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Sean Dixon’s The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal takes its seat at the banquet table in the middle of the venerable great hall of books that exist, primarily, to celebrate a love of reading. Tristram Shandy, Special Topics In Calamity Physics (yes I did just group those two together), The Book Thief, that Allegra Goodman book that I should probably read one day but at this point never will – all of these, in some form or fashion (and my list is sadly lacking, I know, I’m sure I’ll think of a bunch more to add to this list as soon as I walk way from it), elevate the act of reading, and the love of loving literature, to a high art form in and of itself. Even the forthcoming How I Became A Famous Novelist, which will assuredly make waves in the book world for the number of recognizable characters, has, at its snarky core, a love for the printed page. Canadian writer Dixon has that same bookish heartbeat pulsing through The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal.

The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal is a giant, sprawling tale condensed to the barest emotional bones of a story about the bonds that books form, and destroy, between people. The Lacuna Cabal Montreal Young Women’s Book Club is the most elite, exclusive, and eccentric book club ever formed, ever-to the point where their meeting location changes based on what they’re reading, to encourage the members to have fully immersive experiences with their texts. As the book begins, there’s dissent and unrest amongst the group:

“All I know is,I lie in my bed at night, by myself, trying to read some cozy little book, but I can’tread them anymore, because they’re too small, and they don’t matter, and I have to put them down and just get on with it.”

That quote comes from Emmy, one of the initially least interesting members of The Lacuna Cabal who blossoms in unexpected, interesting and truly jaw-droppingly creative ways.

Into this meeting busts Runner Coghill (after a highly-auspicious opening scene involving her crashing through a floor), who proceeds to produce 10 stone tablets as a suggestion for their next reading selection.

From that moment on, The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal is a darkly comedic paen to friendship, love, and, most of all, books. Not to get all Reading Rainbow, but I won’t tell you what the group ends up reading, where they end up or how a little “fitzbot” robot ends up playing a vital part in the story. Linguistically, thematically, emotionally-every facet of The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal sprawls and is loaded with inter-textual references and winking narrative play that’s fun and engrossing.

Sean Dixon maintains a pretty thorough blog about the book over at the Lacuna Cabal-I recommended making your way through the book once, and then checking it out.

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1. Baby Got Books » Life on the shelf — May 19, 2009 @ 8:37 am

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