Life is a Carnival: Midway by Brent Mason
A review dedicated to the memory of The Band.
Editor's Note: This review is respectfully dedicated to the memory of The Band, whose last remaining member, Garth Hudson, passed away earlier this week.
“Life is a carnival, believe it or not.”
“It’s a microcosm, you know…. it’s all metaphor on the Midway.” (Jonah)
“Gotta say, the Midway petri dish is the best and worst way to get a sense of who someone is.” (Petr)
There is so much truth in the above statements, one said at the beginning of Midway, the other near the end of the book. What happens in between in just a few weeks on the road with a travelling midway is relatable to anyone who has ever spent a compressed amount of time with a group of people on the road. The author himself, a musician (and evidently a former carny?) writes of what he knows in Midway from Galleon Books.
Prior to reading Midway, I had little experience with any midway, as I always assumed the games were rigged (or gaffed, in carny speak) so I avoided spending what little money I had on them. There was the 1980 movie Carny starring Gary Busey, Jodie Foster and Robbie Robertson (of The Band) which deals with the darker side of the carnival which I watched several times. Midway appears to be set in the 1990’s based on some musical references and the total lack of any technology we take for granted today. There’s no disguising that it’s referring to the Conklin midways which appeared at the Toronto Ex, Calgary Stampede and other large fairs back then.
Midway centers on the story of Wyatt, a bit of a drifter from the east coast who has left a relationship and has travelled from east to west (“You know, On the Road and all that shit. Kerouac without the writing.”) His background is only ever alluded to, as is the case with all the other carnies under the leadership of Jonah Jensen, who oversees the Milk Can Game (“one in wins”) and the Birthday Game (“if you have a bellybutton, you have a birthday”). Jonah has been with the carnival for a number of years, and he is totally invested in his games doing the best they can, but in a friendly, encouraging way. Everybody likes Jonah. Along with Wyatt are Scott, Bruce, Trish, and Des, the latter two women having just joined the carnival, but having a past with Jonah, which again is only hinted at. Scott soon leaves the carnival and is replaced by Petr, an artist friend of Trish and Des’ from Toronto. Petr and Des lend an air of malevolence to the and seem determined to divide and separate the group.
Put this bunch of disparate (and desperate) characters in the petri dish of a travelling show, sleeping in hotels, eating road food, working long hours, and having to draw in “marks” to play their midway games and you get a debut novel from Brent Mason. Then, throw in cocaine to keep them on point, and things get truly interesting.
It would be cliché to say that Midway is a roller coaster of a book, but it has its dizzying heights before it descends at breakneck speed, going off the rails as drugs, interpersonal relationships and even abuse from one of the midway’s owners combine to tear apart Jonah’s group. Wyatt is the eyes and ears of the reader, and as he excels at running the Milk Can Game, he also finds that it gets pretty old pretty fast and the more he knows about the people he’s with and the ones he’s working for, the less interested he is.
In the small but growing catalogue of books coming out of Galleon Books, Midway is one of the more accessible titles (see also Boom Road) yet remains literary enough so that it’s not a mundane read. Another book that has its place firmly in the CanLit world.
About the Author
Brent Mason is a writer and musician from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He has won the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick Douglas Kyle Award and has been published in Riddle Fence, The Nashwaak Review, and The Maritime Edit. He writes a biweekly short fiction column, Mason's Jar, for the Telegraph Journal. Brent has also released twelve albums of original music.
Book Details
Publisher : Galleon Books (Dec 10 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 246 pages
ISBN-10 : 199812214X
ISBN-13 : 978-1998122141
I love this book!
RIP Garth Hudson.