Review: Vold Book’s Oceans of Curtains by John T. Trautman

A parable wrapped in a fantasy, complete with an eclectic soundtrack, Vold Book’s Oceans of Curtains: A Novel Set to Music by John T. Trautman is a delirious plunge into a mystical new world.

The realm of Ksevia has been harmonious and unified for generations, largely because its people have maintained “homeostasis of the communal anthos,” a group-mind version of their collective spirit, achieved through the widespread use of a stabilizing drug. It is widely believed across society that sustaining this shared homeostasis “provides nourishment to the soul of the universe.”

However, a radical faction of the citizenry who have experienced extreme side effects want to disrupt the social order and let anarchy reign. When the Ksevian’s energetic web of connectedness, the Yuit, suddenly disappears, the denizens of this fantastical land face the ultimate test of independence, self-governance, and free will.

Against this high-stakes backdrop, Koravo and Pandara, loyal partners connected since birth, embark on a quest to uncover what has gone wrong with their world, while living without the bond of the Yuit for the very first time. Navigating a place where the lines between magic and science are blurred, they discover that their destiny lies in a controversial revolution of truth.

The existential implications and philosophical explorations of this realm may seem fantastical, but there are plenty of moments that feel allegorical, or subtly veiled commentary on current events, with parallels that feel as much like speculative sci-fi as fantasy fiction. The secret development of countercultural weapons to disrupt groupthink, the fundamental symbology of a tree crucifix worn around the neck, and other comparisons to our world give the narrative timely weight – this is fiction that is a timely reminder to follow facts.

Setting a novel to music is beyond ambitious, and a credit to the author’s diverse talents, making this a truly unique audiobook experience. The surreal landscapes and dream-like events of this experimental tale are well-matched to the intimate and organic compositions. There are times when the music overpowers the soft and patient stylings of the prose, creating a slight disconnect between subject matter and atmosphere. In other chapters, the pace of the narration is quick and clipped, leaving less room for emotional nuance, while the music similarly does not reflect this tonal shift. That said, this variation in the listening experience is unique in the medium of audiobooks, helping this title stand out among other works of fantasy, and really fiction on the whole. Overall, the musical pairing is dynamic and engaging, with vocal variations in intensity and excitement matched with more up-tempo tracks.

For those readers who enjoy reading at their own pace, sans accompaniment, the prose itself has some room for improvement. The parable-like simplicity of certain scenes and conversations helps make the story more accessible, but in general, properly unpacking this book requires focus and fairly regular suspension of disbelief. There is a rigidity to the writing that feels unnatural and occasionally difficult to engage, particularly when the narration leans into telling readers about a character’s emotional state or motivations, rather than showing those details through context and story. This tendency to overwrite can rob the prose of some emotion, while also lowering the stakes and reducing the amount of suspense in the narrative flow.

Despite the occasionally awkward execution, this is a mind-bending combination of mixed media art, philosophy, and social science, within an enigmatic storyline that is both heady and rewarding, offering a cathartic degree of cultural critique.