Published 2009

Fontaine Press

JJ Deceglie’s novella Damned Good is, on the surface, a poker novel. And let’s face it, not everybody is crazy about a game that involves people wearing sunglasses indoors and losing lots of money. I know I’m not. In fact, this book falls into the extremely narrow genre of “poker fiction”. Haven’t heard of it either? That’s alright, as far as I can tell, it’s defined by two characteristics: it’s prose/fiction and it’s about poker.

Plot is far from the central focus of this book. In an almost Beat style, the darkness of the Rookie’s poker ambitions is more about what’s going on inside his head rather than how the universe that has been created, is working around him.

Deceglie’s writing style is strange and angular; very intriguing. He has a way of sculpting his words to fashion a particular mood and feeling – in this case, mostly serious, with a hint of bleakness.Maybe there was tension in the crux of the poker game, but I didn’t feel it. And really, who cares about the story when you can just sit and soak in all the literary juices?

That being said, at times, Damned Good a little distancing to the reader. When The Rookie realises, and executes his desperate need to write as an emotional release, this is the closest we get to seeing him: real and raw. And compared to this passage, the rest feels just a little too well-crafted.

At times, The Rookie’s observations are profound, at other times, a little stilted. But for the most part, the book delivers a full house of sex, money and fate as it plays out on the emerald felt.

I don’t normally do this, but the Amazon link is here if you dig this and wish to add it to your basket of goodies.