Ben Tanzer’s Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine

Attention Kevin Smith fans (and strangely, Gilmore Girls fans): you are going to love this book. Though Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine (Orange Alert Press) arcs as a novel, it is written as a series of dialog-heavy exchanges of wit between characters that define themselves by a pop culture context. Knots Landing vs. Dallas is their war. The gospel of Star Wars is their religious creed.

What is perhaps most interesting and impressive with this, Ben Tanzer’s second novel (released in 2008; in 2009 CCLaP Publishing released Repetition Patterns, a collection of stories) is just how much the author relies on dialog and pop culture to describe the characters. Physical description is sparing, and despite the implications there, the novel is quick and engaging. Who needs setting when you’ve got exchanges like this:

“What? You never got why people liked Star Wars? Is there something wrong with you?”

“Maybe. I definitely feel that way most of the time.” (pg. 18)

And character portraits like this:

Jen and Gracie believe that love has to knock you over, though even if it does, it not only can’t be trusted, but you are likely doomed to endless struggle, inane dissections of problems big and small and always at risk of perpetually losing oneself in the murky swamp of confusion and loathing that inevitably attaches itself to most relationships. (pg. 54)

The four main characters (helpfully depicted on the novel’s cover) endure life as they search for human connection. These are quick-witted, intelligent people that we all wish we knew. And for Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine’s 172 pages, we do.

Review by Caleb J Ross

Visit:
Ben Tanzer (the author)
Orange Alert Press (the publisher)

Buy:
From the Publisher
From Amazon.com

Caleb J. Ross

Caleb J. Ross has been published widely, both online and in print. He graduated with a degree in English Lit and a minor in creative writing from Emporia State University in 2005. He is the author of Charactered Pieces: stories (OW Press), Stranger Will: a novel (Otherworld Publications, 2011), As a Machine and Parts (Aqueous Books, 2011) and, I Didn’t Mean to Be Kevin: a novel (Black Coffee Press, 2011).

• View all posts by Caleb J. Ross →
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google+