The Rib From Which I Remake the World by Ed Kurtz
ChiZine Publications (September 2016)
350 pages; $10.39 paperback; $7.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington
The Rib From Which I Remake the World is one of those books which doesn’t fit neatly into any category. Is it noir? Horror? Psychological Thriller? Occult? The list could go on, but truthfully, what Ed Kurtz’s latest is, is a helluva read.
People came and went from circuses all the time, running away to join and then running back home when things got rough.
From the beginning, what really stood out about this book was the prose, with its strong sense of noir.
Then the lady came in—floated in, more like—right by the cashier’s cage and straight to the beat up chair like she’s been sitting in it all her life.
Litchfield, Arkansas. Not a lot going on there, but it is a place rich in characters: the hotel detective, the local sheriff and his deputy, the local preacher and his daughter, the movie house owner and his wife…and it’s there that this story really comes to life.
A “Road Show” comes to town with a film to play at the Palace Theatre, Motherhood Too Soon. It’s scandalous, purporting to show an actual childbirth at the end of the motion picture. Then there’s a mysterious, invitation-only midnight show which accompanies the main feature. This is where Kurtz’s tale goes from being a crime story to something more. Before long it warps into something completely metaphysical and becomes an unrelenting nightmare for those still alive. One of the members of the road show is torn apart in his hotel room. The one witness says it was more like his arms and legs tore themselves off.
I get the feeling I may have already said too much, but in some ways, I’ve merely scratched the surface of this wonderful book. The final reveal was wonderfully inventive and totally original. All of your questions will be answered. I’ve never read anything like The Rib From Which I Remake the World.
This was a read I will not soon forget.
