Imagine living in a foreign country. The aromas as well as the people provide you with enough fodder that you lay your literary utensils at either side of her plate and begin to be present in the very moment as each minute passes. The author Chris Viner takes the reader on a journey where life has as much interesting notes as the layers of food he consumes.

Brief Tenancies is a novella written in the form of a short memoir. It appears to be one part a letter to Paris, France where the events take place. The author writes with vivid language, inviting the reader to experience the cafés, shops, people and sounds of this foreign place that he describes in some ways as oxymoronic. At times the author writes as if he conveying a work of fiction with short talkes of fantastical observations that only describe menial or simple happenings. For instance, Viner will use nearly half a page to describe ordering and receiving a coffee beverage. His perception of what he perceives becomes a distraction at times as the word usage appears superfluous or unnecessarily exaggerated. However, there are instances in which the author may have a poignant moment. When he speaks of history or places that he observes as reminiscent of or philosophical concept that he believes can be practically applied to daily life. Yet, even in these spurts of lucidity, they seem to disrupt the flow of the story. That is one caveat. Viner does not intend to relay one cohesive tale of the character’s times in Paris. This novella is a compilation of different experiences and thus relays multiple stories that hopefuly strings together a narrative that hte author conveys as a presenttion of entertaining musings.

As the reader proceeds through the path of turning each page, he may find himself lost in an abundance of words. Often the author appears to have sporadic toughts followed by a couple of pages of another story. One of the biggest consistencies the author conveys the mcharacter’s fondness for nature. Although he does incorporate his description as part of the sequence, ther eader can appreciate him being present in these peaceful moments. His gratitutde for these moments seemingly outrank those in which he interacts with other people. Paris is the backdrop of this character’s next chapter in life. Yet there are times when his presence in Paris is moreso a visit abroad, rather tha a resettlement to progress in his journey thorugh life. Contrary to these instances, he speaks of serious incidents as if they fit within the context of his sporadic narrative. The author, however is clever enough to draw you into thse rarer moments by describing them with heartfelt emotions. As he attempts to understand teh environment he delves in, he anchors himself within the reality of daily living and the understanding that one cannot escape even the worst of times destined for his life. These life events can happen anywhere, and at anytime. For him and the other characters, they have th romantic setting of Paris which leads to the alluring hope that escapism from life was near, but could never be attained.

The other portions of the book wherein he discusses politics or philosophy seem to be a fleshing out of the voice’s character’s thoughts. The reader can detect that the character is assisting his opinion or filtering the opinions of others in order to prevent his mind from being deceived by his inconsistent environment that leaves the emigré to think that all will be well, that even if the worst happens, hen Paris shall be your canvas. Paint with the emotion of being lost, design with the rigidity of politics, and explain the philosophy of life through the understanding of the abstract portrait. Enjoyable as this moment becomes, the reader may be as lost a the author as to what is the primary point he hopes to convey. This short memoir-like novella is consistent with its inconsistency, probably a derivative of the author's style and manner of writing and an ode to the way in which most wayward people live their lives.

Perhaps one of the most redeeming aspects of this novella is that if the reader further delves into the story, it appears to be autobiographical. He uses the first person to imply this, yet according to the author, this is untrue. Even in the copyright page, Viner’s disclaimer states that ‘this is a work of fiction’. Though fiction can imitate life, the reader realizes that the book is not about the author, Chris Viner, but is about the main character, Victor Bagley. Still one cannot wonder whether there is more to him than the author perceives, a bit of lost, a bit of wonder, a longing for the familiar, yet the hope of stability in newness. All of this lends to the perceptive conclusion that Victor Bagley may not be anymore that the author knows, but is someone that many people have become acquainted with in their lives one form or another.

Brief Tenancies by Chris Viner
pps. 109
Published by j.new books
Reviewed by: Patricia M. Muhammad

Patricia M. Muhammad has written 19 fiction book reviews and is an independent scholar in human rights law and restorative justice. She has currently published a combined 25 academic book reviews and research papers which have appeared in The History Teacher, Columbia Journal of Race and Law, and the American University International Law Review among others. She is also a fiction author of 27 fiction books focused on sci-fi/fantasy, historical romance, magical realism, historical fiction, mystery/detective, and crossover contemporary romance genres.