The Bookwyrm's Review of Couch Surfing Through the Twelve Chambers of Hell by Curtis M. Lawson
Rating: 9.5/10 Stars
A dark, hallucinatory Rock N' Roll road trip across America and through the Egyptian Underworld.
The charmed life of aging rock star Nathan Pharaoh comes to a screeching halt when his wife and daughter meet violent deaths. Unsure of how to cope with this immense tragedy, Nathan embarks on a road trip down Route 50, "the loneliest road in America".
As Nathan grapples with grief, anger, and survivor's guilt, he is haunted by a demonic figure responsible for the death of his family. The monster is hungry for Nathan's soul, urging him toward oblivion. Nathan is not alone, however. On his voyage he comes across old friends and older gods, each guiding him toward life and rebirth.
Will Nathan Pharaoh make it across Route 50, or will he be dragged into the underworld for all eternity?
I have been a fan of Curtis Lawson's writing for quite some time. His books are hard to quantify as far as genre, because they cross over the established boundaries of genres to take their own path in meshing them into their own unique thing. The haunting prose mixes with a sometimes brutal aesthetic, mixing in horror, gothic and fantasy elements to create something special.
The world building the just what I would expect from this author. He uses such evocative prose in his descriptions that it really draws the reader in. Just his descriptions of things like the terrain around Route 50 and the creeping horrors that may or may not exist in the darkness outside the headlights view is described in a haunting way, giving the impression that something is just out of sight, waiting for you to let your guard down so they could strike. As Nathans's journey continues, we get to see some places that led to Nathan's gradual decline as he relives some of the most harrowing parts of his existence, the greatest losses in his life, forcing him to relive them in the starkest way possible. It's almost poetic in a kind of brutal way, delivering a gut punch of emotional resonance.
The story centers around it's main character, Nathan Pharaoh. A rock star guitar player, he traveled the world, made millions of dollars, and entertained fans for years. That rock star life meant he spent months on the road at a time, missing out on many moments in his wife and daughter's lives. It was a trade-off he was willing to make, but it also sowed the seeds to the destruction of everything important in his life, when the two people he loved most in life are taken from him while he was on tour. The story covers the aftermath of this, as Nathan slowly descends into chaos as he deals with his broken life. As he starts his journey to what he knows will be his final end, he goes through certain events tied to portions of his life, using metaphors for certain mythologies and horrors to show how a lot of what Nathan is experiencing is a consequence of his actions, Some of which could have been avoided, some not. He meets up with some interesting characters on the road, and a recurring theme of love and loss is shown throughout, as well as temptation and personal destruction through ones own actions. In a twist, though, there is a bit of a redemption arc at the end. Nathan finally sees that while he has played a part in his own torment, he was not solely alone in it, that others had agency as well, and he has a chance to live on and, if not make things right, learn to forgive himself and move past his tragedy. its actually a very poignant ending, one I was not expecting at all.
I was really surprised at some of the twists and turns this story took. As Nathan's life is shown to the reader, you get the feeling that he is as much a victim of fate as he is the master of it. I was ready for anything in this story except that ending, which was an awesome twist, catching me completely by surprise in the best way. With its mix of elements and storytelling twists, this is a book that should appeal to anyone looking for a good read that will keep you guessing, but has a quality payout at the end. I give it my highest recommendation.
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