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"Anarchy and Other Lies"
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“The world ended a long time ago; people just haven’t noticed yet.”
To say the economy is in rough shape would be an understatement for Jake Anderson, who works for a failing company that designs silverware he’ll never use. Whenever he checks the LOVE app he is reassured that chivalry won’t be making a comeback any time soon. Jake’s cybernetic glasses keep him updated with all the bad news by flashing it virtually before his eyes, until one day he becomes the sole witness of a real-time crime. The suspect - a woman with pink hair who doesn’t care for authority; she’s a rebel who is hell bent on sending the powers that be a message loud and clear. T.S. Eliot tells us that the world doesn’t end with a bang but with a whimper. “Anarchy and Other Lies” delivers an explosive tale in which boy meets girl in a world gone awry.
To say the economy is in rough shape would be an understatement for Jake Anderson, who works for a failing company that designs silverware he’ll never use. Whenever he checks the LOVE app he is reassured that chivalry won’t be making a comeback any time soon. Jake’s cybernetic glasses keep him updated with all the bad news by flashing it virtually before his eyes, until one day he becomes the sole witness of a real-time crime. The suspect - a woman with pink hair who doesn’t care for authority; she’s a rebel who is hell bent on sending the powers that be a message loud and clear. T.S. Eliot tells us that the world doesn’t end with a bang but with a whimper. “Anarchy and Other Lies” delivers an explosive tale in which boy meets girl in a world gone awry.
Readability
The most noticeable aspect of the overall narrative is the story’s stutter step pacing. There are some well written scenes that stick and have clear direction in terms of establishing the setting as well as propelling plot, but peppered throughout the book are some chapters that bring the story full stop just for the sake of giving the characters a chance to wonder what to do next. Perhaps these seemingly directionless gaps in the story were intentional, and given the context of the narrative I am willing to give the author the benefit of doubt.
I found Jake’s first person introspection to be quite redundant. His character spends more lines per page rehashing his grievances to the reader than he does to actually rectify them. A third person perspective would have been a more engaging experience as the reader, because there are several times where I found Jake’s thought process quite frustrating, which pulled me out of the story. Perhaps the narrative could have been stronger by leaving much of Jake’s thoughts open to reader interpretation based on his actions (even with what little action his balls could muster up the courage to perform throughout the novel).
Structural gripes aside, I got a kick out of the tone McKinnell used to express what would otherwise be described as “a bad joke” by a dystopian novel by any other name, but for “Anarchy and Other Lies” I think it works just fine.
Creativity
Early in the novel Jake’s character disassociates during a work meeting, and McKinnell’s writing technique during that scene exemplifies imagination embedded within form. Another example is when Jake is about to be pummeled and the fight metaphorically becomes a game of baseball, from Jake’s point of view, in order for him to cope with the stress. These moments were not only good examples of “show, don’t tell” but also creative indications of Jake’s subconscious character.
Throughout the book there are these subtle actions that put Jake’s character into perspective more so than his ever-present internal monologue. The first extreme glimpse into Jake’s psyche takes place after his boss is beaten to a bloody pulp by a psychotic co-worker.
Drew’s face looks bad, his nose is out of place, it moved from the center of his head and crossed over his left eye. His lips are bloody balloons, and with his mouth slightly open I can see spiky white stubs where his teeth used to be. Both eyes are swollen shut. I wonder if I should thank him for the opportunity or something. They say it’s important not to burn bridges with former employers. I inch closer and lightly tap his foot with my shoe. “Uh, Drew? I’m going to take off.” I pause for a second searching for the right words; something that seems important but not too mushy.
This is awkward.
The first thing I said to myself after reading that paragraph was, “is that supposed to be the author’s idea of a joke or is Jake meant to be perceived as mentally retarded?” I suppose “socially awkward” would be a more accurate statement to describe Jake’s character in this novel, but through concepts such as the “Love App” (and its failure to deliver what the name implies) as well as Jake’s steady diet of dry “Go Bars” and escapism through virtual forms of entertainment, it’s easy to see how that could be a recipe for a largely nihilistic character who lacks humanity and self-awareness (let alone empathy).
