hagiology

In Phil Smith’s first novel, he explores the meaning of narrative. Without apparent characters, action, or setting, he wanders through a landscape made up simply of words, phrases, and sentences. Disconnected from the real world, he ignores his readers, who must find their own way in the wilderness of language. Is it fiction? Autobiography? Why does he call it a novel? What does the title mean? This is perhaps Smith’s most enigmatic work to date. It is, perhaps, the kind of book that should be banned, or burned.