One of the things I like to do when I get bogged down or bored is take a trip to Barnes and Noble or Half-Price Books or any bookstore with a discount section. I then look for really discounted fiction; stuff marked down to a couple of bucks. I pick out books that I know nothing about but that look interesting from the dust jacket and blurbs. I call these "random books." I find it interesting just to pick up these books and see if I can't find a gem among them.
I picked up some random books the other day and one of them was Three to See the King by Mangus Mills. It seemed interesting and mysterious plus it was short (176 pages). Since I only paid three dollars, I would count this as a gem. It is a sort of minimalist fable but the language and characters are interesting enough to sustain it. It is not life changing or deeply affecting but it is an enjoyable read; a sort of surreal version of Graham Green's entertainments.
The story centers around an unnamed narrator who lives in a house made of entirely of tin. The narrator seems happy to have found this abandoned house of tin and happy with his life within it. Things begin to change, however, when he receives a visitor. He describes this person, her name is Mary Petrie, as a "friend of a friend." Having only met her once or twice, he is unsure of how to proceed. But soon, despite her occasional moodiness, he is happy to have her around and they even begin sharing a bed. But soon other visitors show up. His friends scattered across this blustery plain begin to visit as well. As a result his life is a bit more complicated then he might like. All this interaction forces him out of his comfort zone as they say.
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