THE SHADOWS OF SHUFFLEBOARD MANOR
Cypress Lake, Book 4
Joe Basara
ISBN#:1523383992 / 978-1523383993
2016
Createspace
kdp.amazon.com
E-book
$9.00/0.99
201 Pages
Romantic Fantasy
Rating: 3 cups
Susan “Sue” Pecos lives in the Shuffleboard Manor, a low-income retirement residence in Florida. When she lost her husband Bill seventeen years ago, he told her he would wait for her at the gates to Paradise. Now, as Sue comes to the end of her own life, the reader follows her journey to Paradise.
The Shadows of Shuffleboard Manor follows the adventures of Sue Pecos as she travels through purgatory. In order to enter Paradise, and be reunited with her husband Bill, Sue must first purge herself of all earthly feelings. Only when she is filled with eternal love will she be ready to enter the Pearly Gates. She is shuffled through a series of copies of the real world in which she learns what is really important. Those she knew in life are used by her guide Sylvia as examples of differing worldviews such as Socialism, Capitalism, Ruralism, Urbanism, and others.
Basara’s novel is a Postmodern, philosophical examination of life after death. The Shadows of Shuffleboard Manor is very much in the manner of Waking Life, a 2001 film directed by Richard Linklater. Both Sue and the main character of the film are presented with a series of short scenes that force them to deal with their death. The main difference is that in Waking Life the main character is a young man who is not aware of his death and Sue is clearly plotting her afterlife.
Translations that work well in film do not always transfer well to the written word. Basara’s transitions need work as they are often non-existent, which leaves the reader displaced and confused. His transitions do improve as the novel progresses, and the latter half of the novel is easier to follow than the earlier part. However, this may not be the author’s intent as Basara mentions repeatedly that Flora Land is becoming fragmented as the novel progresses. If you are interested specifically in social commentary, this novel is an interesting take on life in 1990s America.
Elizabeth
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
