Between the Covers

December / January, 2012

Stories Within a Story

By Patti Thorn

Stone Arabia
By Dana Spiotta Scribner,
235 pages, $24 (hardcover)

Remember those wooden Russian nesting dolls? The kind in which a small doll fits inside a larger one, that fits inside an even larger one?

That's the sort of story you'll find in Dana Spiotta's novel, Stone Arabia, which is told in various points of view, one building on the other.

At the story's center, there's Nik, an aging punk musician who has eschewed a commercial life for a purely artistic existence, creating his work in private. We learn much about Nik through his "Chronicles," scrapbooks of news clippings, letters, etc. Next, there's Nik's sister Denise, who addresses the reader in first person, telling the story of Nik's life from her own point of view. Her narrative introduces her daughter Ada, who adds yet another layer to our view of Nik when she decides to make a documentary film about Nik's life. Finally, arching over all of these stories-within- stories is the larger book itself, written in the omniscient voice of the author.

If all that sounds confusing, it can be at first. But as the novel unfolds, the reading experience becomes as intriguing as unwrapping a gift, one layer of tissue paper at a time, until you reach the final surprise.

The story revolves around Nik, whose Chronicles aren't entirely trustworthy. He pens some of the news clippings and other items in his scrapbooks himself, sometimes altering the facts. In this way, he has become the ultimate artist, crafting his own legacy while making music without compromise. He also has a drinking problem, which seems to go along with the lifestyle he has chosen for himself. As Nik obsesses over his personal life, Denise obsesses over Nik, constantly worrying about his well-being. When Nik's life indeed appears to be spiraling out of control, the story gains momentum until Spiotta offers an unexpected reveal at the end.

Filled with musical references that will delight music fans and cultural truths that hit home, Stone Arabia is a wonder for its dazzling display of writing craft. Spiotta doesn't spin a story so much as design it. The result is an intricately told tale well worth a read.

Patti Thorn is the former books editor for the Rocky Mountain News. She is now an independent editor specializing in book-length manuscripts and co-founder of BlueInk Review (blueinkreview.com), a service that reviews self-published books. Reach her atpatti.thorn@gmail.com or 303-290-0811.