The Tax Inspector maybe about the Catchprizes, a family entangled in its own guilt, sick games, and confusing emotion. It may also be about Maria, who gets into the Catchprize's path of destruction just by trying to perform a pointless auditing of their financial books (we learn from the first pages they are practically broke). But I could say the book is more about the emotional handicaped. No single character leaves this mess standing-up. Not even marginal characters like Maria's friend, lover and coworkers. Not even the reader. This is no book to put down as entertainment. Carey writes like a virtuous, his use of language to convey past and present into a downsiding spiral of distress is memorable. You will find yourself deep into Catchprize motors, you'll smell the oil stains, the decay and the hopelesness.

Carey's novels are so dark. I'm seduced by the prose and the situations but always find myself achingly wondering how I can bear to read more about the horrible histories of the characters and the tragic relationships between them. Mostly the characters start off seemingly likeable but the more I read the less I can identify with them.

The Tax Collector is another brilliant Peter Carey book, thankfully with a glimpse of hope in the mostly appalling ending. I'm glad there are still some more Carey novels left that I haven't read!

This is the second Peter Carey book I've read, Oscar and Lucinda being the first. It took me a year to get over Oscar et al., before I could pick up The Tax Inspector. What a ride! Now another year has passed and I'm ready to see what Mr. Carey is going to do to me this time. I could read three "Hannibal" books in a row, but I can't do that with Carey books. There's an intensity that goes beyond my ability to describe it.

This collection of stories brings forth a surge of emotions that range from satirical humor to suspense, and they do this from page to page. Peter Carey's collection of short stories flows with all these emotions, keeping the reader in suspense through the surrealistic tales he creates. Events and locations seem so normal that one almost forgets that these are fictional tales, taking place in a world where things, places and events seem perfectly conventional until it break the laws of what is feasible and what is pure fantasy. A native Australian, Carey's stories take place in a would be Australia. Here we look into the thoughts of people in completely different situations. There is a tale of a soldier who has to guard a fence in the desert, keeping people "out". Soon he forgets which side he is supposed to be guarding, doubting his competence and his sanity. Some other stories deal with lost dreams, people who have sunk so far into despair that they emerge victoriously on the other side. This is a very good read, especially if you like to read a satisfying tale, and only have short periods of time to accomplish it.

During the dark days and nights of the bombing in London during WWII, a group of women must learn to cope and carry on while the men are otherwise engaged. The women had to learn to survive in a new world. A world once occupied by men. The women must learn to make decisions and turn their lives around not knowing if they will have the men home again. This book describes the fear of sitting in a shelter with the bombs raining down. The loss of life and the homes they had known for generations. The rationing of food and clothing and trying to feed a family. The war was won because of the strength of character of the British people and that includes the women who kept the home fires buring. Let us not forget the women who stayed home, waiting.

This remarkable book defines new territory between literary fiction and science fiction. It offers up a ringside seat to broad, concentric human and political themes that are likely to ring true many decades hence. The plot intricacies are tight, verging on being too clever, but Carey manages to lean towards the believable, producing a provocative and original book. I did not find the foreign words distracting or difficult, as did some readers. I think knowing more than one language helps. But don't let it deter you; Carey provides a glossary and footnotes to aid you in understanding the story.

The main character, Tristan Smith, has an unusual voice, not just in the physical sense, but in the sense of being the story-teller of not only the events he experienced, but also those he didn't, or was too young to remember. One cannot help but think him impulsive, willful, egotistical. It would be easy to dislike him, yet Carey must have realized Tristan's 'voice' could not have been otherwise, for he was both pampered and neglected and sheltered from normal human contact, an upbringing that protected him, on the one hand, but also impeded him socially, on the other. The reader will also appreciate the irony of a man's true character being glimpsed only when he wears a mask, and the truism that a nation's character is revealed by how they treat 'the least of these, my people.'

In contrast to Carey's book, we get a pretty steady diet of stories about handicapped people who triumph over impossible odds, who experience 'miracle healings,' who attain a magical status, who project what we want to see, that is, they appear to be happy because they are shunned if they honestly share their pain as well as their triumphs. Thus, I believe it took real courage to write and publish this book. Carey candidly, poignantly reveals a closeted inner life, the rarely revealed or imagined existence of a person with severe limitations, the stark, impossible-to-countenance realities that we simply avoid in our daily thoughts and deeds. In the tradition of a good storeyteller, the author punctuates these revelations by surrounding Tristan with artistic/acrobatic performers, humanity's most physically blessed individuals and by nations gripped in the same struggles for survival that people experience on an individual level. This backdrop emphasizes just how deeply Tristan's powerful inner soul cries out from inside his shell that he wants the same, feels the same, IS the same right down to his genes... Carey bares the pain, the challenge, in both the inner life and the political life of the beautiful versus the not beautiful, the big versus the small, the powerful versus the powerless in the colors of blood, and laser lights, and tarnished festivals that emphasize the moment over long-term everyday courtesies and, through the maturation and evolution of the character, through the small blessed events that we selectively choose to define our humanity and our lives, that give us the stamina and drive to endure, to go on, to hope.

