The Wait [Paperback]

Frank Turner Hollon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2008

In the vein of Philip Roth's 'Everyman', the story of a man contemplating the meaning and nature of life, the ordinary and extraordinary moments, the successes and failures alike. Life is uneven. And from the moment of James Early Winwood s conception until his inevitable end, his life is no exception. The unflinching and inviting narrator of 'The Wait' takes us along on a journey - from family dramas to lost loves, failed ambitions to the challenges of an aging body all the while tracing the steps of our unique and common experience. Without agenda or gloss, and contemplating the human condition with refreshing honesty, Early shares both the darkest parts of himself and life s brightest, fleeting moments. A philosophical and reflective story, 'The Wait' suggests that though we are forged by a handful of events - amatic, planned, or unexpected - it is ultimately in those moments in-between, waiting for life to happen, when we truly discover who we have become.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Hollon (Blood and Circumstance, 2006) specializes in crafting brooding crime novels that might be labeled existential noir. The tense plots primarily turn on the psyches of unusual protagonists who appear to be rational until they erupt in violence. In his sixth novel, Hollon depicts a seemingly ordinary man, James Early Winwood, who has suffered severe emotional damage. He loses his warmly affectionate father at 11 and is raised by his emotionally distant mother. He struggles to fit in in high school, developing a crush on a troubled girl that eventually becomes an obsession. When he discovers that she has turned into a full-blown crack addict, he rescues her, loses her, and spends 10 years trying to forget her. Then he has a second chance at love with a wealthy divorcée, and he decides to leave nothing to chance, even if it means committing murder. Hollon skillfully creates a mesmerizing portrayal of a vulnerable man in search of love and connection. Shocking and moving all at once, this is one of the most unusual crime novels you’ll ever read. --Joanne Wilkinson

Review

“… pack[s] in so much depth…a testament to the author’s ability to spin layers of meaning in deceptively simple prose.”
—Baltimore Sun

“…an elegantly crafted philosophical meditation on the meaning of life…the real star of this novel is the human voice itself—convincing, justifying, exploring, sometimes rambling, sometimes sharply focused, looking for certainty, yet knowing it’s a rarity…an illuminating little parable about self-deception and revelation.”
—Times-Picayune

“Hollon is one of Alabama’s best kept literary secrets…he continues to put his own singular spin on the legacy left behind by his Southern forebears…[and] brilliantly composes new lyrics for the old, dark songs sung by those who came before him, Southern masters like Robert Penn Warren and William Faulkner.”
—The Anniston Star

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: MacAdam/Cage (June 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596922915
• ISBN-13: 978-1596922914
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,910,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look at Yourself, Reading Wait, January 24, 2009

By 

Lydia M. Netzer "Shine Shine Shine" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wait (Paperback)

Wait is a worthwhile novel from an interesting mind, that will make you think about your soul, and the state of it, and the reasons why your soul may be in that state. It will make you look around your life with a new, healthy suspicion, and try to imagine your spouse with a gun in his hand, standing there blankly, ready to pull the trigger.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wait is worth it., November 20, 2008

By 

Daniel A. Scott "Just honest!" (Philippi, WV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wait (Paperback)

Can't go wrong with this book. Far from a lighthearted read, it is well written and flows from chapter to chapter and before you know it, your at the end. A lot like life. Anyone adult should enjoy this book. Get it, read it, and then sit and think about your life and what it means to you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A relentless and glorious page turner, July 1, 2008

By 

J. Winn - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wait (Paperback)

The Wait----which could have easily been called "The Weight" -- is one of the best books I have read in the last ten years. It follows Early Winwood from conception to death, layering bawdy anecdotes over Early's harrowing choices, trying to calculate the value of redemption.

Hollon generally writes ambitious, smart, layered novels with the kind of thematic focus that fans of John Updike and Robert Penn Warren will appreciate, and THE WAIT may be well be his finest work to date.