Harmon Nails III, wry observer of the human condition, cynical divorcee, reluctant literary student and reckless sportsman, tracks a priceless stolen heirloom. In the course of his pursuits, Harmon presents bemused readers with a satirical glimpse of academia, the Southern California lifestyle, and the rigors of finding one's identity, sexual and otherwise.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
His two thematically connected novels, Doctor Syntax and Captain Zzyzx, are alternately erudite and silly -- and overwhelmingly funny. -- Digby Diehl
I don't have enough grey cells left to recall all the wonderful passages. -- Christopher Buckley
Very, very clever! Petracca, who grew up in Los Angeles, has a cynic's eye for the groves of academe... -- Toronto Globe and Mail, Margaret Cannon
I don't have enough grey cells left to recall all the wonderful passages. -- Christopher Buckley
Very, very clever! Petracca, who grew up in Los Angeles, has a cynic's eye for the groves of academe... -- Toronto Globe and Mail, Margaret Cannon
About the Author
Michael Petracca was conceived in Brooklyn but transported in utero to Los Angeles, where he was born. As a youngster Michael enjoyed watching sudsy clothes tumble in the laundry room. This unnatural behavior evolved into a lifelong passion for surfing. After moving to Santa Barbara in pursuit of advanced degrees, Michael became a full-time lecturer in the Writing Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he has taught for the past seventeen years. Michael conducts fiction writing workshops at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and Antioch University as well. His publications include novels, such as Doctor Syntax and Captain Zzyzx, college-level writing texts, such as Common Culture and AC/DC (co authored with Madeleine Sorapure and Bonnie Beedles, respectively), short stories and articles on interpreting the products of popular culture, and a fiction writing text that recently came out with Prentice Hall, titled The Graceful Lie.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Doctor is Most Definitely In,
By Peter Klein (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Doctor Syntax (Paperback)
In Doctor Syntax, Mr. Petracca holds a witty, wry, cynical, and fully-loaded shotgun to the readers' respective family jewels and makes them laugh. The readers, that is. His comically accurate looks into academia, family relations, drugs, California, trying to score, and life in general work perfectly with a suspensful plot with more turns than Sepulveda Blvd. You'll find yourself relating to scenes that first seemed ridiculous, and that flow of profound off-kilter-ness is sustained throughout the novel. It was a pleasure to read, and I can't wait to see what Harmon Nails III does in the sequel, Captain Zzyzx.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the most bizarrely funny books you will ever read.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Doctor Syntax (Paperback)
Harmon Nails, the protagonist, has an unusual wry wit which appeals to intellectuals and burnouts from the 60s. A must read for anyone attempting or contemplating graduate study or anyone who considers him/herself a connesieur of California culture. Join in the fun as Harmon thinks about completing his dissertation until something goes terribly wrong and his volumes of bad poetry (with really great piictures) called "Dr. Syntax" are stolen. Petracca pokes fun at much of what we have held sacred in academia and in California. If you find the renaming of Santa Barbara to "Fiesta City" humorous, seek out a copy of this little volume of adventurous hilarity. It will help you heal your inner demons.
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