Books Read: Major Arcana by John Pistelli
Brilliant, baggy, hilarious, flawed and compassionate.
There’s been a lot of chat about Major Arcana, most of it good—but not all.1 I spent well over 1,200 words dissecting the novel in Locus (June edition), so I won’t repeat myself here.
I will say that if you’re reading this Substack and you like the sort of stuff I like, you should buy it2, not least because you can partake in John’s brilliant reframing of Alan Moore and Grant Morrison into American-born occultist and comic writer Simon Magnus. One thing I didn’t mention in my review (because I was already well over the word count) is how brilliantly John describes the creative process, especially between two auteurs—Simon Magnus and the reluctant artist Marcus Cohen. John doesn’t romanticise it but highlights the frustrations, the bitterness, the pretensions but also the transcendent moment when art occurs.
And this is just one section of the novel. There’s so much more to love, argue with, be offended by, and chuckle at. It’s a novel overflowing with emotion—mostly love. I genuinely hope that many people pick it up and that, in years to come, Major Arcana is discussed in its own right and not in connection to Substack.3
I’m not going to link to the Compact article that uses John’s novel as a case study, proving that Substack will not be the home for the next great novel. As much as I have come to love Substack, I find the debate about its place in social and literary culture tiresome. All it leads to is a lot of bullshit sniping on both sides. I thought using John’s work as an exemplar of Substack’s failure was unfair. Not just because I think it’s untrue but because John’s novel shouldn’t have to be burdened with legitimising a Substack subculture. It’s not like John is asking for it.
Despite reviewing it for Locus, I purchased a hard copy. Belt Publishing have delivered a fine looking book.
To be fair, people are doing this. You’ll find numerous reviews here and elsewhere that speak to the themes John is exploring. Also, every review, including mine, can’t help but mention where the novel was first serialised. It’s just the Compact article saw Major Arcana become a symbol (mascot or punching bag) for the current state of literature, it’s place on Substack, and reviewers who focus on the particulars (sentence structure) and not the general (themes explored). But that’s more than enough from me.
I do have to say that after I read it (and reviewed it, yes, on my Substack) I wondered if Locus would get to it and I was very happy to see your review.