A Fine Ending, Louis Rastelli

In Louis Rastelli’s A Fine Ending, the main character (also named Louis) explains, “The city seems big... but inside of it, all we have are the small spaces between its boxes.” Rastelli’s depiction of Montreal in the late ’90s is imbued with containment and community. The artists, musicians, and junkies that populate Rastelli’s bohemian city share a startling creativity and a hunger for connection. At the center of this novel is the sense that the exhilarating, frantic artistic and cultural production is peaking, and will inevitably end.

The novel is episodic, with a dizzying, revolving cast of Louis’ (perhaps only slightly fictionalized) roommates, girlfriends, acquaintances, band members, neighbours, and pets. One of the few characters that appears consistently is Liora, who is a musician and Louis’ best friend. It’s clear from the outset of the novel that there’s something more than friendship between these two, who share lengthy phone conversations, week-long road trips, and countless meals. Surprisingly, the reader never gets a physical description of Liora (nor of many of the main characters, except Louis’ cats). Nevertheless, Liora and Kevin (a frequently drunk magician) are the novel’s most memorable characters.

Rastelli’s best stories include the infamous ice storm of 1998, his beloved and tragedy-prone cats, and the combing of abandoned buildings and junk stores for “treasures” (old home movies, architectural plans, art supplies) that have been left behind. In these most exciting moments, the narration gathers a momentum and a sense of urgency that the rest of the novel lacks. Much of the novel is a blur of partying, travelling, and apartment hunting. Regardless, Rastelli warmly invites the reader to join him in the countdown to 2000, and he throws one heck of a party.    

For more about this book, visit http://www.louisrastelli.com/a_fine_ending/.

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