MISFIT 2

BookLife Reviews

Mister John's second in a continuing series at first appears to be an amiable collection of short, humorous essays on a variety of subjects-the difficulty of reading small print, the strangeness of foreign customs, the challenges that accompany older drivers-seemingly tailor-made for a certain cantankerous demographic. But it quickly becomes apparent that Mister John (the pseudonym for John Curran) is up to something broader and more ambitious: a cycle of vignettes detailing his eccentric life. That whiplash becomes part of the fun as readers gradually get a handle on the general timeline of John's travels and occupations. 

Mister John presents these tales out of chronological order, and often without context or connective tissue, which initially makes the far-flung peregrinations hard to track: readers are whisked from his time as a teacher in the United Arab Emirates to his stint as a boat pilot and tour guide in his native Wisconsin to a Canadian crabbing expedition with his wife's family, all without much fanfare or preparation. The subject matter is mostly humorous but can also be serious; one chapter briefly and effectively deals with the unexpected death of his future mother-in-law, early in his relationship with his then-girlfriend.

Not every story here feels essential-an account of kicking a UAE student out of class for playing computer games, for instance-and Mister John's style can be overly elliptical, with one chapter about a favorite professor opening with the teacher lightly mocking the author's hat. But overall, each brief essay provides an enjoyable window into John's experiences, and readers will finish this entry eager for more. As Mister John writes: "I purposely don't tell you what the big picture, the story of my life unexpected is... I want you to figure out how the pieces fit and what they mean, freeing you to find your answers."

Takeaway: Humorous essays exploring one man's charming and unusual life.