'Existential Labyrinths' by Julian Gallo: 'The Julio Saga'
Review Written by W.T. Hoffman
Julian Gallo writes absorbing, evocative novels, where the protagonist is almost always an artist. ( The Germans call this genre ‘Kunstler Roman’.)
This novel is part of a four novel series that tells the tale of Julio, a New York City writer struggling to find his niche in the world. Unfortunately he finds himself railing against the art scene phonies, or struggling with his harem of neurotic girlfriends. I like to call Julio is a quivering ball of id. But it's only true. Whether it's Julia, India, Nys, Barbara, or any of the others, Julio gets his head all twisted up, trying to figure out these chicks, or figure out himself. At the end of Existential Labyrinths Julio moves to Paris to escape New York City, and ends up creating the same discombobulated situation he made for himself back home.
I can't recommend the ‘Julio’ books enough. If Proust spent his days at CBGBs instead of hobnobbing with Parisian petty aristocracy, Remembrance of Things Past might read like this. If you want to read these novels in a more or less sequential manner, I believe they'd be read in this order:
Sleepwalking Through The Garden of Earthly Delights
November Rust
Review written by W.T. Hoffman