LIGHTS OUT IN WONDERLAND by DBC Pierre

Finished Sa 4/7/12

Finished Sa 4/7/12

LIGHTS OUT IN WONDERLAND is the tale of Gabriel Brockwell, a man who has decided to end it all. He has made up his mind to take his life, but not right away. He wants to spend a little time between Life and Death, or exist in a drug and alcohol fueled Limbo. And during this time of waiting, he wants to promote and indulge in the biggest and wildest party of his life-"Wonderland".

The book is all about excess, how to get it, and how to keep it going. On this level, it's a kind of meditation on the avarice and rapacity of the contemporary global markets, and the addiction to more and more regardless of the consequences. Also, the concept of 'Limbo' connotes a time of 'betwixt and between'. We are just over a decade into the new century and it seems that the old ways have died, and we have yet to replace our conceptual models. Communism has collapsed, Capitalism is floundering, Governments have been usurped by Public Opinion Polls, Money no longer seems to reflect true value, and there doesn't seem to be any consensus whatsoever about what the future will bring. And, politicians and social leaders only exhort us to continue to 'shop' and 'consume' until anything 'more real' comes along.

DBC Pierre's writing style is elegant and very specific, and you really feel you are sharing Gabriel's downward spiral.


Novel begins in rehab when Gabriel is in London.
Nelson Smuts-Gabriel's friend and a chef or international renown. Also know for his excesses.
He contacts Smuts who is in Tokyo, and travels to meet him.
Smut's exclusive restaurant deals in 'poison blowfish'.
Smuts frequently calls Gabriel, 'Putain' From French, and loosely translates as 'whore'.
A rich Japanese Gangster/businessman eats a poisonous fish, and it is blamed on Smuts. He is jailed, and Gabriel leaves for Germany(Berlin) to set up another exclusive restaurant, and arrange Smut's release.
The abandoned Berlin Tempelhof Airport is selected as the site for this enterprise. Ceased operations in 2008, and was originally built by Adolf Hitler. Was the oldest operating airport in the world.
In the end of the novel there are recipes for making dishes using endangered species. These are real recipes, but I doubt if they were ever used.
CARAMELIZED MILK-FED TIGER CUB
CONFIT OF KOALA LEG WITH LEMON SAFFRON CHUTNEY
GIANT PANDA PAW WITH BORLOTTI BEANS AND BABY ROOT VEETABLES
GOLDEN LION TAMARIN MONKEY BRAIN AND BLUE CHEESE RAVIOLI