The Wonders

The examination of celebrity culture is not new to Australian author Paddy O’Reilly. In her short story ‘Reality TV’ – recently published in The Great Unknown, an anthology edited by Angela Meyer – Carly, the protagonist, appears on a program about her famous sister only to discover, with dawning apprehension, that her husband is also on set. The Wonders, however, takes the strange phenomenon that is ‘celebrity’ a giant’s step further and wryly observes the pleasures and pitfalls of three characters who find themselves suddenly blinded by the public spotlight.

Meet Leon, a man whose chest cavity has been replaced with titanium ribs and a mechanical heart; Kathryn, whose treatment for Parkinson’s has left her covered in black wool; and Christos, whose aesthetic mentality compelled him to implant metal wings into his back. These are the Wonders, and the public falls in love with them thanks to the ingenuity of their marketing director, Kyle, and their manager, the rhinestone-studded cowgirl Rhona.

Just as it would in real life, the Wonders’ celebrity status brings as many burdens as it does boons. O’Reilly doesn’t shy away from the darker side of stardom and, by tracing the Wonders’ journey – their lives, their loves, their losses – she offers an entertaining study of not only what drives humanity to pursue fame, but also the shark-infested waters that surround it.

There is a lot to like about The Wonders: the premise is engaging and the three characters each battle different aspects of their complex personalities as they navigate their new life. That being said, I wondered if O’Reilly herself fell for her characters’ luminosity as, in parts, the narrative seems to lose its flow. Regardless, The Wonders is an interesting read and a surreal examination of the effect celebrity can have on both stars and their fans.

Samuel Zifchak