Customer Reviews

Hope in a Nutshell

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3 star:		(1)
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Wit and wisdom explode from a precarious piñata of life/ death, ying/yang, good/evil, and despair/hope in Keith Cymry's novel HOPE IN A NUTSHELL. Hope, as the author neatly states, "is the golden thread from which the world swings like a pendulum hanging from the Kingdom of Heaven." The nutshell in the title? That is another matter altogether and as difficult to explain as the concept of hope.

Cymry has as much quirky "stuff" crammed between the covers of his book as Tom Robbins and John Irving do in "Jitterbug Perfume," and "World According to Garp," combined. Case in point? How about a mystical 2000-year-old walnut coated with Arizona gold, which serves as the tale's touchstone of hope as well as its center of conflict? Add the fact that the stolen medallion comes from the City of Forever, (somewhere out there), which allows the author to expertly knit together the natural and the supernatural.

With a crazy cast of mismatched characters, from the hippie hero, Uriah Freestone, who travels blue highways of Arizona and "the badlands of gnawed skulls and scattered bones known as New Mexico," to a supernatural raven named Rocker, to an occasional Ethiopian as well as an ancient Navajo pal named Laughing Puma, the action is non-stop. And an added plus is a gem of a character, the ever-slimy Sheriff Joe Garbonzo. Garbonzo is a sweet morsel of satire offered up to Cymry's fellow Arizonians who have their own Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the troll of Maricopa County, as a dangerous irritant.

As the humans who are able to save the world, Freestone and his beloved Mary Beth, nimbly straddle the universe of other humans and the universe of them, the gods (little "g"). (Both worlds are peopled by the sane and the insane.) In constant conflict with both the natural and unnatural worlds, Uriah and Mary Beth are tasked with ciphering clues found on the aforementioned ancient medallion encased in a golden walnut. Mary Beth has knowledge of nuts and bolts science/math while Uriah has mastery of the ancient Celtic language and all matters mystical. Their combined skills represent a symbolic blend of science and humanity. Can they solve the puzzle in the nutshell in order to save the world or might the world drift into nothingness on the proverbial Mayan doomsday of December 21, 2012? As with Arthurian legend (immeasurably updated and brushing on Pythonesque) getting to the end goal is the fun that makes the journey worth while for hero and reader alike. Parts of the journey are quirky and absurd, parts are dramatic and tense and parts are poignant and sniffley.

In recap, to reach the end game of the story, the author weaves a tender love-story into a fantasy landscape while telling a taught suspense thriller at the same time. And he does it with language that flows in many, many instances with the best contemporary word-smithing this reviewer has come across in many a magical moon. To include all the remarkably turned phrases would cheat the author of one of the prime reasons to read his novel, but as enticement, a few one-liners are shared here:

"Tequila will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no Tequila."

"Are they trick questions? Do they move when someone tries to answer them?"

"Those eyes could launch a thousand ships," he thought. "Or at least a thousand of his own tiny mariners upon some great odyssey."

"In Las Cruces are still to be found those cheap sort of motels that once dotted the main thoroughfare of every small town in America. Nowadays the few that remain cluster in cities like rotting hope."

Continuing to speak of seedy motels, Cymry refers to them tautly as "dilapidated remnants of America's greatest generation." So much for misguided jingoism.

"Free beer was always the best beer, provided it wasn't 'Milwaukee's Best.'"

And finally, to sum up some of the insanity our hero faces, the "narrator seeks to put an eye-of-newt up the arrogant nostril of a chained consumer society whose course will ultimately lead humanity to near certain bloody, chaotic rebellion, mass starvation, and the annihilation of civilization." Clearly the stakes are high.

This novel is a quick read and, because it functions on so many levels, the experience of reading it will delight any thinking person.

The imagery and description in this book make it an interesting and intriguing descent into a world that both fascinates and compels the reader to move forward. I was unable to put "Hope in a Nutshell" down; once I read the first page, I was hooked. The author clearly has an understanding of the many elements he explores in this book, and I look forward to his next literary offering with eagerness and anticipation!

After reading the last page of this original and inspiring debut novel, it became a difficult task to categorize the story as it crosses many genres. In many respects the novel is an extended allegory about society with its growing justified oppression, superficial values and, perhaps most importantly, our diminishing freedoms. This may sound a bit heavy or even pretentious, but this novel is far from taking itself seriously, as it addresses current issues with a wry smile, a playful irony and a tone that is thoroughly appropriate for our world that is growing more and more absurd.

