The Laughing Monsters

Rogues. Fans of literary fiction who enjoy the ways in which a short novel can lead a reader to think about some big questions are those most likely to enjoy reading Denis Johnson’s novel titled, The Laughing Monsters. One such question for me after reading this finely written novel is: how do we regain trust after something has happened to cause doubt? Protagonist Roland Nair is an intelligence officer who heads to West Africa to connect with a friend, Michael Adriko, who has an idea to make them rich. These rogues are wary of each other, which Johnson allows to develop gradually, and the setting leads readers into the darkness of Africa as the plot unfolds and we become present in the places described. I zipped through this novel quickly and enjoyed it thoroughly. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Laughing Monsters from amazon.com.