Steve Erickson's new novel Zeroville is one of those rare novels that, in the words of Stephen King, "pushes my dials all the way to 10."
Vikar - bald, with a tattoo of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor on his head - arrives in Los Angeles in 1969 on the same day as the Charles Manson murders, his head (no pun intended) full of film. Now let me stop right here and point out that if you don't know who Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor are, you probably won't enjoy this book. If you're not a fan of classic films, you probably won't enjoy this book. If you say, "But wait, I do enjoy classic films! I think Adam Sandler and Ben Affleck are great!" you definitely won't enjoy this book.
But back to the story...
At first the reader isn't sure if Vikar is a movie-savant, an out-of-control weirdo, or just a guy trying to break into film production. He's obviously brought a lot of emotional baggage with him: he's a seminary drop-out, has really strange dreams and believes God hates children.
Oddly enough, one of the first people Vikar meets in L.A. is a small child, one he emotionally adopts while trying to find his place in Hollywood. Vikar's climb up the movie industry ladder is both bizarre and believable. At times Vikar seems like a cross between Forrest Gump and Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro's character in Taxi Driver), a movie genius who can kick your butt up and down Rodeo Drive if you confuse Montgomery Clift with James Dean.
Vikar soon becomes obsessed with an obscure French novel he wants to film, then his obsession moves into a recurring dream he can't quite understand. Both of these obsessions lead Vikar to discover something about film and himself that will change his life forever.
Zeroville is hilarious and tragic, crazy and logical, spellbinding and addictive. I read it in two days, which is lightning speed for me. Highly recommended.
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