The Hollow Beast (Biblioasis International Translation Series, 46)

Canadians are a different breed. It is not unheard of for a goalie to stop the puck with their face. But in 1911, when Monti Bouge stopped the puck with his mouth, losing his teeth, the ref, Victor Bradley, let the score count. Monti vowed to take revenge. His revenge was persistent, continuous, and fueled mainly by his endless supply of Yukon. Side effects of the whiskey may or may not have taken the form of a beast, which not only cursed Monti but his descendants. Three generations later, Francois, Montie’s great-grandson, battling his own demons, tried to make sense of the feud in his doctoral dissertation.

The Hollow Beast is an epic slapstick comedy by Christophe Bernard. Initially published in French in 2017, it has been re-released and translated into English by Lazer Lederhendler. Bernard’s hilarious tome is a hundred-proof fever dream of bizarre scenarios and Canada’s most outlandish cast of characters. There is not a single redeeming quality amongst Bernard’s players. Still, much like a train wreck wrapped up in a dumpster fire, it is impossible to look away. But readers beware. Your technicolor nightmares will be fueled by The Hollow Beast.