Customer Reviews

The Spirit Man

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Time travel is not a new topic for novels, poetry or film or even the visual arts. The concept of second chances if only one or two aspects of events of history were altered is the stuff of dreams: every reader will relate to the 'what if' setting of Sean K. Murphy's fine first work, the novella THE SPIRIT MAN. But what Murphy does with this technique of providing a character with a return to the past to mend problems that resulted in an altered life of anxious regret is the talisman of a fine story teller: he propels his tale with enough twists and turns, discoveries, and realizations that the reader is compelled to run with him to the surprising end.

The plot is one of an encounter in a stopover in Arizona where one Johnny, living a life driven by attention to business rather than emotion, pauses to mend his car and encounters a Native American 'spirit man' Huber who provides him with the means of returning to an emotional explosion twenty years ago when Johnny's behavior and choices resulted in the accidental death of his high school girlfriend and the end of his 'dream life'. How Murphy manages to make this time warp trip seem so natural and so filled with realignment of the negative aspects of the past with the 'informed' changes Johnny is allowed to make given his twenty years of living life in a fashion that has been unsatisfying is what allows THE SPIRIT MAN to succeed. For example, returning to a high school history class Johnny has the courage to say 'Sure, there are a lot of things wrong and a lot of things that I wish could be different. The luck in this world isn't equal; it should be. Yet still we keep learning and growing and finding ways to make life better, almost everyone's life. You talk about history. It's knowing history that leaves us better equipped to deal with the problems that progress brings'.

Sean K. Murphy has learned the value of brevity, of character shaping, and of leaving all angles of a story resolved - even as he quietly invites the reader to identify with some solid concepts. It would appear there is a fine new artist on the literary scene, and one from whom a longer novel would be most welcome. Grady Harp, March 09

Each of us carries a little piece of Johnny Sullivan inside of us. Who hasn't wondered "what if I had to do it all over again". Johnny has all the appearances of a successful life but his success cannot fill the void in his heart. This book is a wonderful reminder of the power of the 'small' choices that we make every day.

The characters are so real and familiar - beautifully developed by the author. The story touched my soul and took me back to a time when young love was all that mattered and dreams were pure and filled with possibilities. "Spirit Man" reminds us that the possibilities are still there if we just take the time to look for them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to re-open their heart to their dreams!

Sean Murphy captures the pure and powerful promise of teenage love in the '70's. If you want to remember the fragrance of 'Love's Baby Soft', the beat of Earth,Wind,& Fire, and the too long-ago feeling that you could and would right all wrongs in the world, then let "The Spirit Man" speak to you.

Part romance, part mystery and all compelling, "The Spirit Man" by Sean Murphy offers an inventive and thought-provoking twist on the fantasy of going back in time to change a pivotal event in one's life. For Johnny Sullivan, the novel's protagonist, that event is the death of Amanda, the love of his life. Twenty years later, a chance(?) encounter with a mystical Navajo gives Johnny the opportunity to prevent history from repeating. In the process, he learns that second chances carry unanticipated consequences.

Although its central theme is a fantasy, the novel is solidly rooted in reality: the characters, plot developments and emotions all ring true. It also shows how even seemingly-insignificant choices can shape our path in life. As it entertains and challenges the reader, "The Spirit Man" accelerates to an unexpected yet rewarding conclusion that leaves open the possibility of sequels to come...and I hope the wait won't be long.

Forty-something Johnny Sullivan, superficially successful (but inwardly empty) businessman stops his green Jag at a little spot in the road in the Arizona desert and meets a weathered Native American named Huber. "Probably Navajo." "Odd name for a Navajo."

He is the spirit man and he takes Johnny back in time to his last year in high school, to three days prior to the accidental death of his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, the only love of his life. What's Johnny to do? Save her, of course. But what will be the consequences? Beware. "Nature rights itself."

Murphy does a good job of maintaining the tension throughout. He has a nice sense of story and spins it well. Only problem is, after reading this 108-page novel of a perfect love retrieved from death, I felt as though I had experienced a Disney production of a romance novel written from a male point of view by a very skillful and dreamy teenager who dotted every "i" and crossed every "t" in the young adults fictional canon. It was like a visit to Pleasantville or a mid-fifties sit com. I mean, how perfect is Amanda? She's flawless. What about Johnny Sullivan, Golden Gloves Champ who in one lifetime conquers the business world? "...[T]he story of his life read like a resume. MBA by twenty-two, graduated at the top of his class. A successful management consultant. High tech entrepreneur made rich by an exuberant stock market." In another life he is set to "take advantage of his blue-collar roots and tell the stories of average people" inspired and helped in publication by his "guardian angel" who is, clever guy, a black CEO.

