Once in a Blue Moon

Once in a Blue Moon is a collection of short stories that follows various encounters of an unnamed narrator. The stories range from tense situations with law enforcement to surreal experiences on the road and memories from childhood. Each tale maintains Mills' characteristic plain prose style while presenting seemingly ordinary scenarios that take unexpected turns. The collection includes four stories: the title story about a police siege, "The Good Cop" involving an unusual interrogation, "They Drive by Night" about a strange hitchhiking experience, and "Screwtop Thompson" which centers on a peculiar childhood toy. The stories explore themes of authority, miscommunication, and the thin line between mundane reality and absurdity. Mills' stripped-down narrative approach creates an atmosphere where everyday situations reveal hidden complexities and subtle humor.

This novel sees less discussion than Mills' other works, with limited reviews available online. Readers highlight the deadpan humor, absurdist situations, and Mills' signature style of making mundane workplace scenarios feel surreal. Several reviews note the book delivers "exactly what you expect from Magnus Mills" with its focus on manual labor and peculiar workplace dynamics. Common criticisms include the plot feeling too meandering and the ending leaving too many questions unanswered. Multiple readers mentioned struggling to connect with or care about any of the characters. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (37 ratings) Amazon UK: 3.9/5 (11 reviews) Notable reader comments: "Like Waiting for Godot meets Office Space" - Goodreads review "Too much build-up for too little payoff" - Amazon UK review "The usual Mills territory but not his best work" - Goodreads review Several reviewers recommend new readers start with Mills' other books like "The Restraint of Beasts" before trying this one.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami The blend of everyday situations with surreal elements mirrors Mills' style of making the ordinary strange through plain narrative delivery.

The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien Creates the same unsettling atmosphere through interactions with authority figures and situations that start normal but spiral into the bizarre.

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson Short stories following an unnamed narrator through a series of encounters that transform common experiences into something more complex and meaningful.

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro Uses straightforward prose to tell a story where reality shifts imperceptibly, creating the same sense of unease found in Mills' work.

True Grit by Charles Portis The matter-of-fact narrative voice recounting unusual encounters echoes Mills' approach to storytelling and dry humor.

🌙 Magnus Mills worked as a bus driver in London while writing his first novel, "The Restraint of Beasts," which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 📚 The title "Once in a Blue Moon" refers to the rare occurrence of two full moons in a single calendar month, happening only about every 2.5 years 🚛 Mills' experience as a truck driver significantly influences his writing style and subject matter, particularly in stories about working-class life and transportation ✍️ The author is known for creating a distinct literary subgenre that combines kitchen sink realism with elements of absurdist fiction 🎯 Each story in the collection maintains exactly the same word count, demonstrating Mills' precise and methodical approach to structure