Official Review: The Creature of the wilcard by Jon fischer

[DarkestbeforeDawn]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Creature of the wilcard" by Jon fischer.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Jon Fischer’s novel, The Creature of the Wildcard, is a highly metaphysical book that is composed mostly of philosophy and the psyche. It revolves around one man named Alaric Fischer and his quest for immortality by creating his own religion. That is the entire premise of the book; Alaric dissects and analyzes his own mind and his concept of reality. This is a very stylized book, one that will attract a unique niche, but not the general populace.

The Creature of the Wildcard is a book that is generalized by style more so than substance. The entire of the synopsis of the book can be summed up in a singular sentence, or perhaps a lean paragraph if very minor themes were to be addressed. Jon Fischer composes these incredibly poetic lines that fill the book with a lot of heady ideas and metaphors. The book is mostly comprised of the pretty one-liners, very loosely knit together to Alaric, the plot, or the book. There is a thick filter of abstract metaphors that are so determined to establish Alaric as a person on a higher plane of thinking, that the novel is willing to sacrifice the interest of the reader, which is a rather large flaw for a book with no plot to drive it. If the most precise attention were not taken, it could easily come off as pretentious fluff to fuel Alaric’s ego. However, it is hard to condemn the stylistic choice, due to the very nature and idea driving the book. It is the style alone, where the audience would be divided; some people will revel in the poetic brilliance, and other people will be spurned by the loftiness and the heavy handed preaching.

The book is not story driven. Not in the least. Rather, it is more of Jon Fischer entertaining a singular idea through a novel. Therefore, it is the singular character, Alaric Fischer, who must support the entirety of the novel through his thoughts and ideas alone. Surprisingly, he is not an interesting character in the slightest. Alaric Fischer is the messiah archetype. He is likened to Jesus Christ, however, Alaric never makes a single sacrifice. There are no real obstacles for Alaric to overcome, therefore, he doesn’t really change much as a character. As he peels back his own mind and psyche, he might encounter a new thought that could potentially challenge him mentally, but he readily accepts it so there is no internal conflict or turmoil. His thought process isn’t even explain how he accepts the idea. Therefore, as a man so highly praised, he doesn’t engage any interest in the reader. There is no emotional investment to take in him. The author tells the reader that Alaric Fischer is a god among men and that can only be accepted as fact. The heady metaphors, thought by Alaric, are meant to justify praising him, but with no personal interest in Alaric, it comes off very egotistical and unappealing.

The idea that inspired the creation of The Creature of the Wildcard¸ is not unique, but it was done well in the medium of a book. The book focuses on Alaric’s inward expansion of his mind and it truly was only a matter of time before the line between reality and imagination was blurred. That being said, the twist revealed in the end, truly justifies the intense metaphorical poetry of the book. It also allows Alaric’s pretentiousness and God-complex to be a tad more forgivable. However, the book’s payoff was not satisfying enough to warrant its style.

In conclusion, I would rate The Creature of the Wildcard, 2 out of 4. The idea behind it was well executed and the novel does contain some interesting philosophical bits, but it is bogged down by some of the most heavy-handed pretentiousness I have ever experienced. I do not scorn this as a waste of time, or a bad book. I truly believe that there is a niche for this book, but I do not find myself in it. After judging the book on its own merits, I personally would not read it again, but there is still something to take away from it.

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The Creature of the wilcard
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[bluemel4]

This is an interesting and well-written review. You were very honest and fair in your analysis and critique of the book. I don't think this is a book for me since I enjoy more character driven stories.

[kimmyschemy06]

That was a very honest review. I'm not much into metaphors or figurative language in general, so, I'm not so sure if I'm going to enjoy this book. Great review!

[nostalgiavirtue]

Not sure if I would like a book like this but maybe I'll check it out for the novelty of it.

[runawaytrain]

I can't imagine reading a book entirely of metaphors, where is the plot

[literarychemist]

Books built upon pretense are the most aggravating!

[savagelion]

what a nice and enjoyable review

[Delilah13]

I'm kind of curious to see how this book really is. You mention a lot of metaphors and I am honestly very intrigued.