I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A quiet suburban neighborhood turns into chaos when troublesome Greek gods move in to cause trouble in author Stephen Statler’s “Gods of Glenhaven.”
The Synopsis
From comedy writer and McSweeney’s contributor Stephen Statler comes Gods of Glenhaven, a David Sedaris-meets-Tom Perotta, fast-paced, bighearted comedy about love, sex, death, and rock and roll–and everything that happens when our white-knuckle grip on life gets pried open against our will.
When Greek gods sweep into the quaint suburban town of Glenhaven to untangle their messy love lives, the helpless mortals don’t stand a chance.
Christian Orr, struggling with work and erectile dysfunction after discovering his wife’s infidelity, has just moved into what his daughter Francesca calls the Divorced Dads Apartment Complex. His high-powered attorney ex, Sloan, is jaded and restless, leaving precocious Francesca caught in the crosscurrents of change.
Enter Dionysus-“Dee”-the god of wine, sex, and questionable decisions, who shows up searching for his estranged wife Ari and their teenage son Maron. After three thousand years of Dee’s antics, Ari has had enough. She’s struck a deal with Zeus to start fresh-as a mortal suburban mom. And what’s more normal than falling for a regular guy like Christian? If only Dee would stop tearing through Glenhaven in his quest to win her back.
Drunk on Dee’s wine, the residents of Glenhaven form chanting covens in the woods, participate in ecstatic rituals, and experience divine revelations-all while Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” loops faintly in the background of their lives.
Gods of Glenhaven is a hilarious, poignant, and confronting novel about the universal fears and follies of the human condition, and the joy and freedom we can experience by letting go.
The Review
This was such a fun and engaging mix of dark humor and mythological fantasy-driven narrative. The quick wit of the cast of characters stood out immediately, as did the way the author was able to infuse Greek gods and mythology into the story effortlessly. The way the author was able to bring laugh-out-loud suburban satire and humor that closely examines personal relationships with the madness and chaos that are often associated with the Greek gods was both hilarious and enthralling.
For every hilarious, funny piece of dialogue or ridiculous yet entertaining mythological event that took place in this story, there was an equally underlying emotional character development that played well into the idea of identity and love. The loss of a sense of self that Christian goes through, along with the disconnect Sloan feels with her daughter and the way the gods and their actions inadvertently help these individuals find themselves in the process, was a rewarding and thoughtful portrayal of modern relationships and personal development.
The Verdict
Memorable, hilarious, and entertaining, author Stephen Statler’s “Gods of Glenhaven” is a must-read dark humor and mythological fantasy narrative. The twists and turns the story takes, the dark satire that portrays life in the suburbs, and the heartfelt character development will keep readers invested in the book’s final pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Stephen Statler is a comedy writer whose work has appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Points in Case, and other magazines. The Breathing Show, a feature film he wrote and directed, was distributed by Film Threat. A screenplay, Big Time, co-authored with Mouncey Ferguson, is currently under option by Gulfstream Pictures. Statler lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two children.
