LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES tells the tale of a Dallas dot-com millionaire who is on the edge of complete financial, marital and mental collapse. This particular millionaire also happens to be a gifted psychic - and maybe even an incarnation of Vishnu - which only adds to his misery. When the IRS shows up at his door to audit his blatantly fraudulent tax returns, they offer him an out: join a secretive organization that wants to use his abilities in the service of the government. From there the book launches pell mell into intrigue, conspiracy, religion and drugs.
In the hands of another author, LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES might have been a dark, brooding psychological thriller. In the hands of Will Clarke, the book is a cynically humorous romp. It's hard to take any book seriously that has the hero running around Disneyworld in a Mickey Mouse suit chasing an insane psychic monk while stoned on painkillers. Thankfully, the author has his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, which makes LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES a delight to read.
For all its silliness, Will Clarke also manages to sneak in some serious ideas. For all that God refers to himself as "The Blue Motherf*****," LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES treats the subjects of religion, morality and spirituality with as much seriousness the story will handle. Thought provoking and glib, farcical and profound, LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES is fantastic, and I can't wait to see what this author does next.
Travis Anderson has a psychic gift. Or so he thinks. So
far he's milked his premonitions only to acquire an upper-
middle-class lifestyle--pretty wife, big house, and a shiny
Range Rover--without having to make any real effort. But
recent visions threaten his yuppie contentment. Haunted by
omens of impending cancers, stillborn babies, and personal
train wrecks, he is compelled to make a series of
inaccurate and horrifying prophecies that humiliate him in
front of his fellow country club members. The IRS gets
Travis's number, too, demanding an audit of his sloppy
bookkeeping.
Drowning in mounting financial problems and apparent mental
illness, Travis tries booze, pills, even golf to stay
afloat, but nothing works. His wife and friends are forced
to stage an intervention. Travis is in danger of losing his
family, his career, and ultimately, his sanity. That is,
until he meets a Hindu holy man in rehab who claims to be
the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Suddenly, the
tragically shallow Travis is saddled with the
responsibility of bettering mankind and saving the world.
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