Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?

Jamie S. Rich
ONI Press, Inc. (2007)
ISBN 9781932664737
Reviewed by AJ Cooper for Reader Views (10/07)


This is a dark novel that has a main vein of suicide with some hope of romance and the future. Percy, a world-renowned author, mysteriously disappears after his wife Iris can no longer live with the attentions Percy receives from all of his admirers. Iris waits until they are out at a party and leaves prior to Percy’s departure so that she can commit the act of suicide and be dead before his arrival at home.  This discovery sends Percy over the edge and he disappears with his assistant in the hopes of never being found.

Val, his servant and assistant, has gone to great lengths to dissuade and trick Percy’s fans from locating his true location. Julia, a meandering college student and fan of Percy’s, has traveled far to discover Percy’s hiding place in China. She is able to persuade her way into the home in China and has promised Val if she leaves she will not be able to return.  Julia works her way into Percy’s heart and attention by simple acts of just being with him and his numerous cats in his garden.  Julia has come with only the clothes on her back.  She has to persuade Val to buy her personal items, but never any clothing. Julia lives for months in the same clothes and takes opportunities to wash them when Val has left the house and Percy is secluded in his room listening to music and reading books.

I was somewhat interested in “Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?”, but found it hard to follow because each chapter jumped to a different time period for Percy or Julia. The depression and talk of suicide throughout the entire book was not interesting and many times very cumbersome to read. The novel included excerpts from the characters writings and from interviews with the characters.  I found no interest in these portions and skimmed through them.  

Make comment on weblog