Again and Again By Jonathan Evison

Again and Again is a masterpiece of misdirection. The protagonist, Eugene “Geno” Miles, has a multitude of identities. He is a Visigoth street urchin, a Marine, a janitor, a centenarian, and a famous author’s cat. Geno is a beautifully crafted character who tells a story about an extraordinarily long life that builds to a crisis of despair, when he longs to “escape the hamster wheel of transmigration and proceed to where the cold, dark rivers flowed.” Geno and his supporting cast of characters are brilliantly developed by Evison with their alternate versions from Geno’s earlier lives. The real genius of the novel arises from Evison’s use of Geno’s first person narration. Geno gives new meaning to the concept of the unreliable narrator. And how deep do his untruths go? Are they lies only about incidents within the last one of his lives? Were there no earlier lives at all? Those questions make the novel’s message compelling in the end.

(NOTE: This is a summary of a full review of this novel that I will release around the time of its publication.)

Review by Mark Zvonkovic
www.markzvonkovic.com

I made an earlier run at "Again and Again" but couldn't latch on. The second time, however, the novel grabbed me and I was delighted through the final page.

Eugene Miles is the book's unreliable and possibly unstable narrator. He's in a nursing in Los Angeles' Inland Empire, cranky, claiming to be 105 when his paperwork says he's 93. He also claims to have lived a number of lives, starting in Moorish Spain and including a stint as Oscar Wilde's cat. He isolates himself, but there's a crack in his facade as he starts to open up to a new cleaner, a young guy named Angel. Angel renames Eugene "Geno" and is genuinely interested in his stories, especially in his search for his lover in the last millennium, a woman named Gaya.

Geno's stories are great, but the novel builds strength as he weaves another reality into his tales. Are his beliefs the result of trauma, delusions, or could he really have been Oscar's cat Whiskers in another world? Again and Again" is the best example of giving a book another chance. I'm so glad I did not pass on this engaging, funny, and thoughtful book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy of this novel. in exchange for a fair review.

A very enjoyable novel with a lot heart and adventure. I did find it a tad slow at times and it took me a while to get into the story, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. Once I settled in, I was invested and enjoyed the twists and turns of Eugene’s story. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC.

I found #againandagain to be quite charming, well-written and engaging. I'm not a big fan of time travel novels so was surprised at how much I enjoyed Eugene/Euric's stories. Well done.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel. I have read some of Evison's books in the past and have been a big fan since West of Here. This is a unique story and I was instantly drawn to the both the main characters Eugene and Angel. This story really drew me in and I loved the twists in the story. Ultimately, this is a completely satisfying novel that is well worth reading. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy of Again and Again in exchange for a fair review. This review will appear on Goodreads and the opinions expresses are my own.
First I have to say that the premise is terrific and the cover could not be more perfect. The entire book we are piecing together the puzzle that is Geno while he sits in his retirement home doing jigsaw puzzles at his drafting table. Is Geno delusional in thinking he has lived so many past lives? Slowly the pieces come together for the reader to see the remaining portrait of the man. What is Geno all about?
To be honest, I felt it a little sluggish to latch onto, but I am glad to kept on. I was absorbed into Angel's story, then into Gladys (even the cat) and couldn't wait to see how the whole journey would unfold. I had the same yearning at the end for more - just like with Small World by Evison.
Its a clean read and one I can see recommending to patrons. For me, not the 5* of Small World, but still a solid 4. I enjoyed Gino and his relationships and crazy timelines. I love the bits of history.
A good solid read!!

I’m a Jonathan Evison fan as far back as West of Here and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, so I want to love everything he writes, but Again and Again may be a bridge too far. Eugene Miles is 105 years old, but what really makes him extraordinary is his ability to recall all of his former lives back to the tenth century. Now living in a nursing home, he recounts stories from his life to a friendly attendant, Angel, but what is true? Evison introduces some confusing false narratives and unreliability that instead of intriguing me only frustrated, and seemed to serve little purpose. I think this book never found itself with a curmudgeonly main character and his primary “past-life” story neither of which felt real, and plot points that fell flat. I haven’t given up on Evison, but unfortunately, Again and Again is a miss for me.

A beautiful story and one that was different from what I usually read. Evison is a talented writer and has crafted a very interesting character! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars!