The Far out Café

Book excerpt: The End-No it isnt! During the fall of 1969 Daniel Dyer stands alone at a still point between the disappointments of his childhood and an incredibly uncertain future. He is a boy from Yorkshire, living in America who has been abandoned by his father and then his mother and has signed up to fi ght with the US army in Vietnam. The Far Out Cafe is full of characters and events: a blues singer, a Cuban called Guerrero and another called Compay, with his head full of conspiracy theories, Birdmen, a chapel dating back to the 2nd century, an isolated island, a pack of marauding sharks; one of mythical proportions, a psychotic Soviet called the Generali, a barbaric guard called Rusanov and his syphilitic assistant, Yefrem. This is not merely a story about the atrocities of war. Its a story about who Daniel meets when he has been left for dead; a boy called Angel and a girl called Beth. Its about the way we live our lives and what happens when we place our Faith in God when things go horribly wrong. Its a savage yet tenderly lyrical story about an unforgiving time and indestructible love. I sat down, cleared my mind, and The Far Out Caf blew it apart. Its a really great story and its told in such a surreal way, it messes with your head so much, delightfully so, but what really caught me is the sense of magic and mysticism that is woven into the story. A huge story that has roots in an even greater and deeper meaning. The spiritual clashed against the brutality of men is incredibly powerful. Good to fi nally be challenged by a modern book that gives the mind a great workout. In fi lm terms, very Stanley Kubrick - David Popescu - Hooligan Filmworks, Canada