Y'all. I think I'm breaking some kind of record this year. I've read two science fiction books since June. In all honesty though, the book I want to share with you today is one of my all-time favorites. It's rare that a book compels me to re-read it several times in my life... but Trader by Charles de Lint is one of those books. I've probably read it four or five times. The only other books possessing that distinct honor are Jane Eyre, Seabiscuit, and Anna Karenina.
Imagine waking up as someone else. As unlikely as it seems, this scenario is exactly what happens to a luthier named Max Trader. Wasting no time getting to the pith and action of his story, de Lint begins his novel with Trader waking in bed to find that he is not in his own room or even in his own body. Instead, he's been inexplicably plopped into the body of a jobless womanizer named Johnny Devlin. In a spiraling series of events, Trader finds himself fired, evicted from Devlin's apartment, homeless on the streets, and essentially despised by all of Devlin's associates and "friends." He's unable to seek help even from his own acquaintances because of the utter outlandishness of his story. In fact, the only person who believes his story is another homeless man, which frankly doesn't add much to Trader's credibility.
A fast-paced read, Trader is the perfect book to read while snuggled up with coffee on a cool fall evening. De Lint delves into questions about attraction, love, friendship, prejudices, and our sense of self. And, trust me, the ending is not at all what you will expect.
De Lint is actually a Canadian author so his books are occasionally difficult to find in American bookstores. However, you can easily order them off Amazon or through a Kindle. I highly recommend this novel if you're in the mood for a feel-good story.
Read anything good lately?
