Degrees of Separation: A Pseudonovel

By: Marc Richard

Narrated by: David S. Dear

This book will steal your soul.

"This made my brain hurt." -Anonymous Litigant

Mystical. Weird. Hilarious. A dumb cast of characters you have to see to believe.

The lazy Uncle who fuses with his favorite chair.

The computer virus that takes on a life of its own.

The surgeon on an acid trip.

Bootsy Collins.

What do these people have in common? About as much as you have with Kevin Bacon.

Witness how the actions of one can affect the lives of many in Degrees of Separation.

Get ready for a downward spiral through hell.

Through beauty and nightmares, through comedy and tragedy.

A novel? Yes.

A short story collection? Yes.

Call it what you will, but I can promise you that it is made of 100 percent words.

Degrees of Separation was originally penned by a squadron of Black Sabbath fans at a Steely Dan show. The pages that weren’t used for rolling special cigarettes were retrieved from the floor of the concert hall, and then (barely) translated into this book here.

Step right up, strap in, and enjoy the ride!

©2016 Marc Richard (P)2017 Marc Richard

Just didn't get it.

Any additional comments?

I received a copy of this audio title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

Well this book wasn't what I expected. Perhaps it was my fault, but from reading the description of the book I had it in my head it would be kind of like a Dave Barry book,. where there are several stories taking place that seem unconnected then at the end all come to together in a fun way. That wasn't the case. I was actually pretty happy with the first few chapters. The stories and the characters were interesting and I would have been happy to learn more about them, but that never really happened. Yes, in a way many of the stories seemed loosely connected, though no character ever turned up in future chapters (or rather no character was ever the lead character again after their main chapter) but there was no overall story, not that I could discern. As I got deeper and deeper into the book any hope that there was an overarching story went out the window. Sadly it completely broke down to the point where it honestly felt like one long insane, at times incoherent, stream of consciousness. Examples? Okay, one chapter was simply a recipe. Another chapter was merely a listing of trees, animals, and bugs you might see if you visited the American north west.

I stuck it out to the end, hoping for a payoff. The last chapter is another weird on in which the other tries to explain what he had done and why, but again it didn't really work for me. It came off feeling like a poorly executed piece of performance art. Maybe some people will love it and I'm just not the target audience. Like I said, there were pieces/chapters I enjoyed and I seriously would be interested to see what this author could do if he focused on a single storyline, but the way this book was it, it was like trying to watch tv while a 3 yr old holds the remote control, changing the channel every 13 seconds.

I did enjoy the narrator quite a bit and think he did a good job, will have to see if he's narrated anything else I might be interested in.

Inner dialogues escape!!

What made the experience of listening to Degrees of Separation the most enjoyable?

There are some truly hilarious moments in this book.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

David Dear seems as though he may be a fairly new reader. His annunciation needs a bit of work; at times he seems to let the words get away from him, slurring them together. However, at the beginning of the chapters he over-enunciates with a precision so at-odds with his overall laid back style of speech that it seems to be an irreverent affectation. It works passably well in a comedic work like this, but I feel he'll reach a wider audience with targeted effort on smoothness and consistency.

Interesting batch of stories here!

I was provided a copy of this story (in audiobook format) for an honest review. On a side note, this was the first story I've read/listened to by this author and narrator.

Words or phrases I'd use to describe this batch of short stories:

strange
interesting
attention-grabber
180 degrees turn
don't want it to end
unique
recommender
thought-provoker

I was hesitant about asking for a copy of this audiobook, but I'm glad I went with it. I've never read or listened to a story or group of stories that had this sorta flow to them. I liked how the author would carry over a situation or character to the next story. A lot of these "stories" seemed more like random thoughts that popped into the author's head. Either way, they held my attention because they were so different from what I usually read.

Review of Degrees of Separation

If you could sum up Degrees of Separation in three words, what would they be?

Weird, funny, thought-provoking

Who was your favorite character and why?

The dog that ran away whose name I can't remember off the top of my head.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the dog from my previous answer was reunited with her family.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Mr. Richard is the writer, not me.

Any additional comments?

I received a free Audible copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

This is the first experience I've had with books by author Marc Richard. And listening to this book was an experience, let me tell you. The stories all seem disjointed, a mish-mash of things, but this, of course, couldn't be further from the truth. Just like the game (Six Degree of Separation/Kevin Bacon), the stories are all inter-connected. They are also so often funny, sometimes disturbing (at least to my sheltered mind), sometimes disgusting (if I never had to eat meat loaf again, I'd be happy), and all so interesting.