There is a legion of extraordinary and bizarre characters in this tale including biblical gods, mythical creatures, native Indian shamans, fascist cops, pot-smoking left-wing liberals, greedy right wing capitalists, a ruthless CNN reporter, patriotic CIA and FBI agents, a beautiful idealistic girl, Mary Beth, who delivers cars across the country, and has a pet ocelot, Michelob, who opens doors and can write his own name; and of course the leading man, the hero of the tale, Stoney, an educated philosophical vagabond, whose companion is Rocker, a extremely intelligent crow or raven that follows Stoney across the country like a pet collie. Surprisingly, none of these characters are incidental, but all play an important role in the story, including the author, who calls himself the "interrupting narrator."

In fact the novel harkens back to the ancient Homeric tales of jealous and mischievous gods playing havoc with us self-absorbed mortals, unaware that our fate is in the hands of beings who move us around like mere chess pieces, betting on the outcome of the game on earth and our lives.

Generally the story is concerned with the actions of Mary Beth and Stoney, whose fates' are thrown together after the gods decide to make a wager. Secret knowledge in the form of a relic is given to Mary Beth, and what she does with this knowledge will determine her fate. After a near fatal car accident, (fleeing from her rich and greedy boyfriend, who wants the relic) Mary Beth falls into a coma for 18 years, where our philosophical hero, Stoney, manages to later obtain the relic, and uses the knowledge it imparts to build an energy source that can supply the entire planet for little cost, making fossil fuels obsolete. The elites and government, of course, cannot tolerate this for the obvious reasons, thus the authorities, in typical fashion, label Stoney a terrorist and the energy source a weapon of mass destruction, threatening the free world.

The author's writing is unique, a new and confident voice, as the prose style is lyrical, strewn with spiritual metaphors and philosophical insight, a dead on the mark critique of modern society, rendered with humour and the right amount of satire - one can arguably call this novel a spiritual parable for the modern age.

I found Hope in a Nut shell to be entertaining and informative and extremely astute concerning the many issues it raises: environment, civil liberties, our dwindling rights, religion vs. spirituality, human nature, greed and our media as a mere mouthpiece for government propaganda.

In the end, however, as the title implies, the story is about hope, a genuine desire for a better world.

Highly recommended.

WHen I started reading this book I was surprised -the first chapter has me wondering whether to keep reading, but at the same time I was intrigued and wanted to know what on earth (or off earth) this book was about.

Keith Cymry writes in incredible detail, describing everything to perfection, which is very satisfying for a reader like me.

The writing about some of the gods may upset some poeple, but it was all part of the story.

I found the characters very likeable, but the crow was the best, I like a bird with 'tude.

A good read, especially if you are after something a little different.

Keith Cymry says he is an "underground" writer. Critics say he writes brilliantly in postmodern style. Christians, Jews, and Muslims may take exception with this book's portrayal of their God. Big business and its political cronies don't come off
smelling like a rose either. And that's just for starters as Cymry provides convincing doses of modern reality laced with sex, symbolism, fantasy, and humor.

Is the after life really a Club Med-like place where all the gods from ancient times form alliances to impact life on earth? And do these consortiums look down upon a dull, wasteful society with boredom and cynicism? In Cymry's book, lesser gods like Ra, Cernunnos, and Buddha are shocked at the influence of Yahweh/Allah/Jesus/Lucifer on humanity. Humans are chosen to change man's destructive path and bets are made by gods on both sides as to the outcome.

Two humans chosen arbitrarily by the gods are Mary Beth Donovan and Uriah "Stoney" Freestone. Mary Beth is a feisty Catholic girl with flaming red hair and a penchant for sexy men. Her constant companion is a black ocelot named Michelob. All her
fantasies are fulfilled in one virile package when she stops for a hitchhiker, Freestone. Stoney is a Druid, a powerful, determined man dedicated to providing solar energy to the masses. A pet raven named Rocker accompanies Stoney wherever he goes. When the Celtic god Cernunnos appears and gives Mary Beth an ancient amulet in a gold walnut shell, only she and Stoney can understand symbols transmitted by the amulet.
Big business, in the form of Jared Darcy Ambrose, conspires to steal the amulet because it represents total power and unimaginable wealth.

Cymry writes well, with occasionally brilliant flashes of narrative. He wraps compassion and concern for Earth and her people in myth and symbolism, but the underlying message here is the strength of human love and courage. Thanks to lovers
like Mary Beth and Stoney, the world may not be doomed. But yes, it's entirely possible that the gods just might be crazy.

