From Publishers Weekly
King offers a deeply genuine performance of this subtle yet affecting novel told from the perspective of Howard Kapostash, a wounded Vietnam veteran whose injury has left him unable to read, write or speak, but who is, as the card he's always reluctant to give people points out, "of normal intelligence." After Howard agrees to look after his ex-girlfriend's son, Ryan, while she is in rehab, Ryan's presence profoundly alters the lives of Howard and his three housemates. The vital element to the success of this recording is how Kinney's reading voice meshes with Howard's narrative one. Kinney does an excellent job with Howard's various moods, from the quiet joy of watching Ryan's Little League practice to the simmering and occasionally explosive frustration of not being able to communicate his thoughts. He also slides easily between the Texas drawl of one character and the slangy banter of a feckless pair of 20-somethings living under Howard's roof. The production includes some aptly employed musical accompaniment. Soft piano, for instance, tinkles in the background as Howard remembers the mine explosion that injured him, and a buoyant, guitar-driven theme recurs but avoids being cloying or overdone. The same can be said for the book itself, which—though loosely predictable—remains earnest and inspiring.
Simultaneous release with the Little, Brown hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 15, 2004). (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--Ce texte provient de la
Audio CD
édition.
Both tough and sweet, this debut novel concerns a brain-damaged Vietnam vet who loves a coke-head single mother with whom he once had a drug-soaked affair. To this day, though he's clean and sober, he still can't say no to her. So when she's hauled off to rehab, he accepts care of her 9-year-old. Of course, what follows becomes a life-altering experience. Maybe he can barely speak, maybe he sound like an idiot, but he has no trouble articulately telling his story with, thank goodness, a sense of humor. The fine stage and screen actor Terry Kinney gives voice to our hero--a dull one unfortunately. Kinney merely recites the words, getting the phrasing right, but expressing few values and little energy. He comes to life only during the more dramatic dialogue. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--Ce texte provient de la
Audio CD
édition.
