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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Keep your head up....,
By Keith G "I can not live without books.....Tho... (Garland, TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: American Desert (Hardcover)
Percival Everett startled me with this book. The first few pages jump out and grab you and haul you into what seems like what will be a sad story. A man on his way to committ suicide is accidently involved in a traffic collision with a truck and decapitated. All presume he is dead until he sits up at his funeral with his head crudely attached on to his shoulders by what seems almost like fishing line.
American Desert is more than just a modern day "Frankenstein" story. It is about a man who thought life was dead, only to find life in death. It is a novel about second chances and how our relationships can be anything we want them to be. In this book, we see the hurt that a family can go through because of choices a member of that family may make. Ultimately, we see that life is more than just the mundane everyday existence we know. We see that sometimes the purpose of our life can only be found when we see that we think we have no purpose. Don't let the name fool you. American Desert is a well in the dry land of everyday reading. A good book from start to finish and an almost draw dropping ending make this book a solid form of entertainment.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Original story told by a first class author,
By Robert J. Roid Jr. (Norway) - See all my reviews
This review is from: American Desert (Hardcover)
One of the best novels I've read for quite some time. The premise is fantastic and Everett carries it off with style and aplomb.
His language is economical yet rich and the tone balances faultlessly between satire and sadness, with solid doses of insight and philosophy thrown in for good measure. The narrative arc sails along at perfect pace and we are rewarded in the end with with something so rare as a proper ending. What more could one ask from a novel? Thus far I've only otherwise read 'Damned If I Do' (short stories) by Mr. Everett, but I am looking forward to reading more by this truly fascinating author.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oddly satisfying,
By
This review is from: American Desert (Hardcover)
Odd, existential, yet delightful, American Desert is the story of Ted Street, who, on his way to committing suicide, is decapitated by a UPS truck. However, Ted is not dead. Or is he? Sitting up in his coffin at his own funeral, Ted begins a whole new kind of life. Is Ted a devil? An angel? A ghost? The Messiah? Or, something else entirely?
This book grapples with questions of life and death in a wholly unique and hilarious way. It's laugh-out-loud funny, but also gets one thinking about what kind of life she is living and what she would do with a second chance if it was handed to her. Ted is both bizarre and relatable. His wife seems off, but genuine. The reactions of his children to this situation are heartbreaking and also incredibly genuine. Everett also gives obscurely fitting names to each of the characters, some of which are obvious, but all can be discovered or confirmed by checking Wikipedia. My one complaint is that I wish there was a bigger payoff at the end. The conclusion is fitting, but a little anti-climactic.
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