Really excellent set up, really great concept, fell apart a bit in the details. I always wonder about magical realism vs. sci-fi, but it's solidly well written, interesting concept and very original in how it makes you think.

Graham Patterson's life isn't going great. Then he gets a tattoo that allows him to live three different lives on the same timeline. Each life has positives and negatives and he can go back and forth between them but ultimately has to choose one.

I was *obsessed* with Jonathan Carroll when I was in high school in the early 90s - I still have my tattered copies of Outside the Dog Museum, Bones of the Moon, A Child Across the Sky, Black Cocktail, and The Land of Laughs. I didn't get that same gut-punch-vaguely-nauseous-from-excitement feeling while reading Mr. Breakfast, but does anything ever compare to the capital-F Feelings you have as a teenager? I haven't read many of his more recent books but am feeling motivated to pick them up and to revisit my old favorites.

Carroll's blend of magic realism and fantasy and horror is so unique - his books are always weird and emotionally moving and funny and full of bull terriers and little nods to previous books - he's spectacular and everyone should read at least one of his books in their lifetime (any of them).

I really enjoyed this one. I rushed through at least half of the book at one sitting. It’s about Graham Patterson, a failed comedian and a recently failed relationship who takes off on a road trip. Attracted by the beautiful designs on display in a tattoo shop’s window he decides to get a tattoo. What follows is a trip through three alternate lives. It’s so well done, I found it original and well written. A book about choices and what makes a good life.

"Mr. Breakfast" is a fun read in that the it keeps you guessing and has a great premise -- what if you could choose to live in one version of your life? (out of 3). I had not read this author before and will be looking at his other work to read. Recommended for those who enjoy Sci Fi writing and literary fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Mr Breakfast is a great concept and setup, but then winds up being as disjointed as the 3 versions of their lives that recipients of a superpowered tattoo of the same name get to experience.
It all starts when Wannabe comic Graham Patterson takes a soulsearching road trip with a camera from his ex-girlfriend. He finds himself in a tattoo parlor and on a whim, finds himself getting a very unique tattoo of a series of animals being eaten by larger ones. After getting it, he learns from the artist that it's a very special tattoo that allows him to visit 2 other versions of his life to observe, and ultimate choose to permanently inhabit either of those or his original one.
The alternate lives and their consequences on his mind and main world are very compelling, as well as a parallel story of a biographer researching him and some others he meets long the way, especially some of the mind-bending time and space connections that "tie water in a knot."
After some great buildup, then ending feels a bit rushed, and some items that repeat could have been a little more varied, but overall it's a great meditation on roads not traveled, events or connections that you can or can't escape, and finding meaning in unexpected places, like the namesake abandoned diner sign and other items that the main Graham becomes famous for photographing.
This is really original and thought provoking.

Jonathan Carroll's latest book features a comedian who's come to the realization that he's not actually funny and decides to take his brother up on a mundane life selling fruits and vegetables in California. But first, he's going to take a road trip across the country in a new convertible with a Nikon camera. When his car breaks down he finds himself wandering around town and looking in the window of a tattoo shop with amazing ink. Getting a tattoo isn't on his bucket list, but that list wasn't working out anyway, so he soon finds himself with some very special ink. Bradbury's The Illustrated Man was covered with tattoos that showed different stories, but Graham Patterson's tattoo shows him three possible lives, and three choices to make.

Sure, I'm stretching what's science fiction here, and Carroll is generally considered a magical realist, but this novel speaks to me for two reasons. One, because it's about divergent universes and quantum states, and the other because it's entertaining and thought-provoking. The fact that the writing is superb, and that there's a road trip, an abandoned diner, and a Nikon camera are all just bonuses. You can read this with your science fiction glasses on, then recommend it to anyone who likes good writing but stays away from SF.

Wow! This book stays with you. Definite Wow.

It made me pause and wonder — what makes a good life? A life well-spent? Am I on that path? Mr. Breakfast is ultimately about the imprint we leave behind - no matter how many doors we shut. Every person we leave in our wake is changed in some way, shooting off on a new trajectory due to our interaction, no matter how small.

Jonathan Carroll is an exceedingly skillful wordsmith. His insights into humanity are unique and he shares them in clever and always surprising stories. Here he has written another wild, rich and rewarding book. Highly recommended.


#NetGalley #MelvilleHouse #JonathanCarroll #MrBreakfast
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book.

First published in translation in Poland in 2019; published by Melville House on January 17, 2023

Mr. Breakfast is constructed from fantasy elements that are popular in modern romcom plots. I’m not typically a fan of those elements (how many variations of Groundhog Day does the world really need?), although I make obvious exceptions. Dickens used similar elements — motivating choice by providing access to alternative lives — in A Christmas Carol. Who doesn’t love Scrooge learning the truth about himself by gaining a new perspective?

