You may not have known you needed a Percival Everett take on a Bond villain, but you definitely do. Our main character, Wala Kitu (words that mean “nothing” in Tagalog and Swahili) is a brilliant mathematician who studies nothing. As in nothingness, which is not the same as the nothing that is the absence of something. He was sought out by villain John Sill to provide guidance as Sill seeks to steal nothing from the government. Nothing becomes part of a constant play on words, made more complicated—and more fun—by the fact that it is never capitalized or italicized, so you’re sometimes left guessing whether a particular instance of the word refers to nothing or nothing. It felt very “Who’s on First?” and I loved it.
This sounds absurd and funny, and it is, but Everett also expertly threads the needle between parody and legitimate stakes. John Sill may do something that is so cliched, like using a trap door, but the situation is dangerous for Wala (and Wala’s colleague Eigen Vector), who quickly comes to regret his decision to work for Sill. The author in general often subverts expectations. However, there are some familiar plot beats by virtue of this being a Bond parody. Occasionally woven through the book are the strands of racism that inspired John Sill to become a villain in the first place. This is a funny book with high stakes, but it does also make a point.
This was my favorite Percival Everett book I’ve read so far. I love how different each one is and how it makes Everett hard to pin down as a writer. I suspect with each new read, I will be surprised and excited by what’s in store. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
