cover image THE HOPE VALLEY HUBCAP KING

THE HOPE VALLEY HUBCAP KING

Sean Murphy, . . Dell, $5.99 (304pp) ISBN 978-0-440-24089-1

Murphy, a longtime practitioner of Zen, has distilled the open-minded adventurousness of his life's study into a quirky novel set in the future that is at once ingenious, exhilarating and pleasantly frustrating. Frederick G. Brown II (inexplicably nicknamed Bibi) is a precocious child whose father—along with 11 generations of men before him—committed suicide. His odd sense of exploration and curiosity lead him to question everything around him, and as a young man he sets off across America on a journey that resembles one of Castaneda's acid-hazed travels. In Murphy's world, everybody is a philosopher; even a passing trucker who gives Bibi a ride cannot resist waxing poetic ("[T]he moment we come into this world we start dying. Mothers kill children by giving birth to them"). Bibi is driven by a fascination with a nine-fingered billboard model and a mysterious uncle who has become the near-legendary King of the title. His journey from home to Hope Valley mirrors the spiritual journey of countless seekers in countless disciplines, and the finale, while cautionary, is also hopeful. Filled with clever literary references (one of Bibi's relatives is named Gregor Samson) and told in a decidedly intellectual style, this book has "future cult classic" written all over it. (Oct. 29)