So, we’ve reached the point in the Felix Hart series by pseudonymous writer, Peter Stafford-Bow wherein with the publication of Black Odesa, it appears we have a trilogy in five parts, or whatever it was that Douglas Adams meant by that in regards to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
If wishing to see reviews of the previous editions:
“Black Odesa” starts out for a very short minute with protagonist Feliz Hart at the very top of his game, living large after the events of “Eastern Promise”. Like how a rapper making it big and writing songs about the pains of owning a Ferrari is lame, Stafford-Bow rightly sees that a wealthy Felix is potentially a very boring narrative and tosses Hart to the wilds, taking away everything, including his clothes.
Destitute (and thankfully finding something to wear) Hart is forced to set out on a random adventure via what contacts in the wine world will still speak to him.
This eventually leads him to a dubious existence as a social media influencer and it’s here that Stafford-Bow digs in deep to milk this group’s material for all it’s worth. It’s ridiculous and over-the-top at points, but so is influencing.
The traipsing through various parts of the former Soviet Union harked quite a bit back to the adventures in “Firing Blancs” which took place in South Africa. The keen difference is that this time around the fish out of water aspects were more enjoyable to read.
Overall, “Eastern Promise” remains the high water mark in the series for me as it was the most refined and tight book in terms of narrative and text. “Black Odesa” is a far more mature book than the original “Corkscrew” but there were points where my interest wavered and the text went on for a bit. Again, we see a good deal more of Felix Hart in his naughty boy persona than in previous books. It’s a character that wears thin for me, but in having learned about the “Wilt” series by Tom Sharpe a few years back, it seems it plays for a British audience.
I would say that for whatever quibbles I might have, “Black Odesa” continues in the fine tradition of the Extended Hart Universe. It may not be my favorite of the lot, but it’s an enjoyable read overall, especially when there are so many texts around wine that are far too full of themselves. Hart, for all his antics and scrapes, it a ludicrous figure which remains somehow relatable.
★★★☆☆
Review copy provided by the author
Please also see the Complete List of Wine Book Reviews
