In many ways, I found this novel extremely frustrating. I like novels with inner monologue, and novels with interesting side characters who are artists or musicians or whatnot. I like difficult characters who don’t always do the right thing, who are selfish and drunk and idiotic, because people are often selfish, drunk, and idiotic. I like experimental writing I like, generally, books about weird, unexplained things- and the hole itself was oddly creepy. I’d like to say I loved this book- I really would. The story swirls around quite a bit, but it ends with a question: if the “funhole” is only active when Nicholas is around, would it cease to exist if he did?

They are all fascinated by the hole- but it is only when Nicholas is in the room that the hole exists. Then the cast grows from just the two of them to four to eight to ten to who knows how many. Eventually, the main character (Nicholas) accidentally puts his hand in the hole- which leaves a funny open sore which grows larger, gets black and nasty, and secretes a strange fluid.Ĭrazy lady friend starts telling other people about the “funhole,” as they call it. Crazy lady friend starts doing experiments- she puts some bugs down there and a mouse and a human hand and a video camera, and weird shit happens. The hole is weird and mysterious and creepy.

This is one of those books that while reading it, one is vaguely aware that not that much is actually happening, and then one tries to explain the plot to their sister, and one realizes that pretty much, this book is about a poor, failure of a man (probably in his mid-20’s?) who, along with his crazy lady friend, finds a hole in a floor of his apartment building’s storeroom.

The cipher kathe koja looo