ALL HANDS TO THE PUMP

SUMMER’S THEME IS… THE QUALITY OF LIFE

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

Monday 5th July 2010

7.00pm at Hilldrop Road

From the sublime to the ridiculous, Vernon Little is my all-time favourite narrator and Vernon God Little has been the best book of the entire bunch. The original high score was controversial as many failed to finish reading the book, and those who did accused DBC Pierre of creating a whole heap of characters who lacked depth and a narrator who couldn’t possibly be capable of constructing the beautiful thoughts he occasionally expresses.   Whatever. 

Vernon God Little

hmmmm….

“WOW. VINCENT GALLO IS HOT!”

A moment of analytical genius courtesy of Sarah, who used the minimum number of words to carefully convey what we were all thinking.

Vincent is extra special.

VERNON GOD LITTLE

by DBC Pierre

These days no one really buys into the cartoonish stereotype of the American grain belt as a laid-back, friendly cowpoke’s paradise. And yet what people suppose to be the “dark side” of Texas - church-burnings, Ewingesque oil tycoons - is equally silly and theatrical. The true darkness in the Lone Star state is found at the edge of the smallest, filthiest towns, where poverty and greed ensure that life ain’t ever gonna be fair.

But enough of all that miserable stuff. Vernon God Little , a startling and excellent debut, is billed as a comedy: “A 21st-century comedy in the presence of death”. And doggone it, is it funny. The dialogue, in pure Texanese, jumps off the page, especially when the ladies are talking (as they often do) about food:

“Have you fed him?” “I think Vaine bought ribs.” “Vaine Gurie? She’s supposed to be on the Pritikin diet - Barry’ll have a ‘truck’!” “Good-night, she damn near ‘lives’ at Bar-B-Chew Barn!”

The “ladies” having this discussion live in Martirio, “the barbecue sauce capital of Texas”, and one of them is Doris, mother of Vernon, our hero. Vaine Gurie, meanwhile, has just arrested Vernon. But Vernon is less than thrilled at her offer of ribs: “Deep fucken trouble keeps my euphoria at bay.”

Deep trouble is right, for this is not the sort of black comedy that flips into light relief every six pages. Death is present in every scene. It is there in Vaine’s office, eating ribs with the sheriff, for Vernon is suspected of being an accessory to a devastating mass murder: the gunning down of 16 high-school kids, still in their Nikes. But Vernon is innocent: “Everyone knows Jesus is to blame.” Jesus? No, not the one you’re thinking of: Jesus Navarro, a Mexican boy wearing silk panties under his jeans, was the one holding the gun.

BUFFALO 66 

we watch…  BUFFALO 66

you read...  Vernon God Little

Life is too serious to do farce comedy.

- Buster Keaton