Graham Patterson learns the truth (or possible truths) about himself from a tattoo that only a select few share. Graham is a struggling comedian who rejected a friend’s advice to take an edgier, more daring approach to comedy. His girlfriend, Ruth, left him, in part because his career and life were going nowhere, in larger part because he did not want children.

Graham decides that he will never make it as a comedian. He buys a Mustang and drives from the east coast to the west, where he expects to make a conventional life, perhaps working for his brother. He buys a camera so he can take some pictures along the way. One of the pictures is of an abandoned diner in Nevada called Mr. Breakfast. Graham will become a celebrated photographer unless he decides to reject the track his life is on.

Graham’s car breaks down in North Carolina, where he enters a tattoo parlor and impulsively chooses a “breakfast tattoo.” The tattoo comes with a lot of rules, but the short version is that it will allow him to visit two other lives that he is apparently living in parallel realities. He samples them and learns that in one he is a successful comedian who took his friend’s advice about edgy jokes. In the other he married Ruth. He has the opportunity to choose among the three lives. After making the choice, the tattoo will disappear. If he makes no choice, all the lives will merge and the result won’t be fun.

Other characters with the tattoo (including Anna Mae, the tattoo artist) demonstrate the possible outcomes of varying choices. For example, one learns something in a future life that allows him to succeed in his original life. One decides to embrace the pain of her current life rather than escaping into a different one because “sometimes you’ve got to be lost to find yourself again.” All the tattooed lives intersect with Graham’s at different points.

As if the premise doesn’t provide enough fantasy, more mystical events occur as the story progresses. A blind girl and a dead friend tell Graham about other rules associated with his tattoo. Only certain people can see certain pictures Graham has taken; everyone else sees a blank page. A significant turtle and an extinct but very nasty bird make unlikely appearances in Graham’s lives. Graham and another tattooed character learn something about the afterlife. Believe me, you shouldn’t be in a hurry to get there.

I struggled to find a coherent point to the conflicting messages that the story seems to send. Anna Mae suggests that by trying on alternative lives, people can choose the one that best suits them, but then must do their best to make the life work. Doing so puts positive energy into the universe. But if the choice turns out to be wrong, you might get hit by a train, so what good does the positive energy do? Maybe your energy helps other people. Maybe getting hit by a train is the tradeoff for living your best life. Maybe the point is that making a choice, even the wrong choice, is better than making no choice. Maybe the novel’s point is that the best choice, with or without a tattoo, is to live an unselfish life, although another character does well by focusing on self-interest. That’s a lot of maybes in a book that often seems to be moving in circles.

In an alternate life, Ruth makes the argument that whether it is good or bad, nobody deserves the life they have. Life is what it is. Lives are determined by the choices you make but also by health, the circumstances into which you are born, and other factors over which we have no control. Graham thinks about a girl herding cattle in Africa who has the intelligence to be a groundbreaking medical researcher but will never be given the education needed to make that choice possible. He thinks about the difference between a special life (defined by fame and accomplishment) and a peaceful one (defined by love, family, and an unchallenging job that pays the bills). Graham does a lot of thinking but the choice he makes is ultimately based on the need to respond to a crisis, not by calm meditation on which of two lives will fit him the best. Maybe the point is that we shouldn’t think so much.

The story could also be viewed as teaching a “the grass is always greener” lesson. Graham’s alternative lives have their merits, but they also have the pain that is part of life. Maybe the point is that we should be content with making the most of life even if that means enduring pain and hardship (although if I’m a wealthy sultan with a harem in one of my possible lives, I’m jumping to that one).

None of the potential lessons are particularly original. Nor is “visit alternative lives and see how they might turn out” an original plot device. Still, Jonathan Carroll assembles strong characters to tell a muddled but entertaining story. Make of it what you will. I recommend it simply because I enjoyed reading it, not because I regard it as profound.

RECOMMENDED

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆, 𝒔𝒐 𝑰’𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔.

I’ve been reading Jonathan Carroll for years, I follow him on social media too where he posts beautiful photographs, art, and quotes that are often moving, humorous, thought provoking, and inspiring. His novels are the just as wonderful to sink into. In Mr. Breakfast, when comedian Graham Patterson bombs with his act at a comedy club, he soothes his wounds by buying a hot mustang convertible and the Nikon he has been ‘lusting after’, this will be the perfect way to get to his destination and record his road trip across the country, where a secure job is waiting. All of his dreams are dying, and he believes he has reached the point where it’s time to admit defeat. It is over between him and Ruth, as he isn’t sure he can give her the very thing she wants most, even if she is the love of his life and his most loyal fan. “But you’re always there and clap the hardest, no matter what. Breaks my heart, love your loyalty.” When his new car dies in North Carolina, he stumbles upon Hardy Fuse, a tattoo parlor with the most colorful, arresting work he has ever seen. Never one to be interested in skin art, he can’t stop himself from stepping inside, before he knows it, he has decided to get inked. The design he picks is unique, but what follows is like falling into an alternate universe, where he observes other versions of himself, two other ways to lead his life, but which of the three lives will he chose? Are the other existences richer, happier, more fulfilling? It’s thoughts many people chew on, would I be happier if I was famous, if that dream career became a reality and I skyrocketed into success? How different would my life be if I got what I wanted, if someone I loved didn’t walk away? Every life choice has its consequences. Just how extraordinary it can be, too, when the universe gives us signs, nudges that guide us. Extraordinary and terrifying.

