Customer Reviews

Tetched: A Novel in Fractals

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Thaddeus Rutkowski's moving novel TETCHED chronicles the dilemma of a character who feels so unlovable that he tries to get women to agree to participate in his inept bondage sessions in order to be sure they will actually have sex with him. Beginning in the character's bizarre childhood, the novel gives an account of his life with an abusive, alcoholic father and a hardworking Asian mother who tries to help her children by quoting Chinese proverbs that seem to have little bearing on their problems. Horrifying though the events are, they are made palatable by Rutkowski's deadpan delivery and his unfailing ability to find elements of humor in them. I highly recommend this novel and will be on the lookout for other work by this author.

Rutkowski's style may seem easy on the surface--a series of snapshot narratives related in a deadpan, matter-of-fact tone--but the scenes he chooses to evoke are very precise and focused, the way a photographer composes his images within a frame. This is concentrated angst, potent stuff, but with humor often peeking slyly through the keyhole. An edgy, twitchy book about not fitting in, and ultimately carving out one's own uniquely-shaped space.

Tetched leaves the door partially open on every bedroom in the house. Through small intimate vignettes, No-Restraints- Rutkowski's narrative leads readers down dark hallways and around shadowy corners to come up with a no holds barred portrait of coming of age in America in a biracial family. A sometimes humorous and always stimulating read.

Written by a finalist for an Asian American Literary Award, Tetched is a coming-of-age novel from the first-person perspective of a biracial narrator, who grows up in rural America yet escapes the repetition of country life for new experiences in the city, pursuing a college career. Far from his father's floundering struggles with alcoholism and unfulfilled art career, and his mother's confusing brand of Eastern wisdom, the protagonist struggles to live life on his own terms, a difficult task indeed - until he learns how to put the past in perspective. A vibrant story of self- discovery and learning what it means to become a well-adjusted adult.