just deserts

Last one in / Nicholas Kulish

Jimmy Stephens is an unlikely, or unlucky, war correspondent. Having spent most of his journalistic career as a gossip columnist, Jimmy is dumped in the desert of Iraq to cover the ‘war on terror’ from the front line.

The premise, although slightly implausible, sits close enough to reality to be believable. Kulish provides enough ‘real’ information to ensure the reader is transported to what is happening. The imagery that Kulish creates around the sand is well crafted, leaving enough to the imagination of the reader to create their own interpretation of the visual. It is this subtly of description that draws the reader into the world, allowing for the narrative and character development to shine.

Jimmy’s struggles as a first-time war correspondent provide fabulous comedy fodder for Kulish. From being tricked by a fake gas attack to getting lost on a rations truck, Jimmy comes across as a little too close to how I would fare in similar situations. As Jimmy finds his desert feet and connects to the Marines he is embedded with, there is a very coming of age feeling about the story.

There is a lack of quality war-time humour writing during conflicts; it seems that this topic is almost too taboo for writers and readers to contemplate. Political satirists will address the politics of a situation, but the war itself is left alone. Although I’m not suggesting that war is amusing, the use of humour provides an access point for people to have a greater insight of situations that are difficult to express. As a former war correspondent, Kulish treats the situation with the respect and disrespect that it deserves. He doesn’t shy away from the pain of war, but highlights the absurdity of the human condition that is so apparent.

Kulish has achieved a wonderful first novel. He has a fantastic style, using narrative with character development and location description in a way that is both compelling and easy to read. I hope that Kulish continues to write and I look forward to reading more of his work. Last one in is well worth obtaining and reading.