The Universe Doesn’t Do Second Chances. Sean-Paul Thomas. Tirgearr Publishing. September
2013. 248 pp. Available in e-book format. ISBN #: 9781301590612.
The
unnamed narrator of our story spends the initial pages ranting about what a
loser he is with women. He has lots of
things he plans to say but never says them.
He admires two particular women on a plane, both of whom he describes as
very attractive, sexy gals but he seems paralyzed to act on his best intentions. Then things change quite dramatically. As the plane plunges the narrator to his
death, he’s not doing the “life in a flash” routine but thinking about all
those regrets about women he failed to embrace wholly.
No
death descriptions follow, just a surrealistic awakening in a daze as Liam, our narrator, begins
to describe a lovely story about a woman named Alexandra whom Liam meets on a bus. Is it real, a dream, a fantasy? You the reader must
decide. Liam is on his game with
Alexandra. Yes, he almost blows this
chance as well but finally in a fortuitous moment they connect and Liam
describes how he woos her. First they
travel to all the loveliest, historic, and cultural places in Edinburgh,
Scotland that make the reader want to visit there because of Liam’s short but
intriguing descriptions. Their conversation
is witty, sarcastic, intellectual, sad, and finally endearing. They’ve both made their mistakes in love and
both have enough differences to spark the interest of the other. This budding relationship goes where we think
it will and then something occurs that the reader may think inevitable,
contrived, or excruciating – depending on one’s own propensities and beliefs
about true, undying love!
We
then read about one of Liam’s first real teenage love, Sarah. We share their wild, daring adventures as
Sarah is a feisty, tomboyish girl who thinks nothing of scaring the daylights
out of Liam, looking out for worms and other creatures, discovering a stash of
wine, enjoying a playful yet titillating kiss, and more. But the stories that they share are sad
indeed in between the child-like scenes. The balance is perfect and quite memorable! After they lose each other through a violent
battle involving Sarah’s father, they meet again later and part.
We
all learn to love; it’s not an innate skill that automatically blossoms! It’s mixed with the ups and downs of gritty
life and to be eagerly anticipated and embraced at each opportunity that appears.
This is Sean-Paul Thomas’s motif told in roller-coaster fashion at times and
others like a smooth, graceful ride down a Viennese canal, true romance! But who’s to say what’s true and what’s all
wrong? This unusual novel will entertain
you but also leave you reflecting about your own love journeys that didn’t
happen but happened. It’s a reflection
on making sense out of what seems impossible – it’s love!
Very
nicely crafted contemporary fiction, Sean-Paul Thomas!
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