The Mole by Ron Raye is a story in which a man is stranded on an island, has little time to live, and decides to write his masterpiece novel, which is split into ten pieces. In this first volume, the process goes awry, and his main character takes on a life of his own, “charg[ing] his creator with literary treason.”

The author also provides a quick overview of what is to come in his later volumes, where characters’ lives’ and realizations are explored. With these descriptions to shape our perspective, “The Mole” appears to be a unique exploration of the experience of being an author – imposter syndrome, god-like creation of worlds, the intangibility of inspiration, writer’s block, writing as both question and answer, the inevitability of growth, and the ways in which contemplating fictional worlds leads to contemplating reality. Ron Raye offers readers a wide range of thought-provoking poems that are impactful even with little context.

I enjoyed the references to other authors and works which made the book feel more connected, and, as I said above, some of the topics addressed are incredibly engaging and relatable both to authors and readers. Raye does a good job of balancing repetition and newness in a way that maintains coherence while keeping readers engaged with fresh ideas. The author romanticizes the struggles of being an author – the writer’s block, the terrible first drafts, etc., in a way that feels familiar. It’s a story about the creation of a story that carries an inherent timelessness. Overall, The Mole is an incredibly intriguing concept and well worth the time to read, and the time you’ll surely spend reflecting afterwards.

Pages: 844 | ASIN : B0BDBX5DWW