Society, Suspicious
Human rights or nationalism. Freedom or slavery. Truth, progress and democracy or fantasy, fairy tales and fascism. Save the planet, or slave away under the heat of an angry Mother Earth stripped of her rights and soon to be denied birth control. And oh my, here comes a lonely, superfly Father Sky. He too, is unprotected. We’re all unprotected.
Society, Suspicious is an experimental, genre-bending novel told by a sometimes insufferable, yet well-meaning, hilarious, formerly dead, formerly narcissistic poet, music idol and antithetical Quixote, fabricating imaginary social media windmills, and seeking revenge on America by starting a cult through conspiracy culminating with an insurrection on 1/6/21 at the wrong building.
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Reviews
5/5
The Sociology Group
A harsh callout to molly dollying the wrongdoers, a voice of conscience and clearance backed by political angst and social disparities that have long been ignored, this book is an experimental piece of humor and conspiracies that expose the vulnerability of the common man in the world of 'democracy' and laws. Despite being set in the American context, the book is a compilation of prose, poems, plays, and other narratives simply to accommodate all spheres of readers and their attention spans. The intent of making an impact could not have had a better form. Like its approaches throughout the book, the title also presents its statement in a no-nonsense manner that the society we live in today is suspicious. The bane of social media shaping wrong assumptions, conclusions, and finally decisions touch the tip of the iceberg of all that is wrong today. A part of a whole or the whole of a part, this book gets its point through if one reads it either way making it a creative and entertaining read for anyone finding their place in this world of ours.
A harsh callout to molly dollying the wrongdoers, a voice of conscience and clearance backed by political angst and social disparities that have long been ignored, this book is an experimental piece of humor and conspiracies that expose the vulnerability of the common man in the world of 'democracy' and laws. Despite being set in the American context, the book is a compilation of prose, poems, plays, and other narratives simply to accommodate all spheres of readers and their attention spans. The intent of making an impact could not have had a better form. Like its approaches throughout the book, the title also presents its statement in a no-nonsense manner that the society we live in today is suspicious. The bane of social media shaping wrong assumptions, conclusions, and finally decisions touch the tip of the iceberg of all that is wrong today. A part of a whole or the whole of a part, this book gets its point through if one reads it either way making it a creative and entertaining read for anyone finding their place in this world of ours.
Midwest Book Review
Society, Suspicious represents political satire at its best, blending a first-person observational style with experimental fiction in a manner designed to challenge reader perceptions and ideals. Freeman Smith's saga opens with a bang: "I faked my death in Paris, which proved far easier than I had imagined. The one time in my life I devoted my mind and soul to planning. Real planning. France is not like America. A few hundred years older, maybe not wiser, but definitely too tired to deny or regulate a man’s personal freedoms." A stolen citizenship card from a dying man leads the narrator into a life "...free of fame and chaos and forced narcissism." The self-professed "Mr. Mojo Rising" has been a busy man in America, playing the 'victim/hero' in a variety of scenarios that keeps testing his identity and fostering his participation in the nation's "collective narcissism." The poet/rebel narrator crafts so many observations and dialogues that readers ride a roller coaster ride of irony and social inspection that moves from money to madness around the world, juxtaposing a jaunt through others' lives with a wry sense of embellishment and commentary that runs over disparate lives like a river of judgment. Whether attacking affirmative action and prejudice, the love child of a seventeen-year-old's dalliance, or scenes from a play that offer serious messages, the strobe light roller-skating foray is certain to intrigue, offend, and give rise to all kinds of thoughts. Whether he's embedding poetry, play scenes, or nonfiction into his saga, one thing is for certain: this experimental work will challenge some and intrigue others. Ultimately, its romp and realizations deserve attention and discussion in book groups interested in satirical experimental fiction firmly embedded in social inspection. Society, Suspicious will do well in libraries that look for contemporary satire, experimental literary fiction, and stories that reverberate with contemporary angst.
Society, Suspicious represents political satire at its best, blending a first-person observational style with experimental fiction in a manner designed to challenge reader perceptions and ideals. Freeman Smith's saga opens with a bang: "I faked my death in Paris, which proved far easier than I had imagined. The one time in my life I devoted my mind and soul to planning. Real planning. France is not like America. A few hundred years older, maybe not wiser, but definitely too tired to deny or regulate a man’s personal freedoms." A stolen citizenship card from a dying man leads the narrator into a life "...free of fame and chaos and forced narcissism." The self-professed "Mr. Mojo Rising" has been a busy man in America, playing the 'victim/hero' in a variety of scenarios that keeps testing his identity and fostering his participation in the nation's "collective narcissism." The poet/rebel narrator crafts so many observations and dialogues that readers ride a roller coaster ride of irony and social inspection that moves from money to madness around the world, juxtaposing a jaunt through others' lives with a wry sense of embellishment and commentary that runs over disparate lives like a river of judgment. Whether attacking affirmative action and prejudice, the love child of a seventeen-year-old's dalliance, or scenes from a play that offer serious messages, the strobe light roller-skating foray is certain to intrigue, offend, and give rise to all kinds of thoughts. Whether he's embedding poetry, play scenes, or nonfiction into his saga, one thing is for certain: this experimental work will challenge some and intrigue others. Ultimately, its romp and realizations deserve attention and discussion in book groups interested in satirical experimental fiction firmly embedded in social inspection. Society, Suspicious will do well in libraries that look for contemporary satire, experimental literary fiction, and stories that reverberate with contemporary angst.