I think what Sean Murphy needs to do for his next opus is to give his players some really bad qualities, something worse than a little arrogance and the mercantile use of people, and have them commit some crime worse than punching a bully in the stomach. And no use of wise and wrinkled Native Americans and wise and black mentors. No more cliches. Just the awful, banal truth. A little fantasy is okay, but dream up something original. No Don Juan Coyote medicine men. And please make your heroine just a little bit of a...witch.

I opened this book, started the first page, and did not stop reading until I had completed the novel. This was not due to the fact that it is short, after all, it is only 108 pages long (hardback edition), but due to the fact that I became so wrapped up in the story and the author's wonderful writing technique, that I simply could not stop. At this point I will voice my one and only complaint about this book...it is far too short and I would have loved it had it been three times as large. I was truly sorry when the story came to an end.

This work is indeed a love story. But my goodness it is so much more. It is a story of discovery; a story of "what ifs" and a mystical journey. Briefly, the primary character in the story is a young fellow, John Sullivan who has become completely fed up with his life, completely dumped the trappings of his success (or has he?), quit his job and headed west. Our young man's life had been profoundly influenced by the death of his one and only true love that died in an accident shortly before their High School graduation. This he has lived with for years.

At a stop in a small way-side dinner in Arizona, Johnny meets Huber, a weathered looking, old American Indian. Johnny's life is about to change.

I would guess there are very few of us who have not asked ourselves the question "what if?" Or," had I known then what I know now......" or "if only I had...." Well our young man running, and indeed he is running, from himself and his life is about to have these answers given to him. The vehicle the author uses to send Johnny back in time is a rather moot point,; lets just say that our protagonist is given a second shot at saving his true love; is given three days to do so; is sent back in time. And yes, when he is sent back he has full recollection of his life up to the date he meets Huber in the Arizona dinner.

Will John Sullivan save his love? Or was he actually sent back to save someone else? The author has thrown several nicely done twists and turns as to these questions and as his tale unfolds, the reader begins to wonder.

This is a wonderfully crafted novel. Sean K. Murphy is obviously a natural story teller and is articulate enough to passes his story along to us, the reader, with is written word; he in fact is quite skilled. His writing ability appears at first rather simply, but when you examine it closely, you find that it does just what it is suppose to do, which is to communicate the story. He makes you feel for the characters in the story and causes you to actually care. Now I also appreciated the simplicity of the plot and the actual straightforward characterizations of each individual which enters his story. To be quite frank, I get rather sick of many contemporary novels that simply throw character traits into their people simply to "liven up" the story. You can, as the author has proven here, develop a character without going over the edge, simply by making the inhabitants of his book just like you and me. I find this rather refreshing.

This is not within the genre that I normally read, but I must say that this was one of the most enjoyable books I have read for quite some time now. The author has a real winner here and I do hope we hear more from him down the road. I am giving this one a very enthusiastic five stars.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Sean Murphy's, The Spirit Man, is a delightful, captivating read: a great book to bring for a long weekend. Mr. Murphy's fluid writing style takes the reader back in time not only through the mind of protagonist Johnny Sullivan, but through our own minds as well. This book will strike a chord with anyone who has ever wished that they could relive that certain part of their life. And doesn't that describe all of us? From the striking cover art to the final page, this is a book worth reading and sharing with others. A great book for men or women and prime material for a weekly book club discussion. Let your spirit soar while enjoying this book.

Sean K. Murphy's "The Spirit Man" is not only an intriguing story but also offers a compelling incentive to search our own past and contemplate the choices we make in life. How many of us would change the past in some way if at the time we had known the future? You cannot read this book without relating to it. A very enjoyable "read."

Sean Murphy's brother asked me to read The Spirit Man as a favor, and since I owed him, I read it on a flight from Palm Beach to Philadelphia. Well, I still owe him because this book was a joy to read. The story was very engaging with a solid plot twist, the characters were nicely developed and the reader is drawn to care about Johnny Sullivan and to discover how his journey will end. The highest compliment that I can pay this work is to say that my companion on the flight, who is a very experienced traveler, commented when we landed that the flight was one of the roughest that he had been on. I told him that I had not noticed at all because I was so wrapped up in this story. Thanks Sean.

Sean K. Murphy's The Spirit Man is a compelling written novel about Johnny Sullivan, a middle-aged man who seems to have everything, yet carries bitter regrets over the death of a high school sweetheart years before. A mysterious Native American grants him the power to go back in time and change the history of his life - but to what ends? Emotional, gripping, and thoughtful in its portrayal of love and the human struggle for redemption, The Spirit Man is highly recommended reading for those who enjoy an original and well crafted story. The Spirit Man is also available in a trade paperback edition (1401058019)