I really enjoyed reading this book.
The story weaves around the lives of Stoney, a hitchhiking eco-wise stoner, and the beautiful Mary Beth, generally party to her jet black pet ocelot. Hope in a Nutshell twines its story around the modern American myth: lost dirt roads, rock bands, secret stashes, and of course transcendentalism. Aka, while we follow Stoney and Mary Beth, their lives actually revolve around a bet between gods vying for control of a wealth of the souls in Heaven. The bet pits the Danu Alliance -including Ra, Cernunnos, and Danu- against the Yahweh Cartel- Jesus, Yahweh, Satan and Allah. And can you guess the pawns in this little game?
Hope in a Nutshell follows similar paths tread by Tom Robbins and even drops his name. But Cymry doesn't copy Robbins, rather he uses the avenues opened to explore the mindspace where we live in a book that is at once playful and instantly accessible. The special treatment of magical realism blends myth and money to create resonant, modern relativistic versions of good and evil. Here we find a spirtual Native American trickster tale woven into the sexy, unforgiving clutches of the American dream.
Hope in a Nutshell reveals itself as a fun quick read, full of that special kind of magic that has me believing again and characters that stick with you like old friends: the results are spellbinding.

I just loved all the fun lines in this story. Cymry is great at one liners that make you laugh out loud. I found the story a little hard to keep track of at times, but the laughter and mystery kept it moving forward at a nice pace. It really would make a great movie.
The serious minded professional in the business of writing or the teaching of writing will probably find this story too superfluous and plot driven. Some critics may prefer richer characterizations, but I enjoyed the comic characterizations. Other critics may be off-put by the frequent use of metaphors, finding them distracting, even though I personally love the rich use of metaphors and consider them one of the story's strengths. Others still may consider a narrow and tightly focused story more interesting, although I again consider the broad focus one of the story's strengths.
The originality in this story makes it a fresh breath of air and hard to wait for Cymry's next book.

This is a wonderful story that begins with the seeds of life and explores some ideas about of how we become who we are.

The story on the surface is what probably is almost every male hitch hikers dream come true, being picked up by a beautiful girl who is willing to look past the possible drawbacks of picking up someone she doesn't know and invites you into her life as an open book invites a reader.

Through out the story there are narratives about religion, gods, goddesses and politics that in some cases I didn't really understand why they where in the story at that point until after I had read a couple pages past it and then they always made sense.

While the characters explore each other in a physical sense they also spend a great deal of time exploring the deeper meaning of life and eternity all the while knowing that the moments with each other on this planet are probably only fleeting but the memories could last a life time if not an eternity.

The more that I read the story the more I was drawn into the characters because they all had a certain charm, luminescence and omnipresence about them weather it was Stoney (the lead character), Mary Beth (the soul mate of Stoney), Danu (a goddess of an ancient world who spends most of her time devising a plan to regain her wealth) or Yehweh who is perhaps the ultimate capitalist stealing fortunes from others (including Danu) through deceit, using his ill gotten riches to build a fortune in souls and then dispensing faith to mortal man for a price. The characters are masterfully intertwined throughout the story. The way that the characters are written with sincerity makes them believable and helps them come to life off the pages.

From picking up a hitch hiker named Stoney to the death of Mary Beth and the struggles of Danu to regain her wealth this is a very well written book that made me think about my life, relationships spiritual and social well being. The author has really personalized the characters in a way that makes them believable. This just a great adventure that touches home in so many ways both emotionally and spiritually. The book is sprinkled with brief passages intelligent humor making fun of the absurdity of things that are going on in our world today. What can you say about a story that ties together Walnuts, hitch hikers, Goddesses, real world and after world and have it all make sense in the end.

I don't typically review post modern because I don't read many of them however I could not put this book down. I found it intriguing, mysterious, heart warming, tragic and in the end it comes to a perfect close.

This is a compelling introduction to Keith Cymry's unique wit and satire. From the first page to the last, this books entices you into its strange locales and playful story involving no small amount of satire aimed at the world's religious institutions and their manipulations of society. Each character is charming and funny in there own way. Stoney tends to be witty. Mary Beth is a bit of a delightful goof. The bird, Rocker, is pure slapstick. Mixed with the satire and circular plot, I found the book supremely entertaining.

The random style of this writer is very difficult to achieve and reminds one of the late Douglas Adams. People of my generation seem to want to make order out of chaos; however, chaos is what we have in the real world. And, one should at least consider writing about the world one has to actually live in rather than about the world one would like. The author frequently criticizes the world in which we live with an insightfulness that borders on Orwellian. Excellent work!

The beginning of this story is the best part because it reminds me a lot of Tom Robbins. Of course, it can prove confusing to some, but it doesn't take long for most folks to catch on to the fact that the author is mostly just playing around in a Robbinsesque sort of way. The characters are fun, especially the bird. The plot is complex, non-linear, and reminds me of the stuff they used to publish back in the days when publishers were willing to publish counter-culture literature. I hope we see more of this author.