Mondo Bohemiano is a sometimes funny, sometimes ironic and largely satirical tale of a man desperately trying to leave the love of his life behind, and, perhaps, grow up a bit in the process. Nigel Q. Bunnytail is our anti-hero, a man living a frenetic and aimless life in Philadelphia, hanging out with friends he’s mostly known since earliest childhood, sleeping with many women, working in a job perhaps not up to his skill level, pining for his beloved Millicent.
The aimlessness and frenzy of Nigel’s Philadelphia life is mirrored in the writing. I found the first half of the book a little hard going, but as I read on, the rapid and rapidly changing pacing and action began to make sense as a mirror of what is going on in Nigel’s psyche. Once Nigel makes his decision to move to the other side of the country – Spokane – the pace and mood of the book changes, reflecting the changes Nigel is making.
While Nigel is referred to as ‘the big bohemian’ several times, there are indications that he is hankering for a more structured life. He is attracted to the discipline of flying, both in real life and in a complex simulation on his computer. His clothes have a military styling. In moving to Spokane to attempt a relationship with Sigrid, he also appears to be leaving not just Millicent, but also the ‘Mondo Bohemiano’ behind. What he’s got himself into, though, is not what he bargained for.
The writing is original, witty, and fast-paced. The book isn’t easy to classify –satirical rom-com is the best description I can come up with. My only niggle with it was the characters’ names, which I found a little bit overdone – although there may be a relationship between Nigel’s last name and one of Sigrid’s obsessions – I won’t go further than that, to avoid spoilers. I am looking forward to the planned sequel, which is not a statement I would have thought I would have made at the half-way point in the book. Overall, three stars.
This is an independent review of copy of the book provided by the author. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
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