MANILA, Philippines — When Jessica Hagedorn first burst into the American literary scene in the ‘90s with her book “Dogeaters”, it was with no small amount of fanfare.

The New York Times even proclaimed that it was written with wit and originality. The book would eventually win an American Book Award and be nominated for a National Book Award.

Since then, Hagedorn has come out with “The Gangster of Love”, “Dream Jungle”, and edited “Charlie Chan is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction”.

She has also made a name for herself as a poet, playwright, and performance artist. She was even in the country a few years back, watching the stage version of “Dogeaters” being presented for the very first time in her home country.

Two decades later, Hagedorn returns with a new novel, “Toxicology”.

Set in New York, “Toxicology” novel tells the story of Mimi Smith and Eleanor Delacroix, two women who find their lives increasingly intertwined as they succumb to addiction and obscurity.

Mimi and Eleanor are neighbors in a crumbling tenement in Manhattan's West Village, contemplating the equally derelict state of their respective careers.

Mimi, the filmmaker, has never really made another movie besides her low-budget horror movie, “Blood Wedding.” Eleanor is a novelist in her 80s who is only remembered for her scandalous debut novel, “Little Deaths”, about a lesbian love affair that ends with murder. Both are hopelessly addicted to cocaine and alcohol.

Though the two have had interactions before, it is the disappearance of Mimi's cousin Agnes that really truly brings them together. As Mimi makes a trek to her loopy brother Carmelo's apartment – a hovel filled with serials, publications, and memorabilia that Carmelo has compulsively hoarded – her estranged daughter Violet stops by and spends the night in Eleanor's apartment.

That night spent with Mimi's daughter pushes the normally reclusive Eleanor to invite the mother and daughter to dinner, which results into a tense confrontation that — while not exactly providing a resolution — spurs the two stagnating artists towards something close to forward movement.

Challenging reading

Anyone familiar with Hagedorn's work knows that plot and a linear narrative rarely figure in her work, and “Toxicology” is no different. The narrative seems like some addict's hallucinogen-induced dream, with characters and motivation floating in and out like so much effluvia.

It's easy for some readers to feel lost in such a narrative and give up. Thankfully, Hagedorn populates her feverish landscape with larger-than-life characters that are interesting enough to propel readers forward and through the novel's 225 pages. Characters like Carmelo and Agnes capture the readers’ imagination and provide an anchor to a story that sometimes finds itself meandering listlessly like an addict looking for his next hit.

Eleanor Delacroix is also an inspired creation, fearless and flawed at the same time. It is when the novel looks back at Eleanor's life and career that it is at its best. The author brings us to a small town in Mexico where Eleanor meets the love of her life, Yvonne Wilder, and paints a scene of tense beauty as the two characters discuss sex and primal animals in front a setting sun.

However, readers will have to sift for these gems among some of the more tedious elements of the book.

Mimi is not a particularly charismatic character, and it is a bit unfortunate that she is the one that opens the story for readers. It's hard to see the genius everyone seems to see in her, as Hagedorn has not written her as clearly and as beautifully as she has written Eleanor. The fact that Eleanor takes over halfway through the book will probably be a welcome change for readers.

People who like their stories with a clear direction and with tidy resolutions may also find the book's more unconventional elements a bit daunting, and slogging their way through more than 200 pages of it may prove to be more agonizing than exhilarating. The novel's final quarter, where it turns into “The Volga Review”, might be the final straw for a reader just looking for a beginning, middle, and an end.

However, those who like a little more challenge in their reading material may find “Toxicology” a bit more to their taste. While it doesn't quite reach the heights scaled by “Dogeaters”, the reflections on art, fame, and the artist's creative process that “Toxicology” presents to its readers are tough enough bones to chew on.

(“Toxicology” is available in all National Bookstores. The author blogs about books at http://ronreads.com)