There and Back There Again by Andrew Alsup
“There and Back There Again” by Andrew Alsup is a self-talking book. We speak with others. We speak with ourselves. We all are vocal. In this book the author is vocal with his ‘chipmunk’ voice, always gnawing inside him, digging into his thousand thoughts. It happens to all of us. Now and then we talk with ourselves, argue with ourselves, and justify ourselves in different ways. Not a single voice but multiple voices battle within us.
“I hear voices. They are best described as auditory hallucinations. Sometimes they’re identifiable. Sometimes they’re words in my thoughts that don’t have sound, they don’t belong there, and they’re someone else’s words.” Page 3
The book guides me nowhere. It seems like the incoherent rants of a depressed, rebellious soul. The voices he hears are ‘abusive, hostile, immature, and nonstop nonsense’. Page 3. Even language seems falling apart as well as thoughts. Everything is included within the voices – daily practices, private court matters, Edgar Allan Poe and philosophic braggadocio. The author’s tone is highly sarcastic: “Here’s the box they live in, it’s called the Constitution of the United States of America.” Page 5
Unfortunately, this book cannot appeal to me. The author has joined multiple themes, correlating as well as configuring them. Thoughts like puzzling contemplation swarm on him. Sometimes, introspective feelings over the disillusioned socio-political issues haunt the author’s multi-layered pen.
The author’s voice is peppy, almost sarcastically overenthusiastic. However, it cannot grip the readers’ attention as it cannot connect with their thoughts. I give the book 3 out of 5. There are some things I don’t like. I feel a great literary work will have some relatable issues. Personal views are always welcomed. It is the distinct personal attitude that can raise a mundane subject matter to glory and candour. However, negating the general pattern of connectivity, an author’s dishevelled thoughts cannot be very portable. An author must have the responsibility to include his or her readers in his thoughts. Editing is professional.