Delivery
“Anarchy and Other Lies” is a standalone story that gives the reader a glimpse inside the mind of an everyman living through a decaying economy. There is a poignant sense of helplessness throughout the narrative that made me feel as though I was overlooking children at play. Very much like “Lord of the Flies”, except with adults who have been disenfranchised just enough to be on the cusp of realizing how powerless they are within their own neighborhood, but not enough to actually rise up and do anything about it.
Instead, individuals have become desperate to hold onto what little dignity they have left, as indicated when one of the “left-behinders” (aka the omnipresent and unwashed class of homeless or “forgotten” citizens that “hang around waiting for nothing”) falsely accuses Jake of being one of those “sick yuppies that beat up the old and the poor for sport”. Mind you, Jake was actually unemployed at the time of the incident and the whole situation was actually an accident that was intentionally blown out of proportion, which goes to show how low some of the have-nots were willing to stoop just for sake of gaining some fleeting sympathy from strangers.
Needless to say, the struggle is real. However, all of the struggles illustrated throughout “Anarchy and Other Lies” can be condensed into three major categories - the interpersonal struggle, the environmental struggle, and the political struggle.
- Interpersonal Struggle:
Jake develops a relationship with a radical pink-haired provocateur named Sam. Sam serves as the catalyst for the chaos that ensues in Jake’s life, but simultaneously acts as a driving force within it (her character literally resorts to reading from a personal notebook of inspirational quotes, whenever she thinks Jake is getting cold feet). At first you want to sympathize with Jake’s blatant disregard for red flags, because it’s pretty clear from the get go that Jake doesn’t get pussy. As the story progresses however, and Sam’s character becomes increasingly erratic, Jake still fails to stand up for what he believes. I saw missed opportunities during Jake and Sam’s budding relationship, to develop Jake’s character and give him a clearly defined arc. Even at the end of the book, Jake’s character is just as milquetoast as he was in the beginning (as if the whole experience had no effect on him).
- Environmental Struggle:
Having feelings for a wanted fugitive is no walk in the park, and reality slowly but surely sets in for Jake. His character goes from living in a boring little apartment, without dating prospects, or a meaningful sense of purpose, to camping out in the woods with a psychopathic criminal alongside her large and in-charge (albeit reluctant) negro sidekick, Cap. For the most part Cap’s character doesn’t matter, because all he does is sit on his lazy ass at the campsite and bitch about the lack of good food. Cap can’t find his own food, but he is capable of finding the materials to construct IEDs that satisfy Sam’s terrorist tendencies within a mere matter of days (as if that isn’t suspicious, but we’ve already established that Jake wouldn’t recognize a red flag if he was a matador waving one around while watching an angry bull charge directly at him).
Speaking of food, Jake and Sam make a lovely day trip to see old man Felix, for some fresh produce. Felix has done quite well for himself in terms of cultivating his land and finding work for his female employees, who specialize in the world’s oldest profession. After a near death experience at the hands of the old man, Jake and Sam practically beg him to part with his produce in exchange for their cash on hand, and successfully convince him in accepting their patronage (but only at an inflated rate of course). Based upon the quality of product old man Felix is peddling, it’s clear that times are getting tough for everyone around town.
- Political Struggle:
Stitched within the overarching narrative is a political presence that goes by the name of Mike Michaels. I like how Mike Michaels’ character (much like a “real” politician) is symbolized through infomercials, and throughout the story he is only ever “embodied” as an animated holographic image projected from his campaign headquarters. The disembodied voice of Mike Michaels presents an automated message in the most impersonal and vexing way possible upon any passerby close enough to trigger the proximity sensor embedded within the device (much like a “real” politician). This political presence serves to weave together the various struggles that are taking place within “Anarchy and Other Lies”. An example of which is when Sam’s character is reaching her psychotic peak and devises a plan to bomb Mike’s campaign headquarters. What Jake and Sam discover while inside Mike’s campaign HQ, while doing reconnaissance, suggests there is more to the story than meets the cybernetic eyeglasses flashing news stories.
McKinnell makes an attempt to tie off Sam and Cap’s character threads at the end of the novel by revealing that they had been working for the local fuzz, but I didn’t buy it. It definitely struck me as something that came out of nowhere, and didn’t add up in any meaningful way. However, Jake’s character voting for Michaels in the end tracks well enough, especially given Mike’s campaign slogan:
“Vote for Mike Michaels because there isn’t enough room for all of us anymore.”
