Turbulence by Bruce McLaren

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers (12 Feb. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9492371596
• ISBN-13: 978-9492371591
• Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.1 x 22.9 cm

Synopsis

Thoughts of women filled my head from dawn to dusk. Oh, Eros! Let me swim in your wine-dark seas!

A promising young academic flies off on an adventure, in search of romance, passion and love. Women dominate his thoughts and he thirsts for the erotic spark. Sometimes his interactions live beyond his wildest dreams, while at other times his fantasies and desires collapse and crumble before his eyes. The sum of his experiences leads to an explosive finale that will shake you to the core, just like heavy turbulence.

Intelligent and humorous Turbulence is an adventure novel that dares to dive into the realms of erotica and inspirational romance. Through a series of encounters with women the unpredictable anti-hero develops insights into philosophy and religion, aging, love, sex and marriage. The hard lessons of life cause his views to constantly evolve in the face of depression, divorce, alcohol abuse, failure and tragedy.

There is only one constant, turbulence, which is capricious and unpredictable and can hit at any moment. If you like air travel, then you will love this erotically charged adventure, both supremely triumphant and heart-achingly tragic in one breath.

Review

Turbulance has been a bit of a strange book to review.  I was asked to review by Amsterdam Publishers and it was submitted to them as an erotic novel, a genre they don’t publish.  But, piqued by the author, Bruce McLaren, who is an archeologist they were impressed by the writing of this novel.  This is definitely not an Erotic novel, I don’t think there is much in here that would make Jane Austen blush.  What this is however, is a wonderfully written, travelogue and memoir with a twist at the end I didn’t expect.

Written in the first person narrative, the plot follows an archeologist from the age of twenty to fifty on his travels around the work to archaeological digs and conferences.  Each chapter is referenced to a plane journey, and all journeys involve a woman he meets and subsequently has sex with, in most cases.  There is very little detail of the sex, so don’t be put off if you have a more sensitive disposition.  What there is wonderful and sensuous descriptions of each place he visits and their histories.  Bruce McLaren’s fluid and lyrical prose draws you in and makes this such an enjoyable book to read; the writing is much more in the genre of a literary novel.  Like a memoir, we are part of philosophical musings on religion, the treatment of women in different cultures, history and love.

Turbulence is a fairly short read at just under two hundred pages, so it can be read in one sitting and believe me you will want to consume it in one go.  Bruce McLaren writes with such passion for life and women, his knowledge as an archaeologist is apparent in the prose and attention to detail.  If I am honest this is not a book I would have chosen for myself, but I am so  grateful to Amsterdam Press for letting me read this stunning novel that played on all my senses.