Book Review: 'The Occidental Book of the Dead,' by T. Geronimo Johnson
- T. Geronimo Johnson drops a 672-page experimental novel that can't decide if it's a book, a show, or a manifesto.
- Plot spans decades in a fictionalized Atlanta, focusing on a Black cop navigating systemic rot and personal drama.
- Expect plenty of 'uncomfortable' finger-pointing regarding race, policing, and social failings.
- Critics call it an 'athletic' read for people who think Infinite Jest wasn't quite confusing enough.
Brief Summary
T. Geronimo Johnson’s latest offering, The Occidental Book of the Dead, is less of a standard novel and more of a high-concept literary jigsaw puzzle. The story follows George Washington Jonson, a Black veteran turned 'peacekeeper' in a fictionalized Atlanta, as he navigates the violent, conspiratorial, and morally gray landscape of his community. The narrative structure is intentionally fractured, shifting through time, perspectives, and even different media formats to critique the American experience.
Why This Matters
If you are looking for a light beach read, keep walking. This book is explicitly designed to needle the reader and provoke discomfort regarding the current state of race relations and law enforcement in America. It matters because it represents a growing trend in 'prestige' fiction that prioritizes social commentary and structural complexity over traditional storytelling. Engaging with this work means signing up for a heavy, polarizing deep-dive into the grievances and systemic conflicts that define much of today's cultural discourse.