Il protagonista di questo originale romanzo è Graham Patterson, comico non esattamente riuscito, (ex) marito e celebre fotografo, che dopo il divorzio decide di partire per la costa opposta degli USA e andare a far visita a suo fratello. Durante il tragitto, precisamente nella Carolina del Nord, l'auto di Patterson ha un guasto e lui è costretto a fermarsi, arrivando per caso ad essere accolto dalla tatuatrice Anna Mae. Incuriosito dalla strabiliante arte dei disegni di quest'ultima, Patterson decide di farsene uno, quello della colazione. Un semplice tatuaggio all'apparenza, ma che al tocco, pronunciando la parola "Pigna", il nome del suo cane, e "uno", "due" o "tre" a seconda della vita che voleva visionare, lo avrebbe come proiettato nella vita giusta. Patterson poteva scegliere quale delle tre vite voleva vivere. Ma qual era il prezzo da pagare?

Unfortunately the story despite its brilliant beginning, gets tangled to a point when it feels like the author himself got lost and wasn't sure anymore what is it that he wants to say. Twists and turns are interesting but other characters' explanations as to what is going on and why aren't convincing. The main ingredient of bigilla is a special type of broad beans called "ful ta girba". The beans are soaked overnight and mixed with olive oil and other ingredients to form a paste or dip. Bigilla is almost always served with bread. A common breakfast variation is to serve the bigilla over torn pieces of bread with a fried egg on top. A beautiful, brilliant meditation on art, love, inspiration and what makes life worthwhile.” — Neil Gaiman In Carroll’s novels, art always changes the world, but there’s no guarantee that those changes will be for the best. In his first and most famous novel, The Land of Laughs, a deceased novelist’s words bring an imaginary town to sinister and dangerous life; in Mr. Breakfast, a magical tattoo lets a man inhabit three separate versions of his life.People want life to be their friend. Some even expect or believe they deserve it. But I think of life only as a companion, and an unpredictable one at that. If it were my friend, life would be hurting or disappointing me all the time. But if it's only a companion, we're just traveling the same road together. I'm happy when it's in a good or generous mood, but I don't expect anything from it." A breakfast dish of Jewish Babylonian descent called Kahi is another favorite in Iraq. A relative of baklava, kahi consists of very thin folded layers of filo-style dough that is baked and then drenched with honey or a flavored sugar syrup called sheera (not to be confused with the breakfast porridge from India of the same name). Kahi is sometimes eaten with the above mentioned gaymer cream. Descrizione di eventi, luoghi e personaggi praticamente perfetta, così come i dialoghi, strutturati e chiari. A compulsively readable, introspective tale about the road not taken… At its heart, this is an arresting and imaginative meditation on life. Perfect for fans of magical realism with a free-flowing style like that of David Mitchell and Toshikazu Kawaguchi.” — Library Journal

Years pass by, but the tattoo’s magic demands a decision, and supernatural emissaries return to warn Graham that he must make a final choice or face disaster. Tutti noi abbiamo il desiderio di tornare indietro nel tempo e cambiare anche solo una piccola parte della nostra vita, riparando ad esempio un errore commesso. Sfortunatamente nessuno di noi possiede la bacchetta magica.

Patterson is shown three alternative lives and has the opportunity to visit each one before deciding on which life he wants to live in for good. The lives are a manifestation of his deepest desires and will illuminate how we tend to write the story of our lives through the power of the imagination. From one of the great modern masters of the fantastic,“A beautiful, brilliant, meditation on art, love, inspiration and what makes life worthwhile.”– Neil Gaiman Carroll] gives readers so much to consider about love, art, disappointment, loss, the wondrous possibilities of life, and the vast unknowables of the universe… This really interesting and weird novel challenges and delights.” — Bookreporter This is both a characteristic book—a part of the Carroll mosaic—and a unique one. I love the refractions as early scenes are reconsidered in light of later ones. I slowed down in the last third, to savor the gorgeous intricacies. I love the humor—the sly humor, and the dumb jokes and the surreally-simple/simply-surreal word combinations that are always Jonathan Carroll’s signature.” — Jonathan Lethem, author of the New York Times-bestselling Motherless Brooklyn Carroll works comfortably and confidently within his fantasy and simply tells a good story.” — Complete Review

Like Murakami, Brian Eno, or David Lynch, Jonathan Carroll is entirely sui generis, someone whose work is so fresh, weird, and original, it stands in a class of its own. Maybe the most striking thing about this lean, remarkable novel is Carroll’s caffeinated curiosity about everything, his roving eye for everyday wonders, for the effervescent in the banal. Mr. Breakfast is a small book of big ideas, a set of Russian nesting dolls with an entire universe glowing at the center.” —Joe Hill, bestselling author of Heart- Shaped Box As always with the exceptionally imaginative Carroll, he creates complex worlds for his hero to inhabit and with clever crossovers between realms that are carefully thought out and fun to explore. Carroll’s attention to details is impressive, and the unexpected prevails.” — Booklist You have the opportunity to visit 2 other lives and observe them. The other two lives are lives that you would have had if you had made other choices. You may visit each life only 3 times. When you are ready, you will choose one of the three lives and live it until you die. The moment you decide which you prefer, you will forget you ever had a choice.In recent years, breakfast has become a luxury for the people of Iraq. Economic sanctions imposed by the U.N. in 1991 devastated the country's day-to-day food supply. The much maligned oil-for-food program established in 1995 seemed to create more controversy than relief. The program was terminated in 2003 - the same year that Iraq was invaded by a U.S. led coalition. In 2006, traditional Iraqi breakfasts remain a rarely mentioned casualty of war. This book is so fascinating and compelling. It looks at the choices we make and the impacts those choices have on ourselves and others. It’s also a story about connection, love, and finding what—and whom—you care about. Obviously there’s some suspension of belief that’s necessary, but I just loved this.