The most noticeable aspect of the overall narrative is the story’s stutter step pacing. There are some well written scenes that stick and have clear direction in terms of establishing the setting as well as propelling plot, but peppered throughout the book are some chapters that bring the story full stop just for the sake of giving the characters a chance to wonder what to do next. Perhaps these seemingly directionless gaps in the story were intentional, and given the context of the narrative I am willing to give the author the benefit of doubt.
I found Jake’s first person introspection to be quite redundant. His character spends more lines per page rehashing his grievances to the reader than he does to actually rectify them. A third person perspective would have been a more engaging experience as the reader, because there are several times where I found Jake’s thought process quite frustrating, which pulled me out of the story. Perhaps the narrative could have been stronger by leaving much of Jake’s thoughts open to reader interpretation based on his actions (even with what little action his balls could muster up the courage to perform throughout the novel).
Structural gripes aside, I got a kick out of the tone McKinnell used to express what would otherwise be described as “a bad joke” by a dystopian novel by any other name, but for “Anarchy and Other Lies” I think it works just fine.
Creativity
Early in the novel Jake’s character disassociates during a work meeting, and McKinnell’s writing technique during that scene exemplifies imagination embedded within form. Another example is when Jake is about to be pummeled and the fight metaphorically becomes a game of baseball, from Jake’s point of view, in order for him to cope with the stress. These moments were not only good examples of “show, don’t tell” but also creative indications of Jake’s subconscious character.
Throughout the book there are these subtle actions that put Jake’s character into perspective more so than his ever-present internal monologue. The first extreme glimpse into Jake’s psyche takes place after his boss is beaten to a bloody pulp by a psychotic co-worker.
Drew’s face looks bad, his nose is out of place, it moved from the center of his head and crossed over his left eye. His lips are bloody balloons, and with his mouth slightly open I can see spiky white stubs where his teeth used to be. Both eyes are swollen shut. I wonder if I should thank him for the opportunity or something. They say it’s important not to burn bridges with former employers. I inch closer and lightly tap his foot with my shoe. “Uh, Drew? I’m going to take off.” I pause for a second searching for the right words; something that seems important but not too mushy.
This is awkward.
The first thing I said to myself after reading that paragraph was, “is that supposed to be the author’s idea of a joke or is Jake meant to be perceived as mentally retarded?” I suppose “socially awkward” would be a more accurate statement to describe Jake’s character in this novel, but through concepts such as the “Love App” (and its failure to deliver what the name implies) as well as Jake’s steady diet of dry “Go Bars” and escapism through virtual forms of entertainment, it’s easy to see how that could be a recipe for a largely nihilistic character who lacks humanity and self-awareness (let alone empathy).
Delivery
“Anarchy and Other Lies” is a standalone story that gives the reader a glimpse inside the mind of an everyman living through a decaying economy. There is a poignant sense of helplessness throughout the narrative that made me feel as though I was overlooking children at play. Very much like “Lord of the Flies”, except with adults who have been disenfranchised just enough to be on the cusp of realizing how powerless they are within their own neighborhood, but not enough to actually rise up and do anything about it.
Instead, individuals have become desperate to hold onto what little dignity they have left, as indicated when one of the “left-behinders” (aka the omnipresent and unwashed class of homeless or “forgotten” citizens that “hang around waiting for nothing”) falsely accuses Jake of being one of those “sick yuppies that beat up the old and the poor for sport”. Mind you, Jake was actually unemployed at the time of the incident and the whole situation was actually an accident that was intentionally blown out of proportion, which goes to show how low some of the have-nots were willing to stoop just for sake of gaining some fleeting sympathy from strangers.
Needless to say, the struggle is real. However, all of the struggles illustrated throughout “Anarchy and Other Lies” can be condensed into three major categories - the interpersonal struggle, the environmental struggle, and the political struggle.
