Review: The Saga of Ol’ Rausch by Nick LaTorre

Author Nick LaTorre beckons readers into The Saga of Ol’ Rausch with a mischievous and knowing Cheshire Cat grin. This trilogy celebrates the immortal escapades of Rauschmonstrum, the greatest being in human history, capable of true miracles and magic unmatched on Earth. This aptly named saga stretches from Jerusalem to the White House and everywhere in between, delivering a fictional tongue-in-cheek history of the world as we know it.

Beginning back in the time of Jesus, Ol’ Rausch details how it was he who elevated Jesus of Nazareth to such heavenly heights, describing the Savior as nothing more than a clueless patsy dancing at the end of Rauschmonstrum’s strings. Nearly two millennia later, Rauschmonstrum has his fingers in global politics and a best-selling book detailing his relationship with the sacrificed son of God.

Weaving this immortal being’s influence into some true history that readers will recognize, this story is a bizarre blending of fact and fiction. In LaTorre’s universe, the existence of Rauschmonstrum leads to a widespread decline in global religion, as well as Newt Gingrich becoming the president in the year 2000.

The second part of the book is primarily told through interviews of Rauschmonstrum with various pop culture figures, including Charlie Rose, President Norman Mailer, Mike Wallace and even Louis C.K. This is the author’s opportunity to wax philosophic without being heavy-handed, and the exchanges during these interviews are often smart and thought-provoking. The final piece of the saga details the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the reunion of Rausch, the puppet master, with the holiest reincarnation in human history.

As a cohesive piece of writing, this collection is undoubtedly strange, but also addicting, with a similar surrealist allure as Christopher Moore. The clever retelling of biblical stories eases readers into the mind and flow of Rauschmonstrum, allowing the author to veer into existential philosophy and diatribes in the middle of the book. Mixed in with these thoughtful moments are frequent attempts at humor and occasional snark, which hint at the personality behind the pen. That same pen, however, has a tendency to be tangential, and the pacing is often inconsistent. When a long piece like this one is so scattered in topic and tone, a consistent intention behind the narrative is hard to determine.

While many of the interview sections are enlightening, and the creativity on display is impressive throughout, the stories and interviews tend to wander in intention and scope, and even for a satire the characters’ speech is too artificial to be fully gripping and immersive. Additionally, most of the peripheral characters are underdeveloped, and while this may reflect the arrogance of Rauschmonstrum, it is not one that fully pulls readers in for 250 pages.

Pushing the boundaries of believability with every step, LaTorre delivers this head-scratching manifesto with style and panache. Even if you fail to understand what point the author is ultimately trying to make, The Saga of Ol’ Rausch is a singular story like no other.