Godonism by Theo von Cezar – 3 stars
In a world ruled by a ‘perfect’ chaos, at the peak of the highest decadence, the
falling of the everlasting gold has started. It is a time when people have to pawn their souls, minds, spirits and other most valuable ‘assets’, so they can buy more measurable time which means the prolonging of their very existence and agonies. For time to come the survivors will be those who will follow only their instincts rather than following their judgments. For some of them it is time to turn to God whereas for the others – a few of them were left – it is time to ask anagrammatic questions at which others must find complex answers.
‘Godonism,’ a dystopian atheistic novel alluding to the roots of atheism in literature, brings novelty to the realm of fiction, taking the reader on an unexpected futuristic
journey in a world where the dominant rulers are mighty time and the earthly
anarchy.
Two eighteen-year-old boys, Ahma and Jovian, through a scheme contrived by the head of the State, Alzegotha, and the mighty State itself, with the help of Black
Petal – Alzegotha’s beautiful fiancée – and with the support of the Pawn Factory
and MondoCash are forced by the harshness of the times to embark on a quest of survival and therefore have no other choice but to start selling tickets to Hereafter.
This novel is a difficult read. The writing style is heavy on excessive description, sometimes using adjectives and adverbs in ways that are tough to puzzle out. I really didn’t understand the book, other than it seems to be a discussion about the inevitability of corruption in organized religion and a rebuke of a government melded with religion.
However, many of the scenes are incredibly fascinating as depictions of surrealism. Several times I felt as if I was reading sequences akin to M.C. Esher’s work as interpreted by Salvador Dali. The utter bizarreness of these scenes is worth taking a peek, just to be immersed in insanity for a little while.
Set aside plenty of time to read this book, because your brain will need it.