Cross the prophet Job with It's a Wonderful Life and you get this award-winning poet's first-person debut novel, rife with strangeness and humor. When the angel of death climbs out of a broken washing machine and announces that the town of Erasmus is about to be destroyed, Andrew Benoit, a pastor fresh out of seminary, only has a week to save it. Erasmus turns out to be a "Potterville" where a Mrs. Primrose Davenport owns almost everything and money is God. A small band of mystics named for movie stars gather at the mystical hot spot The Instant Coffee Cup (run by the wryly named John Luther Zwingli) and hold out hope. But, as Cleaver puns, Erasmus is interested in "profit," not a "prophet." What follows is a down-the-rabbit-hole mishmash of images; the Velveteen Rabbit, Homer Simpson, Mae West, and a Knight Templar all contribute their own bits of wisdom for Andrew. There are plenty of nods to Christian history, both overt and subtle, including a scene with several saints who urge Benoit to find "the truth within" and give it a voice. But is it the town that really needs saving? Or is it something-or someone-else? This bizarre, whimsical novel will charm and delight some readers and perplex others.
Review :
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Cross the prophet Job with It's a Wonderful Life and you get this award-winning poet's first-person debut novel, rife with strangeness and humor. When the angel of death climbs out of a broken washing machine and announces that the town of Erasmus is about to be destroyed, Andrew Benoit, a pastor fresh out of seminary, only has a week to save it. Erasmus turns out to be a "Potterville" where a Mrs. Primrose Davenport owns almost everything and money is God. A small band of mystics named for movie stars gather at the mystical hot spot The Instant Coffee Cup (run by the wryly named John Luther Zwingli) and hold out hope. But, as Cleaver puns, Erasmus is interested in "profit," not a "prophet." What follows is a down-the-rabbit-hole mishmash of images; the Velveteen Rabbit, Homer Simpson, Mae West, and a Knight Templar all contribute their own bits of wisdom for Andrew. There are plenty of nods to Christian history, both overt and subtle, including a scene with several saints who urge Benoit to find "the truth within" and give it a voice. But is it the town that really needs saving? Or is it something-or someone-else? This bizarre, whimsical novel will charm and delight some readers and perplex others.
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From Booklist
Seminarian Andrew Benoit is shamed into taking an unattractive ministerial posting in the little town of Erasmus. En route, he meets the Angel of Death, a nondescript fellow whose warning nonetheless rings clear: Andrew has a week to save the town, which has "lost its faith." Andrew will give it a try, but he's up against the formidable Primrose Davenport, who owns everything in Erasmus--including the church. And there's a passel of crazies in addition, all of whom illustrate the "fine line between faith and insanity." Rather than saving the world, Andrew learns to work on one soul at a time. Could be that's how you cheat Death.
John Mort
Copyright (c) American Library Association. All rights reserved
Saving Erasmus arrives on time! How can you put down a book with this opening line?
"I did not expect to meet the angel of death while he was extricating himself from a washing machine."
And, it gets better from there. Author Steven Cleaver quickly establishes a very agreeable protagonist (Andrew Benoit) and clearly defines his dilemma: the angel advises Andrew, the town's new pastor fresh from seminary school, that he has one week to persuade the good citizens of Erasmus to abandon their errant ways, repent and get back to their faith. We meet the ruthless businesswoman, the affable cafe owner, a delightful group of mystics and countless others who carry this wacky and wonderful story quickly through to the critical day.
But there's one more thing that makes this very funny book an instant classic: Steven Cleaver knows how to tell a story - and at the end, he hits his mark with perfect timing; simply and totally captivating. With his precise form (182 pages) and his quick wit, you can't help but fly through this book in one sitting, but you'll want to go back and read it again, too; for a new genre of literary faith fiction, Steven has set a great standard.
J. Shaw-Amazon Review
