The Quantum Theory of Love and Madness

The library was a place "...I could breathe easily, fluidly...so quiet...just me and books." The library was my refuge. Love of literature thematically connects fourteen short stories in a collection of the otherwordly, sad or humorous aspects of life.

In "The Arsonist", a seventeen year old becomes head of household when both parents die in an auto accident. "...the worst part...I felt so alone. An invisible person...quite unsafe. "I learned to do things even if they never felt accomplished enough." Evan, twelve years old, "...gathered a pile of twigs together in our backyard and struck a match."

Claire was "the attractive woman I always thought I might marry." Twenty years prior, they had studied Byron, Shelly and Keats in college English class. Why think of an old flame? A fellow passenger on the underground was reading a book about the "tangential" relationship between alternate and parallel universes. In the short story "Paris was the Rage","...I was looking in on myself from the outside."

Doug Swan had writers block. Various publishers indicated that his writings lacked imagination. Energized by the rhythm, pulse and bright lights of the city, Doug drove in from the suburbs. A rain drenched girl knocked on his car window. In "The Writer", the reader discovers whether this encounter will provide the remedy each one seeks.

"Funerals and wakes are the best places to meet women...their guards are down and they're open to commiserating with others." That is how the protagonist met his new girlfriend. In "The Quantum Theory of Love and Madness", the statuesque beauty had "an outer veil concealing a hard nut inside...the beautiful exterior began peeling away...". Don't leave me, or else...a blackmail threat...my only hope was to escape from her clutches.

In "New Years at the Laundromat", forty two year old Lester decided to go to the Wash and Fold Laundromat rather than stay home alone on New Years Eve. He dressed in his best tweed jacket and packaged his laundry in a "large gift box complete with bow..." and took a book, sparkling water and a bar of dark chocolate with him to the laundromat. Enter a woman casually dressed in sweats and carrying a gym bag filled with laundry. Both liked foreign films. Both enjoyed literature.

"The Quantum Theory of Love and Madness" by Jerry Levy is a thoroughly enjoyable literary read I highly recommend.

Thank you Guernica Editions and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This was a random Netgalley selection. Not sure reading Canadian counts for international fiction, but theoretically….maybe. The main attractor was the title. And lo and behold, judging the book by the cover worked out nicely. I ended up really enjoying these short stories. And yes, as advertised, they do deal with love and madness, mostly the former, occasionally the latter, especially as love drives a person to madness. The stories were mostly slice of life sort of things, but a life made less ordinary by presented as fiction. There’s an occasional extraordinariness sliced into the mix. Something along the lines of magic realism. The general tone is that of realistic and plausible, but the reality tends to be slightly askew now and again.
I was trying to resist saying that the collection starts off explosively, which is a pretty terrible pun on a story about an arsonist, but then again I can never resist a pun. It is a great story, though, very effective and sets off the mood and level of expectations pretty high…and the subsequent entries meet that bar admirably. I didn’t care for the last story very much. The protagonist was tedious, an ugly one note cliché of the disfranchised, but the rest were very engaging. There’s an almost fable like quality at work here, a moral here and there. My favorite thing about these stories (my favorite thing about short stories) is the way the author managed to tell an entire tale (beginning to end) but succinctly. Not just a glimpse or a sketch, but a proper story with a proper plot. The characters are dimensional, their lives are complex. Makes for a very compelling reading experience. The author’s writing style is very plain, unadorned, matter of fact…not sure if it’s a deliberate stylistic choice or just a personal style, but it worked well here. Especially since this was a palate cleanser from the overstylized award winning turd of a tome. Made me appreciate the plainness and brevity of this book all the more. Enjoyable quick read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I LOVED this book. Such touching, humorous and thought-provoking short stories. I am always at a Doctor's office, and this one a calming, and wonderful way to wait. I am going to purchase it as well. I can't emphasize enough you need to read this one.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

Very nice collection. Very enjoyable, with humor, interesting plots and characters, along with good dialog. Simple but entertaining stories that show the author's talent nicely. I look forward to more from him,

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

“In these grossly materialistic times, people are dying for some spiritual guidance. They want to nourish their souls. There’s a whole lost generation looking for itself.”

The stories in this collection from Canadian author Jerry Levy are engaging and at times bizarre. A welcome break in the routine of days, these tales are sometimes silly and other times make you uncomfortable just like my favorite, Butterfly Dreams. A lesson in letting go or holding tight, a man named Ashton makes himself at home in his ex-girlfriend Evie’s apartment when she isn’t there. Oh he is devious, creeping like a ghost, disturbing things just enough that an observant mind would notice. He’s the most clever spider building his web, until there is a snarl.

Starchild is about a one-of-a-kind sort of boy, a ‘lyric savant’. Why can’t songs stand in for normal conversation? Aren’t there enough songs to apply to every situation? He is a very special kid, but what happens to children who have to grow up and enter the real world that demands conformity? Maybe he is more than special, maybe he could look skyward?

Grotesque makes you think what is the most grotesque, a creature or a human. Sadly, sometimes it’s humans who are truly the wild animals. There is a hint of magical realism and the supernatural here.

There are chance encounters that fizzle out, a 6ft 2 man who lives above the ground on a high wire, trips that force a man out of his comfort zone, children who become orphans until one becomes a fire lover, what ifs, terrible poetry, and writers block. It is a unique collection that can be read in a short duration of time. Not all stood out for me, but those that did are memorable.

Publication Date: April 1, 2020

Guernica Editions