This book is not for everyone. It is not for the reader of light entertainment. It is a book that goes beyond surface themes while still retaining the format of a personal story, told through unforgettable characters and events. If that intrigues you, I highly recommend this book.

This is a book I read several years ago, and have recently revisited. It's weird, but haunting. I am a bit surprised (and proud?) that I seem to be the only one on the web to decode the politics and language of the book. As the other reviews make clear, the novel tells the story of a highly intelligent, observant, severely handicapped child growing up in an alternative-universe version of Earth in which Europe seems to be geographically intact, but the Western and Southern hemispheres are quite different. In the obvious place of North America is the Dutch-speaking nation of Voorstand, which economically and politically dominates the globe and is fighting an unspecified cold war of some sort. The novel concerns the politics and culture of an English-speaking Southern hemisphere island nation, which might be Carey's native Australia or perhaps New Zealand. The analogies and the political points are made clear by the coded language in the novel.

The big imperial power is called Voorstand (pseudo-Dutch for "stands for", get it? It "stands for"...the US. There is also a sexual connotation). The smaller Southern-hemisphere nation is called Efica, whose name is Dutch for the letters F, I and K, which spells something rude (and obvious) in Dutch. One of the ways in which Voorstand spreads its power is through its be-kind-to-animals religion, which is inextricably coupled with the entertainment industry called the Sirkus. The three central characters of this religion/entertainment are Bruder Mouse, Bruder Dog and Bruder Duck -- i.e. Mickey, Pluto and Donald. Don't worry, I am not ruining the plot with these observations. This is actually a wonderful book, but it helps to have some linguistic hints. It is a book about humanity, art and politics -- about freedom both political and artistic. Tristan, the central character, also "stands for" something: for how freedom survives, even though it occasionally falls humiliatingly flat on its face, in circumstances of oppression. What's great about the novel, though, is that it is not a tract, but a sprawling, complicated, often hilariously funny world delightfully different yet delightfully identical to ours. I love weird details like the sirens on trucks that sound when the drivers dare to exceed the speed limit.

The other bit of code is, of course, the reference to a much older sprawling work -- "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy" (whose initials Tristan Smith shares). But don't worry, Carey's book is much more readable.

A recent article in Canada's GLOBE AND MAIL referred to Peter Carey's THE UNUSUAL LIFE OF TRISTAN SMITH as "the best book ever written about U.S. cultural dominance over Canada, even if that's not what Carey had in mind." Once I read that, I knew I must find the book.

To my surprise, TRISTAN is far more than the above quote suggested (although it is accurate). Carey uses the cultural dominance of one fictional country over another as a launching pad for a terrific, semi-futuristic romp through the truly unusual life of Tristan Smith, an actor/juggler with more than a few problems.

Tristan is born and raised in Efica, a small, ignored colonial country that has been fighting a long battle to be free of the machinations of it's much larger neighbour and protector, Voorstand. (While Carey likely intended this as a metaphor to the relations of Australia and England [or New Zealand and Australia], the Canada/U.S. connection comes through loud and clear.) Tristan is born to an acting family, consisting of Felicity Smith (mother/actor), Bill (father/actor), Vincent (possible father/backer), and Wally (father figure/protector). It leads to much confusion and anarchy in Tristan's life, but it's nothing compared to his real handicap.

Tristan is deformed, in a way Carey refuses to clearly define, leaving it up to our imagination. He has translucent skin, mangled legs, malformed chest, no lips, and is quite small. Often, he refers to himself as a 'squid', if that helps in picturing his physique. He might have grown up to have his own life, but due to his dependance upon the kindness of others, he finds himself caught up in schemes and plans that soon lead to his being considered a traitor and possible liability by Voorstand authorities. It sounds confusing, but Carey moves the plot forward in an extremely logical fashion.

Being unable to function on his own, Tristan becomes the ultimate observer of life, and gains an understanding of human nature that may be ignored by its more active participants. But like humanity, Tristan longs to be loved, to be accepted, and when he inadvertently takes on the persona of a religious icon of Voorstand, he comes closer to his dream.

Carey must have realized that using real countries might alienate the reader, and has succeeded in creating two completely real fictional countries, both similar and distinctly different from our own. A religion, based on animals named Bruder Mouse, Bruder Duck, etc., has been devised to explain the increasingly bizarre behaviour of the citizens of both countries. Carey never goes into too much detail, allowing the reader to see the absurdity of the practices, and also pointing out the folly of our own beliefs. It reminded me of the astonishingly vague religion Philip K. Dick created for DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, a mish-mash of theories and modes that lends itself to the insanity of that paricular novel. TRISTIAN's religion involves lifelike cyborgs of animated characters, which run rampant through Voorstand, often bursting onto flames, yet adored and revered by the public. It is not so important that we understand it, as it is that the characters believe it.

There is also a political subplot that underlines the story, as Tristan's mother is an ardant and important supporter of Efica's Blue Party, a left wing organization that exists on a platform of increased freedom from Voorland's reach. This is contrary to the existing power of the Red Party, which is manipulated by Voorstand agents.

