Smoke and Gravity [Paperback]

Win Neagle (Author), Fred Chappell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2001

This first novella by Win Neagle is a rollicking good read about a treehouse architect, his stripper girlfriend, a house-burgling germaphobe, a washed-up dentist and his shopaholic wife. It's a rollercoaster of laughs in a zany, whimsical exploration of life. Fred Chappell calls the book ... original, whimsical and utterly untrammeled humor that will have you comparing Neagle to Voltair and Vonnegut.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a delightful romp of a novel... an enchanting world where humor offers a lifeline to characters and readers... -- Maudy Benz; author-- Oh, Jackie

If you enjoy zany, knowing, whimsical, and utterly untrammeled humor, you will like Smoke and Gravity. -- NC poet laureate Fred Chappell

About the Author

A former tennis instructor, securities broker, barge driver, and tree surgeon, Win Neagle now lives in Raleigh, NC and teaches in the English Department at Louisburg College.

While writing and teaching consume much of his energy, riding his vintage motorcycle and tossing boomerangs are two passions he shares with the protagonist of his first novel.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: The Paper Journey Press; first trade paperback edition (January 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970172605
• ISBN-13: 978-0970172600
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 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: #3,524,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely A "Color Outside The Lines" Book!, March 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Smoke and Gravity (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous and delightfully colorful story by Mr. Neagle. I'm almost sure the Oak Goddess was in some way responsible for getting it into my hands, at lease I'm sure Duke would think so. Zany, full of fun, and without a doubt the best fiction I've read quite a while!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book rocks!, February 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Smoke and Gravity (Paperback)

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up the book and saw a baby and boomerangs on the cover, but when I read Fred Chappell's comments on the back cover I knew I wanted to give it a read ... Wow! This book is funny, intelligent, and full of insights into today's world. I loved the characterization of Bambi--not your typical stripper--and I want to meet Myron Fugate! I highly reccommend this book to anyone who likes to read Carl Hiassen, Kurt Vonnegut, or Tom Robbins.

Also recommended: Breakfast of Champions, Lucky You, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor and Style that Embraces, May 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Smoke and Gravity (Paperback)

Neagle's style features a clever narration that I've neither encountered nor enjoyed so much in a novel. The friendly voice adds delightful sparks of self-effacing humor, bright wit and gentle wisdom in this healthy, honest, humorous glance into the lives of some CHARACTERS (with capital letters!) and their colorful lives. Neagle's keen eye and ear for just the right details that express the goodness and uniqueness of a person (character) make his fiction believable reality -- especially as I recognize myself and others I know in the events and people of this novel. As I laughed out loud, the almost matter-of-fact innocence of this novel helped me see that when I laugh, I'm laughing at me, --- and it's healthy, because it seems like I'm embracing instead of making fun.