Ruby and the Stone Age Diet. Martin Millar - Softcover

Martin Millar

3.47

410 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749957824 ISBN 13: 9780749957827

Publisher: Piatkus Books, 2012

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'From now on,' Ruby says to her friend, the narrator, 'We're going on the Stone Age diet. It means we only eat the sort of healthy things our ancestors would have eaten. Raw grains and fruits and stuff like that. That's what our bodies are made for.' An admirable plan, but Ruby never eats and the narrator's attention span doesn't lend itself to routine. He's too busy pining for his ex-girlfriend, who broke up with him and left him with self-pity and a plant: an Aphrodite Cactus that, when it flowers, is supposed to seal the love of the giver to the receiver, according to Ruby. Ruby, who never wears any shoes (even in the dead of winter). Though lovelorn and lonely, the narrator's life is rich with myth, demons, werewolves, gods and goddesses; everything is imbued with a spirit. There's Helena, goddess of electric guitar players; Ascanazl, an ancient and powerful Inca spirit who looks after lonely people; Shumash the sun god; the war and sexuality goddess Astarte; the muse Clio. In fact the only thing stronger and more sustaining than the narrator's fantasy life is his friendship with Ruby - the kind of friendship a body is made for.

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About the Author:

Martin Millar was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but has lived in London for a long time. He has written a lot of things - novels and plays and short stories and articles. As Martin Scott, Millar writes the Thraxas series of books; the first novel in this series won the World Fantasy Award in 2000.

From Booklist:

Best friends and south London squat mates, Ruby and the unnamed narrator are brokenhearted and hungry. Their respective lovers have just left them, and barefoot Ruby insists they begin the Stone Age diet, a regimen of raw fruits and nuts that “bodies are made for.” The narrator’s ex, Cis, delivers what Ruby identifies as an Aphrodite Cactus, a plant that supposedly seals the fate of two lovers once it flowers. Only for some reason it won’t blossom. To make matters worse, the narrator can’t find a drummer for his band, the one he is confident will help win back his girlfriend. Meanwhile, he steeps himself in myth, until he can no longer recognize reality, dwelling instead in an inner world of aliens, robots, werewolves, and gods, including Helena, goddess of electric guitar players. Fans will recognize Millar’s trademarks: piercing satire, humorous surprises, and absurd characters. What the novel lacks in plot, it makes up for with wild imagination; a charming, ADD-infused voice; and its portrayal of two friends who, if nothing else, at least have each other. --Jonathan Fullmer

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