The Monkey King's Used Primate Emporium and Book Reviews

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Charles Romalotti, "Rash"

Started March 8 � Finished March 9, 2002; 172 pages. Posted 9 March 2002

I meant to read this after the horrible Henry Rollins experience. After all, what better way to counter a really bad book by an aging punk windbag than with a DIY punk guy like this who has written and put out two books entirely on his own, even though I think they�re good enough to be released by the majors?

For those who don�t know about Romalotti (which, I�m assuming, is just about all of you), he contacted me about three years back though a listing I had put up in Book Your Own Fucking Life.

He explained that he had just written a book called Salad Days and was doing a book tour of sorts, but instead of appearing at places like Barnes and Noble, he went to small used record stores like Streetlight Records. He asked if I would be able to put him up for a night so he would be able to take a quick shower.

�I can send you a copy of the book, if you want,� he said when I contacted him over the phone. �That is, if you like to read.�

�Yeah, I read a little bit,� I answered.

So he sent his book, and it was really good. All too often when you read a first novel, you can see other influences seep through and it degenerates into a rip-off, usually of the Bukowski/Hunter Thompson variety. But he had his own voice, and it was a neat journal-esque tale involving a punk rocker and his first real band.

There were lots of �insider� punk references, and a lot of the adventures were strangely familiar, proving punks� universality. Or is that obviousness? Whatever. Anyhoo, his promotional flyer got to me three days after the event, so I missed his appearance. I guess I still owe him a shower. But I did buy this book.

And so now we have �Rash,� and Romalotti switched gears, as not to be a one-trick pony. Oh sure, punk rockers are still the main focus, but he�s moved onto the realm of horror fiction rather than sweet remembrances of punk days gone by. He also was much more careful on the copy editing, and I only caught one typo.

It�s a good story, with believable characters and good dialogue (although a couple of pondering scenes come off a little forced, and naming one character �Dickhead� seemed a little silly). It�s stylishly done with a good amount of dread, suspense and shock, similar to early Clive Barker.

As I was reading, though, and trying to figure out whom it was comparable to and why it seemed so familiar, it hit me � I read a similar tale a long time ago by John Saul. I can�t swear by it, but I think it was called �Creature.� I was actually disappointed when I figured it out. Still, though, I think I liked this one better.

You can buy the books directly though him, and he sells them pretty cheap (I think it�s ten bucks from his Web site.) I still think Salad Days is a better book, but either one is worth getting.


Rating: Worth New!

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