Solstice

Written by Steven T. Seagle
Art by Justin Norman

I picked this book up by chance, and am so glad that I did.  Solstice began its existence as two-issues of an uncompleted mini-series, before finally being concluded in this volume ten years later, in 2005.  Seagle has made a name for himself with books like Amazon, It's A Bird, and House of Secrets, and I always enjoy his independent work.

Solstice is narrated by Hugh, a young man who has been spending years assisting his dying rich father in his search for the Fountain of Youth.  Russell, the father, is a horrible person.  He bullies Hugh and his employees mercilessly, as he maintains his focus on his elusive goal.  His first two expeditions, to the Canadian Arctic and to Siberia were failures, but he is sure that his current trip to Chile is going to pay off.

What makes this book work so well is the completely non-linear way in which Hugh tells his story.  He constantly jumps back and forth, and begins the story with the death of his father in Chile.  From there, his tale unfolds much in the manner that memory does - as a series of associations and leaps of logic.  It's very demanding for the reader, but at the same time, gives this book an almost conversational air that I found to be very refreshing.

Norman does a great job of keeping things together, subtly aging characters to help the reader establish their own timeline of events.  In all, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.  It's probably not that easy to find now, but it's worth the hunt.