This is Advanced Post-Apocalyptic Literature, a sort of miniature epic children's tale that takes place 2,000 years after civilization as we know it was ended. It feels dark and out of focus and, especially at first, is hard to understand. Which makes sense, really--if an Apocalypse actually occurred, and if a few humans survived and propagated their suddenly-primitive selves for twenty hundred years, their language, society and beliefs would be more than a little alien to us. Hence this book includes a Glossary, to explain that phrases such as, "No rumpa no dum, no zantigen Eusa cum," translate into our English as, "No trumpets, no drums, no dancing when Eusa comes." Or that the words "suching waytion" equal "Situation."
I followed John Murder's advice and read a lot of it out loud to myself...this added to its Fun, and also ensured that I read this one alone, at home. Russell Hoban himself died a couple of weeks ago--The Guardian's obit can be found
here.
