Intriguing Novel Touches Upon Sensitive Subjects

By: Mark Deutsch

The novel Supermarket has been on NY Times bestseller list. Photo Credit: umusic.ca

The book Supermarket by Bobby Hall, who is also the rapper Logic, is a story about the main protagonist Flynn, a desperate man trying to write a novel. In order to complete his book he must go into a supermarket called Muldoon’s and get a job, but must be wary of the passages and loops in the maze that reside in the supermarket.

From the start of the book, there seems to be something odd, what should be labeled as a prologue is instead a regular chapter, making for a passage that only makes sense later on in the book. Yet there are some early clues that are intriguing enough to warrant inspecting Flynn carefully.

From the start, the story lays out just what a failure he is and that Flynn needs to finish his book at all costs. Flynn wants to make one last shot to prove that he isn’t a failure; however, doing this has resulted in some terrifying consequences, such as a “split” resulting in a second personality called Frank.

Frank is a creation of Flynn’s psychosis that was a byproduct of the book that was being written. Flynn was so desperate to finish writing his novel, that he created Frank to fulfill the protagonist role in it.

But how was Frank conjured into existence and linger afterwards?

The answer to that question lies in Flynn’s brain, along with a motley band of mental illnesses. A bad breakup, the pressure from the deadline for the book, and his writing style kick-started the problems.

From what the book described as the writing style, it seems to go beyond just doing research for the book. The author would physically get into the role of the setting, even going so far as to get a job there. That explains partially why the problems with Frank began by applying for a job.

Flynn’s tortured mind couldn’t handle the missing protagonist not walking through the door. So in order to fill in the gap a protagonist was born, cementing a character called Frank in his psyche.

Unfortunately for Flynn, finishing that book resulted in breaking his mind, which led to a battle for his sanity against Frank.

This battle can be witnessed through Flynn’s own eyes because it’s written through a first person view. Flynn constantly breaks down the fourth wall as if he’s writing a book within a book which provides insight on what Flynn is going through.

The tough struggle can be seen throughout the book, if looked at closely and by those that have a major in psychology. With the brief synopsis of the book  laid out, here’s the discussion of the book itself as a whole.

The clues that have been embedded throughout the book, are both subtle and obvious to the reader. Depending on the clue, it can be either a major facet of the story, or it could just a small clue that seems innocuous.

Then there’s a big part of the story that’s confusing, such as the narrator interacting through the fourth wall.

Things can get a little confusing as the book goes on. There are also some smaller issues, such as a couple of plot holes later down the line.

But enough about those issues, the book can be considered a decent read. The book can be entertaining to read repeatedly and raises awareness for serious topics such as mental illness.