Which self, which life will Graham Patterson chose? How does a strange lizard like creature come into play? He will learn, more than anyone, what the Japanese proverb “there’s always a reverse side to the reverse side”, truly means. He becomes a photographer and the photos themselves have a strange mystery after he disappears. Photos Ruth has in her keep, to share only with those who can see what is in them, naturally there are conditions. The story is about fear, longing, regret, memory, love, surrender and a lust for life, but which one? It is an exploration of how we are molded by experiences and the people in our orbit. What do we do with what we learn, conquer, fight, bury, confront? It is also about how we poison the present and ignore the magic all around us. Should we avoid a choice that leads to pain, even if it’s loaded with joy and love for a time? Should we stick to our guns and drag painfully through failure, holding tight to hope that things might turn around? Is it advisable to surrender to what our partner wants when it’s against our desires because we might discover something new about our core self, might find greater happiness and love we didn’t know we wanted? This novel has beauty and pain with Carroll’s perfect touch of the mystical. Yes, a good read.

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Melville House Publishing

This book starts really well - what if, because of magic, you could visit three different versions of your life and choose one to stay in? Good premise. But what Jonathan Carroll does with that premise is a rambling mess. He introduces characters for no reason, he gives us details like the brand of their bag and where to buy it in London. He provides painful descriptions of people's habit instead of developing actual characters. The book also doesn't make internal sense (see my goodreads review for the hidden spoiler).
It's a rambling, repetitious,(so repetitious) mess. And then, just when iIwas getting impatient there is a scene were a child is put in danger to move the "plot" (if you can call this rambling, jumpy mess a plot) forward. There are lots of ways this could be done - a driver texting, a chocking hazard, a busy road. Instead Carroll spend three pages developing a character with the worst mental health representation I have every read. She hears voices, she smells, she has a mad look in her eye, she is crazy, the voices in her head tell her to hurt people. He actually uses the word loony. It would be forgivable in a book written in 1950, but this book was written in 2019. And after three pages of this offensive writing we are done with this character.
There is no plot, no resolution and no explanation for anything. Maybe a less grumpy person would say 'well, that's life" and that's true, life doesn't make a lot of sense or have a great plot, but I like it when my fiction does.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such an interesting and unusual book. The story is one that you cannot even hazard a guess as to what will happen next. This is what makes the story so intriguing. The story follows the choices Graham Patterson makes after he gets an incredible tattoo. The tattoo allows him to live in two alternate lives, having to choose to live in one of the two or in his current life. An incredible novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An engrossing look at what could have been if you chose a different path. By choosing a specific tattoo its owner is allowed to look into his life following 3 different paths; his current one, if he had become a successful comedian, or if he had married the love of his life and had a family. The tattoo allows him to observe each life 3 times before he has to choose one. The longer the wearer waits to choose a life, strange slips start happening where one experiences the past, present and future simultaneously, sometimes even seeing blending of the paths. Reminds me of a cross between Matt Haig's Midnight Library, a David Mitchell book, and Mitch Albom's 5 People You Meet in Heaven. The story will keep entwining itself and revealing more of the puzzle/picture as you move along. Experience glimpses of each life lived and how that life affects those around it in unexpected ways.

Mr. Breakfast
by Jonathan Carroll
Pub Date: January 17, 2023
Melville House
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
I was drawn to the book by the peculiar title. A world of what ifs and fantasy. I won't give it all away, but this is a book you will want to read.
3 stars

When Graham's career as a stand up comedian tanks, he decides to go on a road trip from east coast to west coast to start a new life. In North Carolina his car breaks down and he happens upon a tattoo parlor where he surprises himself by being drawn immediately to a tattoo design with such a powerful attraction that he has it put on his arm. It turns out that the tattoo is the instrument that will change his life by enabling him to choose alternate life paths. His attempts to navigate the rules of this magic, and its implications and outcomes make for a thought-provoking and entertaining read. It's tantalizing to consider our own what if.... possibilities, and Graham's experience gives us the opportunity to view his navigation of the journey(s).

