Internecine Book

Decent conspiracy theory tale if you can get past the mind numbing tangents. I tossed this book in the "Couldn't Finish" pile after the first 12 pages. Then I came down with a nasty cold and needed something to pass the time as I sniffled on the couch.

I'm a sucker for stories about everyday man being pulled into chaos/conspiracies/apocalyptic heroism. Why? Such paves the way for incredible character growth. I don't think Conrad rose to archetypal hero status by the end of Internecine, but it was an entertaining enough ride provided you could stomach (or skim over) Conrad's blathering monologues. Conrad (or Schow?) often attempts to wax philosophical about American society, consumerism, etc etc etc, but fails miserably to say anything poignant or even interesting. Conrad also recites from The Big Book of Uninteresting Historical Facts of the Greater Los Angeles Area. Having historical tidbits about geographically accurate settings can add significance and realism to a novel. Announcing that off Exit 35 is a hot dog stand which once was the favorite luncheon spot of a little known Norwegian silent film star who you'd recognize if you were a true follower of "real" American cinema but they tore the hot dog stand down and made it a coffee shop, burger joint, bed and breakfast, empty parking lot but we're not actually going to take Exit 35 now we're going to continue on to Exit 42 which exit was often taken by Bob Hope on his way to the podiatrist...

Yeah, like that but for pages at a time. In my sickened stupor, I was interested in the PLOT enough to skim over the umpteen pages of pseudo-philosophy/irrelevant tour-guiding and read the actual story. Which was pretty enjoyable, and had enough suspense and twists to make for a good afternoon read.