Beat the Reaper

Beat the Reaper
By Josh Bazell
Little, Brown and Company, 2009. 310 pages. Fiction.

This dark novel begins with a quote by Camus, “If Nietzche is correct, that to shame a man is to kill him, then any honest attempt at autobiography will be an act of self-destruction.” It is fitting to bring Nietzche into the novel right at the beginning to set the distinctly postmodern and existential tone. Pietro Brwna lives with his eastern European grandparents. As a young teenager he arrives home to find them murdered. Pietro is devastated and swears to avenge them. A few years later Pietro becomes close friends with the Locano family. Their father is a mob leader and soon recruits Pietro in exchange for information about the murder. Pietro becomes a ruthless assassin for the mob earning the name, “the Bearclaw.” He eventually tracks down and slays his grandparents killers. Along the way Pietro falls in love with a Romanian musician. She becomes devoted to Pietro despite his “occupation.” After landing in jail Pietro becomes an informant and joins the witness-protection program. From that point on Pietro is known as Peter Brown and works as an intern at a poor Manhatten hospital. The novel begins with Pietro starting a nightmarish shift in the emergency room. His story is told in flashbacks building the story and suspense. During his shift Pietro treats an old Mafioso who immediately recognizes him. Pietro is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to kill someone who deserves to be killed. Nicholas LoBrutto recognizes, “the bearclaw”, and Pietro’s cover is blown. The rest of the novel crazily spins from there.

Although this novel is well written I found it distasteful. We are deep inside Pietro’s head witnessing every thought. The character is intelligent and makes brilliant leaps of medicinal logic while taking care of his patients. On the other hand, he is also a vulgar and violent drug addict. He has his own particular brand of morality. Pietro’s internal dialogue is permeated with his smug sense of always being right. I know what the author was trying to do, but I wish I hadn’t gone there. The language is peppered with foul obscenities. There is graphic violence, hospital gore, and sex. The humor is the blackest shade of black. Overall, I can’t recommend this novel.

ALC