James Markert Blends Reality with Fantasy in “All Things Bright and Strange”

World War I was a very chaotic time in world history. Soldiers suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and civilians often lost touch with reality as the world crumbled around them.

Nevertheless, it has been said that history is the greatest teacher even though the life lessons are usually tough to accept. Historical fiction is a great way to introduce readers to bygone eras, and James Markert’s “All Things Bright and Strange” (HarperCollins, 2018) is a powerful novel about illusions and reality within America during the early 1900s.

Set in Bellhaven, South Carolina, this novel is a moving exploration of enigmatic concepts, such as life, death and the meaning of religion. Protagonist Ellsworth Newberry is a professional pitcher who at one point contemplates suicide. This character is very interesting because he is much like the eponymous Hamlet from William Shakespeare’s celebrated play because they both consider taking their own lives because of their own personal struggles with confronting reality.

Newberry also has a symbolic surname: “new” implies “rebirth” and “berry” is a homophone for that fresh fruits could be harvested after performing hard work with dedication. This character offers readers a sense of hope for the citizens suffering in Bellhaven due to the chaos of World War I.

Ellsworth Newberry has very difficult conflicts that he must deal with given the nature of his circumstances. For example, the chapel that is found in the woods brings about a lot of tension for the townspeople who want to overcome years of mourning. The mourning is almost like a pun because “mourning” implies grieving, but “morning” suggests that there is hope for a new day. James Markert actually does a fantastic job at combining universal issues that people face in order to create a powerful novel that offers a lot about what life really means.

The title “All Things Bright and Strange” references our wonder at the seemingly inexplicable phenomena that happen throughout life. Think of all the reports of unexplained or strange lights that appear in the sky—such as will-o’-the-wisp. James Markert dazzles us with his spellbinding prose in order to remind readers that some concepts are simply inexplicable (and sometimes require no explanation at all). Sometimes truth really can be stranger than fiction in this world of ours.

James Markert is an author from Louisville, Kentucky who writes with the charm we’ve come to expect from the American South. He blends fantasy with reality in order to create compelling prose that is simply a joy to read. Sometimes life is full of tough questions that rarely delivers easy answers, but at least Markert does his best to offer explanations for these mysteries. Life itself can be difficult at times, but sometimes having a sense of faith and trust are all that people truly need in order to understand what it means to be alive.

 

Alex Andy Phuong graduated from California State University-Los Angeles with his Bachelor of Arts in English in 2015.  He is very passionate about art, culture and anything cinematic. His has been previously published on a wide variety of websites ranging from Literary Yard to The Society of Classical Poets. Alex Andy Phuong writes continuously and voluntarily with the belief that his writing will make the world a better place.