Bookview Review
Smith’s eccentric and often brilliant novel is a roller coaster ride of cynicism and social commentary. Tired of playing the character in a variety of circumstances that not only test his identity but also foster his participation in the nation’s collective narcissism, Mr. Mojo Rising plans his escape in advance. The opportunity arises when he meets a homeless man taking his last breath. A variety of scenarios help stitch together the real story of the intriguing narrator, and though the experience becomes somewhat like stumbling into an endless series of small pockets of hexagonal chambers, filled with randomly ordered objects, this winding style actually enhances the intrigue of the tale, rather than distracting from it. Offering up an assortment of styles, including short stories, poems, play scenes, and pieces of nonfiction, Smith skillfully parodies the cynical tone of a political satire, harnessing it to pop culture tropes. Some entries, such as the story of an insurrectionist sentenced to six days in jail and two months of probation, or a half-frog, half-man predating on an intellectually challenged boy, reflect the gleeful insanity of experimental fiction, while others display exaggeration of political satire. Throughout, Smith’s keen observations and sharp dialogue keep the pages turning. A surreal work of socio-political commentary and insight.
Smith’s eccentric and often brilliant novel is a roller coaster ride of cynicism and social commentary. Tired of playing the character in a variety of circumstances that not only test his identity but also foster his participation in the nation’s collective narcissism, Mr. Mojo Rising plans his escape in advance. The opportunity arises when he meets a homeless man taking his last breath. A variety of scenarios help stitch together the real story of the intriguing narrator, and though the experience becomes somewhat like stumbling into an endless series of small pockets of hexagonal chambers, filled with randomly ordered objects, this winding style actually enhances the intrigue of the tale, rather than distracting from it. Offering up an assortment of styles, including short stories, poems, play scenes, and pieces of nonfiction, Smith skillfully parodies the cynical tone of a political satire, harnessing it to pop culture tropes. Some entries, such as the story of an insurrectionist sentenced to six days in jail and two months of probation, or a half-frog, half-man predating on an intellectually challenged boy, reflect the gleeful insanity of experimental fiction, while others display exaggeration of political satire. Throughout, Smith’s keen observations and sharp dialogue keep the pages turning. A surreal work of socio-political commentary and insight.
The Book Commentary
Society, Suspicious: A Novel by Freeman Smith is a political satire that is seasoned with humor readers find nowhere. The story is told by a narcissistic poet, a music aficionado, and a man who faked his death and stole a citizenship card that allowed him to leave fame behind and live free. He has been a janitor, a junior high school counselor, a golf pro, a homeless man, and a private investigator. This narrator takes readers on a hilarious romp through America, exploring American narcissism incarnated by Trump and building a plot that outlines the characteristics of false patriotism: "Own the narrative Push the agenda Point the finger Frame the story Cast the blame Market the lie Gloss it up Brand it Dig it?" It is stylistic, a wonderful meld of poetry and fluid prose, writing that is lyrical and a first-person narrative voice that pulls readers into the different threads and streams of the narrative irresistibly. The evocative writing is enriched by biting humor and references to historical characters and events like Trump and the January 6. Readers follow a nuanced protagonist, a sick mind whose quest for revenge against America will lead him to start an insurrection. While Society, Suspicious: A Novel is a hugely entertaining story, it examines what is sick in American history, offering wonderful social commentaries. It is an interesting parody of contemporary US cynicism and a brilliant exploration of narcissism that only a man like Trump can espouse. The novel offers a vivid portrait of Trump and his sense of victimhood, a trait that has galvanized his political activities and has been at the heart of his political philosophy. The poetry and the footnotes are, in themselves, a work of beauty and revelatory of the broken soul of America.
Society, Suspicious: A Novel by Freeman Smith is a political satire that is seasoned with humor readers find nowhere. The story is told by a narcissistic poet, a music aficionado, and a man who faked his death and stole a citizenship card that allowed him to leave fame behind and live free. He has been a janitor, a junior high school counselor, a golf pro, a homeless man, and a private investigator. This narrator takes readers on a hilarious romp through America, exploring American narcissism incarnated by Trump and building a plot that outlines the characteristics of false patriotism: "Own the narrative Push the agenda Point the finger Frame the story Cast the blame Market the lie Gloss it up Brand it Dig it?" It is stylistic, a wonderful meld of poetry and fluid prose, writing that is lyrical and a first-person narrative voice that pulls readers into the different threads and streams of the narrative irresistibly. The evocative writing is enriched by biting humor and references to historical characters and events like Trump and the January 6. Readers follow a nuanced protagonist, a sick mind whose quest for revenge against America will lead him to start an insurrection. While Society, Suspicious: A Novel is a hugely entertaining story, it examines what is sick in American history, offering wonderful social commentaries. It is an interesting parody of contemporary US cynicism and a brilliant exploration of narcissism that only a man like Trump can espouse. The novel offers a vivid portrait of Trump and his sense of victimhood, a trait that has galvanized his political activities and has been at the heart of his political philosophy. The poetry and the footnotes are, in themselves, a work of beauty and revelatory of the broken soul of America.
