A Parade of Clowns - Evan Bollinger

Title: A Parade of Clowns
Author: Evan Bollinger
Genre: General Fiction
Published: 2012
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“A Parade of Clowns” by Evan Bollinger is a short story which follows four friends as they set out to cause some noise in their small town. Determined to get over the boredom and feeling of going nowhere that has invaded their lives they embark on a drink and drug fuelled adventure to rob the local alcohol store.

This book is incredibly short and I finished it in no time at all, helped by the fact that I was also enjoying what I read. The writing is sharp, fast paced and at times quite crude which really helps to bring out an almost dystopian feel. The story itself is rather dark with an ending that in my opinion really reinforces the futility of life that appears to have infested the town as a whole.

As this is a short story, the characters are not that well developed but Bollinger appears to have worked specifically on capturing the idiosyncrasies of the four friends which results in a strong satirical vibe. I can’t say I know much about them but I can see how they have their own issues and element of boredom in their lives that could have led them along the path they take in the story.

Overall, I found this story to be quick and quite crude at times but this is used to create a interestingly dark feel which entertained me. If you are interested in reading some quick dark fiction that fuses drink, crime and the quandaries of small time life then this is a book that should appeal.