published 1975; paperback 1975, Dell Publishing Co., Inc.

The Book of Paradox has everything: philosophy, mystery, fantasy, romance, horror, occult, interesting and believable characters, beautiful places, and emotionally charged scenes.

The hero of the story is Varka, who has been falsely accused of the murder of Aloethe, the love of his life. The story is about Varka's quest to rescue Aloethe from Limbo and live happily ever after with her. His path to Limbo lies in unraveling the mysteries of the paradoxes spoken by those he meets along the way. As such, Varka moves from one place to the next, unsure if he has understood the true meaning of each paradox and whether he is on the right path at all.

The theme is very like real life. I identified with Varka, who was never sure if he was headed the right way, if he was getting closer, if what he was seeing was real, and if his interpretations of all he saw and heard were correct.

The pace of this story never slowed. It's a short book, just over 200 pages, but it has as much in it as some 500 to 600 page novels.

Review by Suzanne Patten
Reviewed August 8, 1997

ISBN 0440010047

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