Customer Reviews

Thin Blue Smoke (Macmillan New Writing)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this big, ambitious novel, author Doug Worgul skillfully sets a multitude of colorful characters in an epic story that spans decades and grapples with large themes. Among many other pleasures of "Thin Blue Smoke" is its acute sense of place, as it captures dead-on the feel and, yes, even the taste of present-day Kansas City. An impressive first outing from a novelist who clearly has something to say. I expect to hear much more from Mr. Worgul in the future.

Colorful, vivid characters. Writing so descriptive you can almost taste the BBQ. And the story's got meat on its bones.

My favorite of '09 so far.

I love this book. Any author who can take the mundane and make it remarkable, make me want to eat at "Smoke Meat" has mastered his craft and displayed his talent. Some will fail to "get" the wonderful writing in this book. For me it will be one I remember from the untold books I've read over the years, books from authors such as John Irving or even Phillip Roth.
The style is simple but feels unique. The characters are people I either have known or want to know.
This is the best novel I've read since "Last Night In Twisted River."

A few weeks before reading THIN BLUE SMOKE I didn't know about the book or its author. Partway through SMOKE, I was glad I stumbled onto it. The moment I finished it and clicked off my e-reader, I knew what my answer would be to a standard question: Read any good books lately?

Yeah! Worgul's SMOKE. Want to know the why? I'll tell you in a moment.

First, how'd I find it? I was searching for information on Frederick Buechner, a writer I admire. In one of the references, SMOKE and Worgul were mentioned. Buechner influenced Worgul, and was apparently thanked in SMOKE's acknowledgments. Good enough for me. And that's how it goes, isn't it? One link leads to another. A search for "A" takes a turn and discovers "B." Relationships are built through other relationships.

And this leads to why I loved SMOKE. It's about relationships. If the books you read must have a linear plot, like a mystery with a sequence of clues leading to a killer caught or the world saved, maybe SMOKE won't make your to-read list. Try it anyway.

On the tasty, tuneful surface, SMOKE involves barbecue and singing the blues. Still on the surface, it's about grief, love, failure and redemption. But partway through, thankful I'd stumbled across SMOKE, I realized how well it delved into the deep truth of relationships...between men, between men and women, between races, between families of blood and families of choice. I enjoyed living with and being irritated by barbecue master LaVerne Williams. Al Buddy became my buddy. When Reverend Ferguson Glen soared while delivering a graveside sermon, I also took flight. When the good reverend hit rock bottom, I felt the pinch of stone on my knees.

Many books are about "relationships." There's nothing unique about that. But it's how the author handles those relationships, and how the story allows me--as a reader--to enter into those families and friendships. SMOKE joyfully, painfully, truthfully welcomed me into its world of smoked meat and complex characters.

I'd give it 7 or 8 or them...

I've lived all my life in Kansas City, and been involved in competition Barbecue for over 20 years, and I know the history and players in the Kansas City BBQ world well, and I LOVED Doug's book! My only problem with the book is that it wasn't twice as long. I really hope for a sequel.

Well developed characters mixed with just the right amount of historical references make this BBQ centric book much, much more. A guaranteed good read...

Every once in awhile I read a book that blows my socks off. The characters are alive, they invade my dreams and become best friends. And the book's message, well, it's now a part of my mantra: Live, love, believe, and eat a lot of BB'Q. Thin Blue Smoke is a literary ride that you don't want to end.

Thin Blue Smoke is a unique and wonderful novel in which Doug Worgul has created a rich community of characters whose lives intersect in and around their local barbecue joint. Their stories unfold over time in bits and pieces, just like the stories of the people in our lives. And the more time you spend with them, the deeper your affection grows. This novel shares the stories of this group of people in a fresh voice that is both interesting and earnest.

Thin Blue Smoke is the type of novel you will want to return to again and again, just like a favorite vacation spot. After reading this novel, I feel like I have found a new circle of friends.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

It is very difficult to impress me. This book did. Nothing predictable, nothing forced ... just real characters in real-life situations; no sensationalistic hyperbole, but so riveting and so genuine. I want to follow the characters even further. Full range of emotion. Hard to put it down. I will buy Mr. Worgul's next book BEFORE it is released.

If you are looking for bbq gifts for hard to buy for friends and relatives you can't go wrong with Thin Blue Smoke. I read it cover to cover when it first became available on Amazon.com. But, don't take my word for it - there are currently 17 positive reviews from readers on Amazon.

It sounds like a bbq book and certainly talks alot about Kansas City BBQ, but it offers so much more than that. It's a book about life, about Kansas City, and about forgiveness. I think the chapters that focus on the character Ferguson Glenn could be spun off into a stand alone novel. If a movie were made based on this fictional Episcopal clergyman, I'd be the first in line to purchase a ticket and some popcorn.

Congratulations (again) to Doug Worgul for a fine work. I can't wait for his next novel.

This book is absolutely wonderful. I felt as if I truly knew the characters - and I wanted to know them and their stories. My only regret is that I can't go to the real barbecue joint and meet the real people (and eat.)

Mr. Worgul - Please write another book.