I 100% requested this book because I was amused by the title. That sort of spontaneity rarely works out for me, but Mr. Breakfast was a pure delight.

The big question in this book is "what if?". Graham Patterson, a failing comedian fresh off of a breakup, takes a road trip to sort through his emotions and winds up getting a tattoo. He quickly discovers that it isn't just any tattoo - it allows him to see two alternate realities of his life. And if he likes, he can permanently switch.

The premise is slightly wacky, but it's a ton of fun. I loved Graham's keen observations, and the whole story was so inventive. The ending felt a little messy, but regardless, this is a great choice if you want to something quick that'll make you smile.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Melville House Publishing for an advanced copy of this novel that asks what makes a life worth living, and how quickly would one change to another, if given a choice.

John Greenleaf Whittier wrote, "For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these 'It might have been'". In another life I might locate where exactly this quote came from, and extrapolate more of the line into my review, making my writing stand out, or just seem long. In another another life I might use the line from a poet about a road less travelled, but maybe in that lifeline the poet never wrote the line, or I had never read it. Or I might not even have written this review, or read this book. The possibilities are infinite. I do know if I had a chance I would probably pick a life where the author Jonathan Carroll is super popular with articles, documentaries and movies made about and from his books. As a fan I could live with that. Mr. Breakfast is another great novel that really should be a bestseller in every life possible.

Graham Patterson is a stand-up comedian looking for a new start. Both his love life and career seem to be stuck in downward spiral, and his attempt to make it to the coast has left him with a new car being repaired in a small town. By chance Graham comes across a tattoo shop, and on the spur of the moment decides to get some ink. His tattooist is an enigmatic woman of great skill and charm, and after looking at her books Graham makes his decision. Finally leaving town he finds in a rest stop his dream car, in his dream color, with what looks like some of his belongings in the back seat, along with what looks like an copy of him, only happier looking. Later at a bar Graham finds his double doing a surprise show at a bar, the crowd going crazy with laughter, and his double absolutely killing it. Approaching his double, he finds that he is suddenly invisible to people, which doesn't help when his double is kidnapped. The tattooist appears and explains the new possibilities that Graham has. The tattoo will let Graham see two other possible lives, and after as long or as short as Graham chooses to observe them Graham can continue in either of them or stay with his one at any time. The choice is up to him.

I have long been a fan of Jonathan Carroll's since I came across both At the Dog Museum and Land of Laughs at a library book sale. From there I needed to track down everything possible, for his humor, storytelling, weirdness and ideas were just perfect for the life I happened to be living at the time. Graham is an interesting well written character, an artist, who never seems whiny, but just seems always sad about every decision he has ever opted for. The lives he sees are different, some boldly, but the real story is about choices and being happy. What makes a good life. Success, love, being happy? Something more? Giving up an important person in a life, just to make a career, is that worth it in the end. The writing is good, with a few asides that might confuse reader, but really payoff later. The ending might not be for all, however I had a very good time reading this book and enjoyed the adventure along the way.

A very good writer who has probably bubbled well under the radar for too long. Carroll's stories are always different, always odd, and yet make sense, and make a reader think a lot about who life is and why we allow it to be this way. I of course recommend this book, but for anyone who has some gift cards and looking for a new author, Jonathan Carroll is a good one to look at.

I don't remember any other Carroll novels but this one was excellent, almost felt a bit like magic realism, but not really. Maybe a more serious Vonnegut or Tom Robbins? Really good at getting into the head of the characters and detailing little pivotal moments in their lives, also I liked the detail it went into about stand up comedy and photography.

If you were offered the chance to choose a different life, would you take it? Graham Patterson’s ill-fated decision to get a mysterious tattoo set in motion a roller coaster of events that changed his life forever, but what life did he eventually choose? He had three possible choices; his current life, a more successful life as a comedian, or a life as a loving family man. Along the way he meets mystical individuals who bestow on him their magical secrets and advice. He saw the world through three different viewfinders and was surprised at what's to come. His tattoo was the catalyst that made him reconsider what was really important. In the end, he chose a life that was filled with honesty, trust and happiness. If I had the opportunity to step back and choose a different path in life, I don’t think I would take it. The idea of an alternative life seems scary and dangerous and it is never good to test fate. I enjoyed reading “Mr. Breakfast” because it was whimsical and made me think about what might have been.

The best thing I can say about this book is that it reminded me of the Velvet Underground song Candy Says. “What do you think I’d see, if I could walk away from me.” I had not ready any Carroll novels in about 15 years because I got tired of them. He has interesting premises, but there is also a lot of woo-woo nonsense and terrible endings. This novel fits the pattern. I’m glad he is still writing, but his books aren’t for me.

Realy well written original unique.I was drawn in from first page to last.An author abook I will be recommending #netgalley#milkweedbooks.