John Friesen

Six Bosnian Marks: the Oppressive Price of Pondering & Pontification John Friesen

Publisher Marketing: Life is seemingly only a feeling and nothing more. Unfortunately some have to learn that the hard way. Following the tragic loss of a sister, which some hold him accountable for; the collapse of his family; the sudden calling off of a wedding; a suicide attempt; some combat in Afghanistan; a bank robbery; and a stint in Alcoholics Anonymous, a young and successful architect and aspiring artist clashes with the thoughts that he's always believed kept him safe and protected, and with a feel that's constantly confirming to him that his life has become worse than death itself. After deciding to leave his home country of Canada; and to withdraw from his career and secure way of life, he heads off to France, which ultimately turns into an unexpected journey that takes him throughout Europe and into Asia where he stumbles across numerous characters, including a South American pet monkey of an ex-soldier transport truck fanatic from Bhutan, who all lead by example and inadvertently teach him how to acquire the feel that could finally make his dreams come true. Yet before that happens, he gets mixed-up with an unpredictable on-stress-leave madman banker from Doha, Qatar who takes him, and even the monkey hostage, and drags them to Bosnia and beyond. During the course of this journey the architect realizes that getting as close to death as possible without experiencing it, and seeing the world as a mere theatre are the only ways for him to possibly reverse his fortunes and to obtain the feel that's not only capable of painting the portrait of his visions, but also strong enough to see his destructive train of thoughts come to a crashing end.