Review of Suggestion Diabolique, by David Vardeman

Having read all of Vardeman, I can’t help wanting more Vardeman.

Remember that character from As I Lay Dying who says “My mother is a fish.” Isn’t that kid named Vardaman? >Coincidence? I think not.
Vardeman observes and portrays American life in an acerbic, quirky style. This volume of stories in particular is heavy on the dialogue, and the dialogue is always surprising and rich.

A hapless narrator trapped in a car with a lunatic, and then multiple lunatics, driving toward a tornado. A corn-obsessed family playing host to a corn-obsessed lunatic. And in another tale, the relationship between sons and fathers, when the father happens to be unbearable, driven by the kind of dialogue anyone who grew up with an unbearable father will instantly recognize. These characters are sometimes difficult to tolerate because they would be difficult to tolerate in real life, which is to say they sound exactly as they should in order to depict the precise character traits the author wishes to showcase. Vardeman doesn’t ease you in. He throws you to the wolves of his dialogue, which is at least as good as any film by Tarantino you could choose or the dramatic work of Tennessee Williams. There is the inimitable quality of stirring realism in every one of his lines. You know exactly when someone has crossed the line. Sometimes they even call themselves out on it. You are a floating eye. These are not trimmed down, staged scenes, but spontaneous bursts of creativity, drawn out to their inevitable conclusions. You get the sense that the characters improv’d the scene, and played it out brilliantly, when in reality the author has clearly refined the moment into a crystalline encapsulation of disturbing Americana.

Nothing conventional here. If you enjoyed Stella Maris, you will probably enjoy this. But Vardeman embraces the absurd and the absurdity never feels tacked on. It suffuses the world he creates. His characters are steeped in it and come out dripping absurd thoughts, statements and actions. The other key feature of his work is tension. Through the unpredictable interactions of these astonishing characters, the author builds a massive backlog of tension which serves to drive you toward a conclusion you might be afraid to witness if you’ve been paying attention. So pay attention, pick up this book and everything else he has done and prepare for an unsubtle rearrangement of your expectations.