Reincarnation Blues

A Novel

By: Michael Poore

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

A wildly imaginative novel about a man who is reincarnated over ten thousand lifetimes to be with his one true love: Death herself.

“This book made me laugh out loud. And then a page later, it made me sob. Reminiscent of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore, Poore finds humor in the dark absurdities of life.”—Chicago Review of Books

First we live. Then we die. And then . . . we get another try?

Ten thousand tries, to be exact. Ten thousand lives to “get it right.” Answer all the Big Questions. Achieve Wisdom. And Become One with Everything.

Milo has had 9,995 chances so far and has just five more lives to earn a place in the cosmic soul. If he doesn’t make the cut, oblivion awaits. But all Milo really wants is to fall forever into the arms of Death. Or Suzie, as he calls her.

More than just Milo’s lover throughout his countless layovers in the Afterlife, Suzie is literally his reason for living—as he dives into one new existence after another, praying for the day he’ll never have to leave her side again.

But Reincarnation Blues is more than a great love story: Every journey from cradle to grave offers Milo more pieces of the great cosmic puzzle—if only he can piece them together in time to finally understand what it means to be part of something bigger than infinity. Darkly enchanting and wisely hilarious, Michael Poore’s Reincarnation Blues is the story of everything that makes life profound, beautiful, absurd, and heartbreaking.

Because it’s more than Milo and Suzie’s story. It’s your story, too.

Critic reviews

“The most fun you’ll have reading about a man who has been killed by both catapult and car accident.”—NPR

“This book made me laugh out loud. And then a page later, it made me sob. Reminiscent of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore, Poore finds humor in the dark absurdities of life.”—Chicago Review of Books

“Charming . . . surprisingly light and uplifting . . . It reads like a writer having fun.”—New York Journal of Books

WAY more intense / disturbing than I expected

Brilliant story and great, non-distracting narration. However, most of Milo's earth lives (particularly the future / dystopian ones) are extremely disturbing. I wasn't prepared for this based on the description or other reviews. I loved the concept, the message, the characters and the writing. But I also had nightmares. Read at your own risk.

I'm still so confused

I liked the premise of reincarnation. I do not like how the book time jumped back and forth so much.

The performance was the best I've ever heard any one narrate.

There is one brief incident of animal cruelty and torture. It's not overly detailed but I felt it was worth mentioning.

Simply fantastic!

The worst part of a book like this is finishing it and knowing it will be awhile before you find another of its' like.

With dark, intelligent humour, and what could be dozens of short stories all linked to a common goal, Poore weaves a tale spanning the ages, with our hero Milo only wanting to find his everlasting paradise with the grim reaper, Death, his girlfriend Suzie.
Filled with pop culture references, wit and charm, there aren't many books that I've found like this. In fact, it is now strongly in my top ten, or maybe top five.

Each chapter represents a new and vastly different life - from 5000 BC to the fourth millénium, in the far reaches of space, from being a tree, a turtle, murderr and a coloniser of planets. Each chapter is loaded with adventure, and definitely holds one's interest. In fact, as each chapter neared it's end, I was apprehensive and wished that that story-line could go on, but was always happy to follow Milo into the next stage of his journey through his multiple lives.

This book is highly recommended.

A beautiful love in magical realism

I have not been so moved by a book in so long, as I have by this one. The story is magical, delightful, and all out beautiful. The narrator, Mark Bramhall, gives this story a depth that it deserves. And, Michael Poore, this book should make its way through the ages as a classic story of love, evolution of the mind, and introspective journey of understanding.

A book I’ll never forget

This book is something I regularly think about on a weekly basis. It’s powerful, funny, with many tales wrapped into one larger picture. It will make you think about your own life once or twice, in the best possible way.