J.J. Pascal's The Night of the Animals follows a man named René Navarro. René is a journalist whose mother's death brings a family reunion he could have done without at the funeral. René discovers that his brother, Marcel, who stole his coin collection, is on his way to sell their family home. When Uncle Elias reveals a letter written for René from his deceased mother, René learns about a secret inheritance that could change his life. He is determined to get his hands on what he considers rightfully his. Meanwhile, he keeps having surreal dreams that threaten to spill over into reality. After a case of mistaken identity where his doppelganger ends up dead, René finds himself slipping further away from his old life. Can he get his life back on track?

Ridiculously funny and unpredictable, The Night of the Animals is tailor-made for fans of dark comedy. Author J.J. Pascal has spun a hilarious tale of a man suffering from an identity crisis while trying to navigate life among his quirky family members and strangers. The characters wouldn't look out of place in a Coen Brothers' movie. The plot unfolds as a family comedy/drama, leading to an escalating chain of events where you're constantly left wondering what's going to happen next. René is someone you can easily sympathize with. The relationship dynamics between the Navarro family members are so interesting. René rightfully feels wronged by his brother, yet shies away from a confrontation. I liked his relationship with Hanna. All in all, the book is very entertaining. Readers are in for a wild ride with this one!

If ever there was an anti-hero, it was René Navarro, aged 34 and nondescript. He worked for a newspaper, was moderately successful, but his efforts at writing a novel were not yielding fruit. In recent years, he had to look after his ailing and mentally unstable mother. When his mother died, he was left to cope with his estranged younger brother Marcel and a host of unhappy memories. He reflected on his troubled childhood, a father killed in a motor accident, a dysfunctional family, and treasure hunts. After the funeral, he was handed an envelope left for him by his mother, containing a message that alluded to hidden family treasures. René set out to follow the clues, plotting revenge against his brother and crossing paths with other troubled people. His search for the elusive riches was interrupted by his supervisor, who assigned him to cover an event and ruined his plans. An unusual solution presented itself. He discovered that he had a double in the form of Pascal, an aspirant actor who was living an equally nondescript life. In The Night of the Animals by J.J. Pascal, they exchange identities, but the plan soon backfires, with surprising results.

The catchy book title derives from the name of a theatrical company, of which the luckless Pascal was a member. By taking on René’s identity and journalistic assignment, he was hoping to generate some cash, avoid his creditors, and have a break from caring for his frail father. J.J. Pascal blends a tangled situation into a work that explores the surreal, the incongruous, and the quirky. René is troubled, unable to transcend his childhood, haunted by ongoing sibling rivalry, and less than successful romances. The latter theme continues throughout the book with some sexual situations. For René, it is a search for identity and acknowledgement, while confronting his inadequacies as best he can. The Night of the Animals is filled with irony, dark humor, and conflict. The writing style fits that mold and will entertain and at times bemuse the reader. This is good escapist fare with an original and unpredictable ending.