The reviewer found 'Hole Punch' by Garth Simmons to be a raw, fragmented, and nightmarish collection of stories that evokes a range of emotions. The book is described as a provocative attack on the senses, with a dreamlike quality that is difficult to decipher but ultimately makes the reader feel deeply.
The reviewer describes 'Hole Punch' by Garth Simmons as a unique and intangible reading experience. The book is a collection of stories that feel more like poems, with a disjointed and dreamlike quality that is hard to make sense of. The reviewer notes that the book is a glimpse into Simmons' mind, filled with a raw maleness, a sense of isolation, and a quirky sense of humor reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis and Hunter S. Thompson. While the reviewer enjoyed the characters and situations, they found the overall narrative difficult to follow, but appreciated the emotional impact and the way Simmons translated his art into words. The reviewer also highlights the strong theme of feeling like an outsider that runs throughout the stories.
Quick quotes
If you’re looking for a raw, fragmented, nightmarish collection of stories that makes you feel simultaneously bewildered, scared, disgusted, amused and angry all at once, boy oh boy do I have a book for you.
While _Hole Punch_ has been categorised as a novel, or a collection of short stories that form a larger narrative, I would probably be more inclined to describe it as a collection of poems.
Somehow Simmons has translated his art into words, and that alone is pretty damn impressive.