Play, With Knives, Jeanette Horn (Review by Melissa Frye)

Rating: 4.0/5 Stars

Play, With Knives is truly a work of art that combines elements of magical realism with a lighthearted undertone of humor. The novel follows a struggling traveling troupe of a handful of actors across performances in the Midwest via train. It seems at times they are experimenting with many different things but really never seem to get things quite right. 

The novel really focuses on Edgar in particular as an artist who specializes in t’rompe loeil, a form of art that aims to trick the eye to perceive a 3D object. Edgar is hired as a set designer and quickly becomes quite fond of his fellow actress, Ava. Ava has her own depiction of reality as she struggles internally with her failed marriage and how she wishes others to perceive her. We also follow Chantel, Will and most importantly, Fallon, the playwright as she feverishly writes down her next idea in hopes to find success. 

The lighthearted and whimsical style really hooked me from the start. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect at times, particularly after being introduced to the bartender who was a copy of Abraham Lincoln and a fox that appeared in the train cars every now and again. I was constantly in a state of wonder as to what was reality vs a creation from Fallon’s mind. The author was very mindful in this as I never felt that I was so out of touch with what was going on that I couldn’t continue to be vested to continue in this magical adventure. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a change of pace in their typical fiction choices and love the type of novel that leaves things up to interpretation. This type of book is rare and I really hope to see more from Jeanette Horn!