How to Talk to a Widower
There are books I read that I respect. And there are books I read that I really enjoy. My favorite book, Robert Olmstead's A Trail of Heart's Blood Wherever We Go is a book I respect. That's not to say I don't enjoy it--I enjoy the hell out of the book--but it's a bit more heavy and literary.
There are books I simply enjoy because they're fun and funny (often funny in a sick way). Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby is a good example.
There are even books I respect andenjoy: John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany and Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide are a couple. Books that stop me in my tracks and think about what's going on, the way things are laid out, or something else that hits beneath the surface--but still carry a heavy dose of humor and cool dialog.
I have a new book in that category, Jonathan Tropper's How to Talk to a Widower.
Sure, some of the situations are over the top, but look at anything Irving writes and it's all in that, "It's over the top, but it could happen" category. And yes How to Talk to a Widower is not a literary work of staggering genius, but that's not what it aspires to be. There is some literary merit to the story; it's not all just humor and flowing dialog.
Not that it's lacking in humor and great dialog. There were parts that made me laugh out loud, and dialog I wished I wrote. There were moments that made me think of the kinds of badass things deaconmc does with his writing that always floors me. And there are many moments where things move along and BOOM! you're sucker punched by a point.
Any book that can make me laugh, cry, and stop to think about how good the writing is in places is a keeper.
It's the first novel I've read in 2008; it won't be easy to find a book that I enjoy more on so many levels--and even respect.
There are books I simply enjoy because they're fun and funny (often funny in a sick way). Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby is a good example.
There are even books I respect andenjoy: John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany and Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide are a couple. Books that stop me in my tracks and think about what's going on, the way things are laid out, or something else that hits beneath the surface--but still carry a heavy dose of humor and cool dialog.
I have a new book in that category, Jonathan Tropper's How to Talk to a Widower.
Sure, some of the situations are over the top, but look at anything Irving writes and it's all in that, "It's over the top, but it could happen" category. And yes How to Talk to a Widower is not a literary work of staggering genius, but that's not what it aspires to be. There is some literary merit to the story; it's not all just humor and flowing dialog.
Not that it's lacking in humor and great dialog. There were parts that made me laugh out loud, and dialog I wished I wrote. There were moments that made me think of the kinds of badass things deaconmc does with his writing that always floors me. And there are many moments where things move along and BOOM! you're sucker punched by a point.
Any book that can make me laugh, cry, and stop to think about how good the writing is in places is a keeper.
It's the first novel I've read in 2008; it won't be easy to find a book that I enjoy more on so many levels--and even respect.