to read. It's been a long time since I've come across a novel that was as stylishly written, with wit, yet never losing touch with the characters. Highly recommended.
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