The Patron Saint of Pinball

*****A Five-Star Review***** from a living and breathing human who actually read the book: A snapshot of off strip Vegas, The Patron Saint of Pinball is a gut-wrenching ride into the philosophy of the lost. With the beloved Pinball Hall of Fame (an actual Vegas locale) as the backdrop, the book explores the question of how to live a life without a future. It’s philosophical, darkly funny, and heartfelt in turn.When the titular protagonist—a rudderless man diagnosed with terminal cancer—snaps, he leaves his partner and daughter with the hope of saving them from the pain and debt of his impending death. At first living on the streets, and then illicitly behind Hogan’s Alley in the Pinball of Fame, we follow his struggles to figure out just what the point is. The book does a wonderful job detailing what it means to be a father, lover and human when there is no tomorrow. Some of the best scenes feature his daughter, Chloe, an independent rebel not afraid to get tough.Pitted philosophically against each other are the modern disciple of Diogenes (the Greek philosopher known for mocking Plato and telling Alexander the Great to shove off), an enlightened bum searching for an underground city below Vegas and a modern disciple of Uatu (A Watcher from Marvel Comics) in the form of the grumpy proprietor of the Pinball Hall of Fame who just wants to be left alone. These vibrant characters are rendered through wonderful clarity and humor. Particularly the proprietor of the Hall of Fame whose smart and endearing scenes give us an interesting look into the inner workings of an old school arcade.