I am also impressed by the narrator, David S.Dear. I've never heard any books narrated by him before but I would be excited to do so again because I think the way in which he read and the inflection and pronunciation he used would be close to what would be in my head if I were reading the printed words.

All in all, I definitely recommend this book and it makes me excited to read more by this new-to-me author.

There is no separation, everything is connected.

The book start off with arson, moves into a murder game, and transitions from a man being attacked by a computer virus to a dog's POV. This is a true stream of consciousness novel, and I had never read one before and really had no expectations at all. Each and every story is connected to the one that preceded it in some way.

The narrative does meander, and there is no clear cut beginning middle or end; it is mostly just MIDDLE. That is not a bad thing, the story doesn't need them. It just needs to move ahead like a shark swimming. Each tale is unique, and the dialogue is creative and fun. The only issue I had was when we had to hear David Dear repeat, "You've got mail!" 28 times in rapid succession.

Speaking of the amazing Mr. Dear, he does a fantastic job here. He just commands the story from page one, and his dulcet tones really do help you flow down that stream of conciousness river. I am quickly becoming a fan of his.

Seperate but connected, that is the theme of this book. Make the right connection, and get it for yourself.

Outer Limits meets Pulp Fiction

This book was different from the typical narrative and story structure, which was a nice change from the norm. The humor and strangeness might not be for everyone but I enjoyed it. The narration was very fitting to the setting and feel of the book. Voices, accents, and inflections were all performed fabulously.

If you are looking for a standard story structure with a beginning, middle, end, plot, resolution... this book is not for you. If you are looking for random strangeness all tied together in odd ways, then give this book a try!

I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

Hilarious madness

This story starts in a strip club and ends with a suicide note. Or is it the shaved goat? No, no, definitely a fly that wants to witness your death.

I am half sure this was some sort of writing prompt to string the most unlikely lives and happenstances together. If it was, it worked out perfectly. You can't wait who the next chapter will be about and what's their random story :)

It's insightful, magical and trippy. David S. Dear's narration is flawless and he gives so many lives to so many characters here. Very good job. I'm definitely happy I checked this book out!


My heartfelt thanks to the author, narrator, or publisher for providing me this audiobook via Audiobook Boom at no cost in exchange for my unbiased review.

So darkly funny

What did you like best about this story?

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator. Many characters who are in fact characters. I found this an excellent book with perfect narration. The story shifts from dark to crazy to ironic and back. Consistently keeping a dark humor that is perfectly balanced throughout the entire book is an accomplishment.

Buckle up

Right on the cover "Like starting off an acid trip with a pitcher of Red Bull" the tone was set and my expectations were clear. Obviously, this was going to be similar to a typical night with 15-20 of my closest friends in that tiny one bedroom apartment I shared with my crazy ass boyfriend when I was 20. Similar to the outrageous ramblings of my favorite people who had over-indulged in...well, whatever...you know what I'm talking about. Dark, funny, sad-ish, and incoherent...it's all here.

There's not much else I can share about the storyline because it was quite simply erratic. Was there a storyline? It was entertaining without a damn storyline.

Disclaimer: If you never enjoyed those nights you only sort of remember with those crazy guys in that dumpy apartment doing those things you wouldn't tell your mom about then you will not enjoy this book. If you did - cheers!

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator. This did not influence my review in any way.

Entertaining to anyone who enjoys unconventional

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend to my friends that have an unusual sense of humour and tolerance for the strange.

Which character – as performed by David S. Dear – was your favorite?

There are too many characters. David used various voices to identify individual characters but the book was mostly a narrative.

Any additional comments?

If you want a "sunny-side up novel- don't read this. If you enjoy the unconventional and strange I believe you will enjoy this book.
Each chapter is a stand alone narrative about an event in a character's life or some random ramblings. As you listen/ read through the book, some characters or stories are connected, hence the title of the book. I did not catch a connection with every story however. Maybe I need to listen a second time.
I found myself intrigued with each chapter but also questioning when "the point" would become obvious. I've never before enjoyed a book that I've had such conflicted feelings about let alone be curious to listen to it again.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.