Glaring Through Oblivion by Serj Tankien, illustrated by Roger Kupelian and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee: Double Feature Reviews

This is going to be a little bit of an odd double feature. There’s no real link between them, but I was so close to the end of the second book in this set of reviews that I couldn’t rightly put it as book one of 2020. So, I ended up reading 51 books rather than 50. Enjoy the final book review of the year. 2020 will start with a year in reviews for 2019.

While I wasn’t entirely surprised, I wasn’t aware that System of a Down vocalist, Serj Tankien, writes poetry. That was until I walked into Waterstones a couple of weeks back. Though I wasn’t expecting to see it, I was pleased. I’ve been a fan of System of a Down for a fair while now, so this was a really good find. There was only one copy left on the shelf, so I snapped it right up.

Before getting on to the poetry, I want to talk about Roger Rupelian’s illustrations. They’re eerie yet captivating. It’s something that you can’t take your eyes off, even when it’s bleak.

I won’t be reviewing all of the poetry, but I will be doing a few short reviews of the poems that really caught my eye.

Deaf Nation

In his prologue, Tankien wrote:

            I, myself, have vowed to never ever again hold my tongue.

Frankly the opening poem of the collection shows him to be true to his word. Each line is seething and has every right to be. This bit in particular stuck with me:

[…] our powerful silence

            Gives way to blind consent.

It was such a powerful opening poem. This poem really set the bar for the rest of the collection, and the collection did not falter.

Down With The System

The title really does some up the collection as a whole in the best possible way. It’s the most perfectly placed resentment for a system that fails millions daily. The final lines are simple, but beautifully effective. This one was the most reminiscent of Tankien’s lyrics, or that’s how it felt for me.

The Hand

Kupelian’s illustrations for this piece is utterly gorgeous. Every part of it is wrought with symbolism. It accompanies Tankien’s piece brilliantly.

            The motif of this poem is used so wonderfully. It’s certainly the sort of poem I wish I’d written. It’s a bloody brilliant poem. It’s certainly up there as one of my favourites in the collection.

World of Words

Oh, to do a critical reading of this poem. I won’t do it here because I don’t want to bore you. I’d certainly enjoy it, but I’m not sure any of you would.

            The power of words is something rather important to me, and this piece really resonated with my love of words.

The one-line poems (well only one of them)

Don’t worry, that isn’t the name of any of the poems. On some pages there weren’t titled poems. Instead there would either be pieces by Rupelian on their own, or they’d be accompanied by a single line poem. The line that caught my eye was:

            You speak to millions, but talk no one.

At first glance, it might seem like a deep line, but let’s face it, if you look at it for more than five seconds, you realise that it means next to nothing. It’s a shame because Tankien writes beautiful lines in both his poems and his song lyrics. I think the issue with it is that it’s on its own, so its highlighted. Within a longer poem, it might slip by, but the spotlight on it doesn’t show it in a positive way.

Dates, Rates, Plates, Fates, Mates, Kates

This is almost definitely my favourite poem from the collection. The formatting is fantastic, and each section is utterly wonderful. The illustration is also one of the best, too. It’s really different to all the rest, especially the tone, but it doesn’t feel out of place. This really shows the range of Tankien’s talent.

Claustrophobia

Though continuing with the dark tone of much of the collection, this poem is much softer than many of the others. It isn’t anger; it’s sorrow. It’s a painful poem to read, and it really hit me. It’s a truly beautiful poem that will certainly stick with me long after reading.

Poisoning Poseidon

I’d love to hear this poem read aloud. The alliteration would sound so brilliant. I’d try it myself at an open mic, but I don’t feel like I could do it justice. I can’t say that’s likely to stop me, so I might try it anyway.

Even if you aren’t already a fan of Serj Tankien, you will be after reading this. This book is well worth the read. Tankien’s poetry is stunning, and Rupelian’s illustrations partner them so well. This is such a good book that I certainly recommend.

You know how I said I’d take more notes when I listened to audiobooks? Well, I didn’t manage that with this one. I guess that’s my New Year’s resolution for this blog. I’ll try to take notes from now on. I’ve got a couple of plans for audiobooks next year, so I’ll do better for them (at least, I’ll try).

            This is a book I’d heard of but didn’t really know much about. A mix of listening to my flatmate talking about it and finding out that the narrator is Christian Coulson sold it to me, so I picked it up with one of my Audible credits.

            There’s a lot to the plot of Mackenzie Lee’s Georgian adventure, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, so I’ll give you a brief rundown of the three characters at the centre of the story. Our first-person narrator is Monty. He’s charming in the most irritating way; I think I’d certainly use the phrase ‘Byronic Hero’ to describe him without a doubt. I think pansexual would be the right word for his sexuality; he doesn’t seem to have preferences as he’ll sleep with almost anyone, but it is Percy that truly owns his heart. Percy and Monty have known each other since childhood, and their bond is far more than friendship, but their useless at admitting that to each other. Percy faces many difficulties throughout, especially because he’s dark-skinned. It’s something that Monty never quite comprehends, but it’s handled rather well, from what I can tell. He struggles with it, but it doesn’t stop him trying to live his life as well as anyone else. Finally, we have Felicity. She’s Monty’s sister, and one of the most brilliant women I’ve read about this year. She’s fiercely intelligent, strong-willed, and not afraid to stand up to anyone who gets in her way. She’s also a wonderful a-sexual icon, and seeing that represented really warmed my heart.

            It is worth noting that Monty does face abuse from his father. He talks about it throughout the novel, so if that’s something that you struggle to read, then maybe this isn’t the book for you. There isn’t a huge amount of detail, but it is something that affects Monty substantially.

            The romance between Monty and Percy is absolutely wonderful to read, even if it is utterly frustrating at times. Every time Monty said “darling” I felt that deep in my heart. Inevitably I’d then hear his internal monologue about how he’s struggling to deal with his feelings, and I’d be sat there just willing him to say something. Then the scene in the ship happens. I’m not spoiling this because I need you to get to this for yourself, but oh boy that scene was so much. I loved it so much. I love these frustrating idiots, and they’re the reason I’m reading the short sequel featuring the two of them.

            Knowing that I do love Felicity, I’ll likely find the sequel that focusses on her, though I have read reviews that say that it isn’t quite as good as this book. I’ll probably give it a go anyway, but I won’t expect to be as blown away as I was with this.

            I absolutely adored listening to this book. Lee’s writing was fantastic, and Coulson’s audio narration was superb. I haven’t looked up the narrator for the sequel featuring Monty and Percy, but I really hope it’s him. I really recommend this book, especially the audiobook. There’s so much expression in Coulson’s voice and he really brings every character to life. If you can, find the audio version of this book. No matter how you enjoy it, I definitely recommend that you find this book.