Extraneous is a work of light-hearted fiction penned by author Richard Siciliano, now in its revised second edition. Combining pathos with the comedic situations of real life, the hapless hero of the tale is Arnold Haus, cut down by a massive emotional breakdown. When Arnold moves to a temporary residence in a city hotel, intending on rehabilitation, it sets in motion a series of events which lead him through a whole new series of emotional discoveries. Forced to meet other ‘extraneous’ folk whom he never would have imagined getting to know, Arnold learns about the world around him and slowly discovers a new purpose in life through serving and helping the community.

I found Arnold’s story to be one of sweet, smiling moments more than laugh out loud humour, although many of the strange people he meets at the hotel will give you a giggle at first glance. Author Richard Siciliano writes well to convey Arnold’s own unorthodox ways of dealing with crisis, using witty dialogue that sounds straight from real life and familiar situations that really resonate with his readers. There is also a real attention to detail in character building. I particularly enjoyed Arnold’s growing contentment towards the end of the tale as the pieces of his life come together: a very well constructed plot ensures a feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment for all readers there. Overall, Extraneous is an amusing work with a lot of heart that is sure to be an uplifting read for fans of literary drama and allegorical tales.

Extraneous by Richard Siciliano is a great story with compelling characters and themes on personal development, the quest for meaning, and social issues. Arnold Haus is depressed and doesn’t seem to have any desire to live anymore. Matters get worse when he runs out of money. Intending to apply for disability benefits, he has to leave his apartment and live in a cheap residential hotel. His encounters with people like him, people who still have a fire in them, inspire him to begin a business that sells bric-a-brac and used books and records in an old store. His relationship with an elderly priest who has known failure and frustration leads him on a completely new path. He finds purpose in the most unexpected of places.

The novel opens with an encounter. The protagonist, Arnold, is in a consultation with the doctor and what he says, as well as his stream of consciousness, gets the reader intrigued and interested to know who this character is and what troubles him. The prose is beautiful, insightful, and filled with passages that unveil the psychological state of the protagonist with unusual clarity. Here is an example from the very first page: ‘He was trying to explain himself truthfully, and yet as he listened to his words he detected intimations of pomposity and evasion, as well as the potential for an insult if this man, his occupation notwithstanding, secretly harbored phobias of his own.”

The internal conflict is deftly handled and the humanity of the characters is explored with intelligence and skill. It was easy to feel that part of me was in the protagonist; the entire story is filled with realism and it deals with existential themes that most readers are confronted with every day. Extraneous is a novel about meaning, about transforming the absurdity of life and building meaningful connections. Richard Siciliano makes the story real and exciting, creating characters that feel like an extension of what most readers are.