Carey's talent lies in never hitting the reader over the head with the metaphors. Like the best novels, it can be read simply for pleasure's sake. It is only upon reflection do the deeper themes emerge. The Voorstanders' inability and unwillingness to comprehend the ways of Efica, and the Eficans' intolerance yet love for the ways of Voorstand, is a theme that can find parallels in almost every country you can think of.

THE UNUSUAL LIFE OF TRISTAN SMITH is an intimate portrayal of one individual. It is a political allegory. It is a retelling of the Christ parable, on par with Robert Heinlein's STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. It is a particularly fine novel.

It was like reading a high school term paper. The book that was used for a constant source is a better option.

I found this book invaluable in my research on the play, The Elephant Man, by Bernard Pomerance. It is objective in ways that most work on this subject is not. I highly recommend it.

Instead of one big novel involving characters from all six current Star Trek book series, this is a collection of six short stories, each one picking up from the cliffhanger ending of each of the Gateways novels from the individual series (if that makes sense). While this sounded like a cynical marketing ploy, I had hoped that the six stories would build on each other to present some sort of unified whole, bringing the whole adventure to one grand conclusion. How wrong I was!

The Star Trek (original series), Challenger, and Voyager stories could--and probably should--have easily been included as concluding chapters in their respective books. Each one is nothing more than an epilogue to the main story. The Deep Space Nine and New Frontier stories present somewhat separate adventures, but that doesn't make them much better. In both, characters get transported to significant locations (an important historical moment for Colonel Kira, a mythical afterlife for Calhoun and Shelby) where nothing of any real consequence seems to happen. Of course, since both series present ongoing adventures, it's possible that these tales plant seeds for upcoming stories. Even if that were the case, it doesn't make these stories any less inconsequential or any more satisfying.

The Next Generation tale, longer than the other five, does, indeed, wrap up the Gateways story. But, like the other five, there's no real reason (besides financial) that this story couldn't have been included at the end of Doors Into Chaos.

Because four of the stories are completely dependent upon what came before, there is a complete lack of tension or suspense. All the big events happened in the parent novels, and all the authors have left to do in What Lay Beyond is tie up the loose ends (even when there aren't really any loose ends that need tying up). Any opportunites for suspense that could have been sustained through the other two stories are completely ignored by their authors. Frustratingly, those two authors, Peter David and Keith RA DeCandidio, have done particularly good Star Trek work in the past, which makes their lackluster contributions here even more disappointing.

So, if you followed the Gateways saga so far and need to see what happens next, I recommend waiting for the paperback. Nothing of enough consequence happens to make this an immediate must-read.

I bought each of the "Gateways" novels expecting a great interaction between all of the Star Trek series, and hoping for a continuation of the plotlines running through the three previous "Deep Space Nine" novels, "Avatar: Books I and II," and "Section 31: Abyss." Sadly, the overall "Gateways" series was a great disappointment to me. I felt forced to read a "Challenger" and "New Frontier" novel, despite my having little interest in either. I also felt forced to buy this $24.00 retail hardcover in order to know the conclusions of the previous six novels. Subjected to substandard writing in all of the "What Lay Beyond" chapters except the "Deep Space Nine" and "New Frontier" ones, and having fallen for this deceitful marketing ploy, I feel extremely ripped off. The only saving grace of "What Lay Beyond" was Keith R. A. Decandido's interesting and satisfying continuation of the "DS9" novels I mentioned earlier. I agree with those reviewers who suggest getting this book out of the library or waiting for the paperback.

I'm not too fond of the Trek editors' current penchant for crossovers, but so far, they've managed to keep things from getting too irritating. This book ends the six stories started in the previous volumes of the series, but doesn't connect them; each adventure is a separate novella.
All of the stories were interesting enough to keep my attention, but the Kirk story dragged on for a while, and provided absolutely no backstory beyond the jacket type. Since this story opens the volume, it may cause readers who didn't pick up all the previous books (like myself; I only bought the TNG and New Frontier volumes) to turn away.
The other stories lacked both these faults, so the enjoyment you take from them is pretty much proportionate to your preference for each series. I knew nothing about Voyager, DS9, or Challenger but the basic concepts, but since each story followed only the captain (or Kira, in the DS9 case), it worked out. In fact, the Challenger story was interesting enough to convince me to pick up the original volume. A warning: the Voyager story involves a somewhat gratuitous cameo from a famous guest star, and the ending is irritating, as we watch Janeway say goodbye to every friggin' ship in the caravan. And, of course, there's the unconvincing explanation to why they didn't use the gateways to get home.
I worship Peter David as a god, so I'll leave the New Frontier review to someone less biased.
The TNG story comes last, and serves as an ending. I won't give away any details, but suffice it to say we do get a definite resolution to the crisis, as well as an explanation to just where the Iconians went, along with a really neat Picard story. One problem: there is a painful TMI moment between Troi and Riker in the last chapter; thankfully, it's brief.
I gave the book 4 stars because all the stories but one were above average, and Burgoyne's one-liner justified the hardback price (you'll now it when you see it).