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for such a short novel (i.e., you can probably finish this in an hour or two), open throat is impressive �� it’s clever and original, written through the perspective of a mountain lion living in LA, who, despite being more animal than human (though possessing some anthropomorphic qualities) provides valuable insight on the human condition and several issues that plague our world today.

throughout the first half of the novel, our nameless mountain lion frequents a homeless camp. the lion’s treatment of this particular group �� compassionate and protective and even a little possessive (“my people��) as the lion seems to identify with them �� is in direct contrast to what happens to them at the hands of another human �� cruel and malicious and�� inhumane. later in the book, the lion, who’s found a sort of home, at least temporarily, looks around at the abundance of space in the room and thinks “of all the other space in this house and in every house on this street and in all of ellay and�� how the people of my town could be here too.�� hoke’s indictment of the ongoing housing crisis, as well as the juxtaposition between the mountain lion’s sympathetic, concerned view of the displaced and society’s perception of them as unworthy of respect or basic necessities, provides a foundation for the development of the narrative, which starts with “i’ve never eaten a person before�� and ends with "i'm only sorry I didn't get to eat all of you.��

in fact, the blurb poses such a question for the mountain lion (do they want to eat a person or become one?) but upon finishing the novel, it seems more a truth that humanity must confront if we want to successfully move forward. we are, in all our complexities and nuances, compelling creatures, and that shows in the lion’s initial fascination of humans, but with such uninhibited power �� after all, our intelligence is unrivaled �� comes inequality and injustice on all accounts. the lion’s journey throughout LA is proof of this: the lack of rain and dry vegetation that enables the spread of fires points to human induced climate change, the homeless camps that are mere minutes away from proper housing, the animals that are kept in captivity maybe for rehabilitation but it seems entertainment is not out of the question either. and so when our mountain lion is faced with what might have once been a dilemma, the choice is obvious. when fascination with humanity becomes disillusionment and disgust, it isn't really much of a choice at all. why become human when humanity has consistently been the problem? why become human when humanity will bring about the destruction of the world? why become human when we’re awful and selfish and refuse to admit it. or acknowledge it and refuse to do anything about it? why not just eat us instead?

as an LA native, this book hit a little too close to home sometimes. from experience: rain is rare (like you'll see some guy on the sidewalk in flip flops and shorts when it's raining and not bat an eye), wildfires are all too common (neighborhoods are evacuated, schools close temporarily, etc.), you'll find people living in tents on the street in such close proximity to the wealthy. it's a city that represents so perfectly what happens when you abuse power and potential and don't take accountability. it’s a city that's often glamorized, but it shouldn’t be; it’s a city i love and mourn in equal measure.

though i enjoyed parts of this book, as a whole it felt sort of underwhelming. i think hoke does some things really well, as i described above, but it also felt like he was trying to fit a little too much into such a short, concise story. we jumped around from one thing to the next instead of exploring each plot point and social issue in depth. henry hoke is immensely talented though, and i would absolutely recommend this �� like most books, i think what you get out of this depends on you as a reader. it didn’t quite work for me, but it definitely has the potential for a certain subset who enjoy literary fiction in all its strangeness and immersive-ness and uniqueness.