- Interpersonal Struggle:
Jake develops a relationship with a radical pink-haired provocateur named Sam. Sam serves as the catalyst for the chaos that ensues in Jake’s life, but simultaneously acts as a driving force within it (her character literally resorts to reading from a personal notebook of inspirational quotes, whenever she thinks Jake is getting cold feet). At first you want to sympathize with Jake’s blatant disregard for red flags, because it’s pretty clear from the get go that Jake doesn’t get pussy. As the story progresses however, and Sam’s character becomes increasingly erratic, Jake still fails to stand up for what he believes. I saw missed opportunities during Jake and Sam’s budding relationship, to develop Jake’s character and give him a clearly defined arc. Even at the end of the book, Jake’s character is just as milquetoast as he was in the beginning (as if the whole experience had no effect on him).
- Environmental Struggle:
Having feelings for a wanted fugitive is no walk in the park, and reality slowly but surely sets in for Jake. His character goes from living in a boring little apartment, without dating prospects, or a meaningful sense of purpose, to camping out in the woods with a psychopathic criminal alongside her large and in-charge (albeit reluctant) negro sidekick, Cap. For the most part Cap’s character doesn’t matter, because all he does is sit on his lazy ass at the campsite and bitch about the lack of good food. Cap can’t find his own food, but he is capable of finding the materials to construct IEDs that satisfy Sam’s terrorist tendencies within a mere matter of days (as if that isn’t suspicious, but we’ve already established that Jake wouldn’t recognize a red flag if he was a matador waving one around while watching an angry bull charge directly at him).
Speaking of food, Jake and Sam make a lovely day trip to see old man Felix, for some fresh produce. Felix has done quite well for himself in terms of cultivating his land and finding work for his female employees, who specialize in the world’s oldest profession. After a near death experience at the hands of the old man, Jake and Sam practically beg him to part with his produce in exchange for their cash on hand, and successfully convince him in accepting their patronage (but only at an inflated rate of course). Based upon the quality of product old man Felix is peddling, it’s clear that times are getting tough for everyone around town.
- Political Struggle:
Stitched within the overarching narrative is a political presence that goes by the name of Mike Michaels. I like how Mike Michaels’ character (much like a “real” politician) is symbolized through infomercials, and throughout the story he is only ever “embodied” as an animated holographic image projected from his campaign headquarters. The disembodied voice of Mike Michaels presents an automated message in the most impersonal and vexing way possible upon any passerby close enough to trigger the proximity sensor embedded within the device (much like a “real” politician). This political presence serves to weave together the various struggles that are taking place within “Anarchy and Other Lies”. An example of which is when Sam’s character is reaching her psychotic peak and devises a plan to bomb Mike’s campaign headquarters. What Jake and Sam discover while inside Mike’s campaign HQ, while doing reconnaissance, suggests there is more to the story than meets the cybernetic eyeglasses flashing news stories.
McKinnell makes an attempt to tie off Sam and Cap’s character threads at the end of the novel by revealing that they had been working for the local fuzz, but I didn’t buy it. It definitely struck me as something that came out of nowhere, and didn’t add up in any meaningful way. However, Jake’s character voting for Michaels in the end tracks well enough, especially given Mike’s campaign slogan:
“Vote for Mike Michaels because there isn’t enough room for all of us anymore.”
#LFLR Indie Rating: 6/10
I appreciate how McKinnell took a somewhat realistic approach when writing “Anarchy and Other Lies”, because anarchy is often a concept that is glorified in stories with a dystopian setting. The story certainly offers a change of pace from the typical zero to hero cliché, and I would say that this is not a narrative that highlights character tropes as much as it is more of a social commentary about a failing society from the point of view of a loser. “Anarchy and Other Lies” is Jesse McKinnell’s second successfully published novel. His first novel, “Dead Cats: And Other Reflections On Parenthood” was published on May 2, 2018.
I appreciate how McKinnell took a somewhat realistic approach when writing “Anarchy and Other Lies”, because anarchy is often a concept that is glorified in stories with a dystopian setting. The story certainly offers a change of pace from the typical zero to hero cliché, and I would say that this is not a narrative that highlights character tropes as much as it is more of a social commentary about a failing society from the point of view of a loser. “Anarchy and Other Lies” is Jesse McKinnell’s second successfully published novel. His first novel, “Dead Cats: And Other Reflections On Parenthood” was published on May 2, 2018.
THIS BREAKDOWN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE #LFLR NETWORK.
