- Paperback: 328 pages
- Publisher: Dundurn (Aug 1 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1550025678
- ISBN-13: 978-1550025675
- Product Dimensions: 22 x 13.9 x 2.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 399 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,002,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Books in Canada
In The Unexpected and Fictional Career Change of Jim Kearns by David Munroe, we are warned that there is going to be a life-changing incident concerning Jim Kearns, a fortyish husband, father and labourer. He is a pretty good guy, very cynical, but not without good reason, and he has a wonderful sense of humor. "I had just dropped out of school for the second time in four years . . . I thought the existence of Jean Paul Sartre made France's worship of Jerry Lewis understandable." And, when an old college friend is told that Jim and his wife are writing a screenplay: "Ah, yes . . . The medium explored by those who've never bothered to learn how to write- or to be more blunt, the new lottery ticket of the masses." Unfortunately, the jacket copy tells us what the incident is, so reading the almost 100 pages until it happens is mostly a waste of time. So I may as well tell you. An arrogant second tier movie star forces a confrontation on Jim's job site. Jim punches him out. The studio spins the incident to make Jim look like a lunatic stalker. He is arrested and loses his job of 20 years. His wife Maddy, a good woman, looks for ways to preserve their family life and marriage. She gives Jim a list of tasks to perform, which includes: an hour of writing each day in a journal, getting to know a neighbor; and time spent getting to know his children. He tries to follow Maddy's instructions. He gets to know a neighbor who is a professional writer, though from the example of his work quoted I can't understand how. He makes friends with an old Scottish lady in the neighborhood. Like many first novelists he feels it's necessary to kill off a character, which adds nothing to the story. The writing is extremely verbose. There are many incidents that could have been cut, and the novel would have been vastly improved if it were 25% shorter.
W.P. Kinsella (Books in Canada)
W.P. Kinsella (Books in Canada)
Review
"Munroe gives us many bursts of fine writing while drumming sympathy for his disagreeable protagonist...The novel's strength is its animation of an all-too-familiar personality type and its absolutely believable depiction of a dreary workaday Toronto neighbourhood." -George Fetherling, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, September 10, 2005.
"Munroe's prose is pitch-perfect and direct, much like the character of the working-class stiff he depicts. And stiffs like this one do not get much room on the pages of Canadian fiction lately. It's a relief to read about a regular guy for a change." - Globe and Mail, October 1, 2005
"Munroe gives us many bursts of fine writing while drumming up sympathy for his disagreeable protagonist. The novel's strength is its animation of an all-too-familiar personality type and its absolutely believable depiction of a dreary, workaday Toronto neighbourhood." George Fetherling, Quill & Quire, October 2005
"Munroe's prose is pitch-perfect and direct, much like the character of the working-class stiff he depicts. And stiffs like this one do not get much room on the pages of Canadian fiction lately. It's a relief to read about a regular guy for a change." - Globe and Mail, October 1, 2005
"Munroe gives us many bursts of fine writing while drumming up sympathy for his disagreeable protagonist. The novel's strength is its animation of an all-too-familiar personality type and its absolutely believable depiction of a dreary, workaday Toronto neighbourhood." George Fetherling, Quill & Quire, October 2005
"One of the most refreshing urban novels of 2005"
50 Best Canadian Novels of 2005, The Sun-Times
"…an enjoyable, light read." (Mid-Town Crier (Toronto, ON) )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ultimately about coming to grips with what life is really all about and why it is so precious., Oct 6 2007
By Midwest Book Review - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Unexpected and Fictional Career Change of Jim Kearns (Paperback)
The debut novel of Canadian author David Munroe, The Unexpected and Fictional Career Change of Jim Kearns is the story of Jim Kearns, a career manual laborer going through a mid-life crisis, of sorts. When he punches out a Hollywood action star in a bizarre confrontation, he loses his job and struggles to hold on to his sanity and his fraying ties with his wife and children. Jim's wife, Maddy, gives him a list of life-affirming tasks to complete while he wrestles with unemployment and unwanted fame. Told through the pages of Jim's journal, The Unexpected and Fictional Career Change of Jim Kearns is ultimately about coming to grips with what life is really all about and why it is so precious. Highly recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious and down to earth., Nov 7 2005
By Rani - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Unexpected and Fictional Career Change of Jim Kearns (Paperback)
Many laugh out loud moments. A nice enjoyable read.
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