Signifying Nothing [Paperback]

Clifford Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2009

The novel is set in Washington, D.C., in 1979 and focuses on the Hobbs family. Lester Hobbs, nineteen years old, is mentally retarded and mute ? until the day he suddenly begins to rap at the top of his lungs about life with his parents and older siblings. That development has a profound effect on the rest of the family, whose members struggle to figure out what it means, for Lester and themselves. Lester?s wise-cracking brother, Greg, the middle child, who has long alternated between being protective of Lester and being jealous of the attention Lester receives, tries with a spectacular lack of success to profit from his brother?s new ability. Lester and Greg?s sister, Sherrie ? bright, pretty, responsible, and aloof ? tries to learn the medical explanation for Lester?s condition, which leads her to an affair with George Greer, a brilliant, married, womanizing neurologist. Meanwhile, Lester?s mother, Maddie, tries to adjust emotionally to the change in her son, and Pat, the father, works to figure out the right course of action once the cause of Lester?s rapping is revealed.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clifford Thompson has written about books, film, jazz, and family for publications including The Threepenny Review, The Iowa Review, Film Quarterly, Commonweal, and The Best American Film Writing 1999. Signifiying Nothing is his first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (April 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440132690
• ISBN-13: 978-1440132698
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,897,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking and engrossing novel, March 1, 2010

By 

M. Rich (Bronx, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Signifying Nothing (Paperback)

Signifying Nothing has something for almost everyone: readers who are parents will identify with the Hobbs family's child-raising challenges, for example, and those who came of age in the 1970s will appreciate the evocative period detail. (I owned some of those albums!)

Readers will no doubt engage in a game of "which character or sibling are you?" when done with the book: straight-laced, responsible Sherrie? Bright, but trouble-prone Greg?

It would be wonderful to see a version on the big screen one day--I picture Oprah Winfrey as the stoic matriarch Maddie and Michael Douglas as the devious neurologist Dr. Greer. I hope Clifford Thompson is ready when Hollywood comes knocking!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's Something For Everybody with SIGNIFYING NOTHING, February 16, 2010

By 

C. A. Webb "Conversations Book Club" (Jackson, MS) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Signifying Nothing (Paperback)

As we go through the hustle of day-to-day life, we sometimes become oblivious to how much of our lives is not really being lived at all. We take a great deal for granted, and for some that is not really understood until we come in contact with someone who we see as less fortunate than ourselves.

It can be a person who is missing a limb, unable to speak, hear or see---and sometimes it can be someone whose mind appears to have betrayed them. We look at such individuals as broken, somehow less than us because of what we see, however, sometimes it is such individuals who may look at us as the ones to be pitied.

Think about it: No matter how much we try to control what goes on in our 24 hours each day, how much of it is really in our control? Anything can come up that could change our circumstances forever. Such is the case with the characters we meet in Clifford Thompson's book SIGNIFYING NOTHING. We meet individuals who have been living with a family member that some saw as worthless. He was seen as slow and a burden to those around him, until one day he did the unthinkable: He proved them wrong.

The simple act of speaking sets in motion a chain reaction that puts the entire family on a path they least expected. Everyone, from the parents and siblings, have to deal with the world they had become accustomed to changing forever. And with that you get to see how much they have their own shortcomings and challenges to deal with.

If nothing else, SIGNIFYING NOTHING will definitely have you reconsider what you see as 'normal' in your life--- and in the lives of others for that matter. Through the captivating storyline and the characters you will find yourself relating to more than you'd like, you will walk away satisfied from the literary experience, ready for more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rhymin' Lester..., January 16, 2010

By 

Phyllis Rhodes (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Signifying Nothing (Paperback)

In Clifford Thompson's debut novel, Signifying Nothing, the Hobbs family deals with the sudden "rapping" ability of their mentally challenged youngest child, Lester, who has been mute since birth. Set in 1979 in Washington, D.C., Pat and Madelyn are parents to Sherrie, a promising chemistry student at Johns Hopkins University, Greg, an average student at Howard University and Lester. Lester's impromptu outbursts of past family events performed in rhyme at the top of his lungs sets off a series of flashbacks and a re-examination of their feelings toward Lester and each other.

The novel spends equal time on each character as they revisit their pasts while grappling with what to do about Lester's condition. The siblings react differently to their role as Lester's protector against neighborhood bullies and their mother's constantly doting. Their unresolved issues regarding Lester profoundly shape their attitudes, affect their interpersonal relationships, and influence their choices in puberty and adulthood. The parents must face their past losses and missed opportunities. At times, the novel seemed a bit analytical, and not just in terms of Lester's diagnosis, but also with the self-scrutiny and inner monologues of each character.

The novel has universal appeal in terms of family dynamics during crises, subtle references to social commentaries on music, generational gaps, and a bit of sardonic humor. Audiences wishing to peek into middle-class Black America and a family dealing with mentally challenged members should consider this offering.

This novel was provided by the author for purposes of review.

Reviewed by Phyllis

Date: January 10, 2010

APOOO BookClub