Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe


This book is more of a long article, really, as it was part of a series of Quick Read Books published in England. Danny Wallace is one of my favorite comedic writers. He has a child’s fascination with the world around him, always willing to go anywhere and do anything in the name of…well, mostly he only needs a very small reason to do anything. In this case, after having discovered his new apartment was near the center of the world (Greenwich, where the line of demarcation between the eastern and western hemispheres lies), he does a Google search for the center of the universe. And he discovers it’s been found! It lies in a town in Idaho, right in the middle of the street. When Danny finds that the name of the town is Wallace, he decides it’s cosmic fate, and he must travel to the Center of the Universe. Danny usually has a message in his books about the interconnectedness of people, the importance of our lives, and our place on Earth (it’s subtle, butt it’s there). There is some of that with this book, but the enjoyment (for me) came in the fact that the entire story takes place over the course of 24 hours and makes a tiny town seem like a bustling city. Another reminder from Wallace to look around you, lest you miss life passing you by.

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