Loosely Based: A Novel (Paperback)

~ Storey Clayton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Matt Norton, high school class of 2000, is tired of Kansas. His divorced parents barely know him, his distracted girlfriend barely cares, and he needs a change. College offers the promise of freedom from all he has known and grown to hate. Antigone Edgewood, college dropout, is fleeing Chicago. Her abusive boyfriend has gone too far, and now she will go as far as she can to get away. A late-night diner offers the chance to sit down and contemplate her future. Joe Ewing is investigating what he secretly suspects to be the biggest crime of his career. "Loosely Based" is a story of interstates and intersections in modern American life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589394097
• ISBN-13: 978-1589394094
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,089,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, May 13, 2004

By A Customer

Overall, an excellent read. The following features warrant special praise:
1) Expertly drawn, intelligent characters. I have often had the experience of reading books with very introspective characters and thinking, "Wow, I'm just a whole lot deeper and more thoughtful than these people. Why am I reading this?" By contrast, the characters in Loosely Based -- especially Matt Norton -- struck me as very deep and searching.
2) Wonderful, dark humor. While this book features lots of "American" motifs -- highways, telemarketing, etc. -- its gallows humor demonstrated what I view as a very British sensibility; think of Martin Amis. This is to the book's credit.
3) An ironic, quirky, and very unforced plot. Rather than relying on very obvious ways of advancing the plot, Clayton lets the attributes of his very fully-developed characters drive the action, and leaves the rest to chance, accident, and rather brutal irony.

This is one of the better books I've read in recent years; those looking for new fiction by (heretofore) undiscovered talent would be wise to try Loosely Based.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and poignant, November 9, 2004

By	Huge fan - See all my reviews

I couldn't stop laughing at the author's great sense of humor that shines through each page of this book. Biting sarcasm, witty commentary and a keen eye for detail are all evident in this truly enjoyable book. I can't wait to read what he comes up with next.

20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, August 6, 2003

By A Customer

This book is simply amazing. Its surreal atmosphere belies a very grounded and relevent set of characters. I recommend it for everyone who has an interest in contemporary American writing.