In I WANT TO BUY A VOWEL, Welter turns his talent for cultural analysis by wisecrack into a rib-tickling look at what it means to be an American today. "Welter's offbeat look at a community thrown off-kilter by xenophobia and religious smallmindedness is sprinkled with wry, comic moments and a steadfast awareness of social injustice."--Publishers Weekly.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Alfredo Santayana, the protagonist of John Welter's third novel, is a Guatemalan emigre who thumbs his way to Texas in search of the good life North of the border. To attain this American dream, Santayana has a number of hurdles to clear, from learning English (which he does through the magic of television) to getting a green card. All of this is meant to be funny and to make a point, and while Welter succeeds in many ways, his book is diminished by the hackneyed characters and the slightly cliched storyline. Still, many of the set-ups are funny and no one could claim John Welter doesn't have a gift for making you laugh out loud. This satire of immigration in America produces plenty of chuckles.
From School Library Journal
An illegal alien, who speaks only lines from TV commercials, encounters several disparate characters while living in a haunted house. Their slapstick antics clash comically with the routines of a small Texas town.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
His best book,
By magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
This review is from: I Want to Buy a Vowel (Paperback)
I wanted to make a few brief comments for now, having recently finished this book. But I intend to write a more complete review soon as this book is certainly deserving of it.Of Welter's three books this is by far and away the best. It has a sweetly surrealistic quality reminiscent of a Frank Capra film (such as It's a Wonderful Life), as Welter uses the predicament of a young Latino immigrant to pillory everything from organized religion to American politics and immigration law. The book has some interesting characters, especially the high-school son of the local fundamentalist minister, who, unknown to the town, is behind the recently discovered evidence of a practicing Satanical sect on the outskirts of town--specifically, evidence of Satanic rituals which he is setting up as an elaborate practical joke. The local town, of course, doesn't see it that way, and the newspaper is continually abuzz with alarmist stories about possible Satanists in their midst. The pair of little girl characters are an especially nice touch, as much of the book unfolds through their eyes and we see the humor and absurdity of the adult world reflected in their own naivete. Then there's also the kindly and worldly local sheriff, who just wants to avoid any violent lynchings of supposed Satanists (he is the only one in town, other than the son, who suspects it's a prank. The book has many funny scenes and Welter has a nice idea for the ending. This book is definitely worth your time and money.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasant & hilarious spoof of small town Texas life.,
By
This review is from: I Want to Buy a Vowel (Paperback)
I Want to Buy a Vowel is a light, satirical look at small town life in Texas through the eyes of two key characters--eleven-year-old Eva Galt, the somewhat precocious and philosophical daughter of a local preacher and Alfredo Santayana, a Guatemalan émigré who thumbs his way to Texas in search of the good life North of the border and whose "command" of English is based on his exposure to the TV show "Wheel of Fortune".Welter does a masterful job of setting the stage for the sort of offbeat antics that so color the life of a small town. There's the uproar over the sighting of an image of the Virgin Mary in a stamp machine in the local post office, the local grocers decision to paint a replica of the Sistine Chapel on his store ceiling and the discovery of what appears to be the residue of Satanic cult activities on the outskirts of town-your typical Texas summer stuff in Waxahachie, Texas. The book works because Welter has a fine feel for gently gibing comedy on the one hand and a true gift for developing sympathetic and enjoyable characters, especially kids characters, on the other hand. Eva, particularly, is a delight, but even the more peripheral characters--such as the Sheriff, are delightful as well. Welter also clearly understands the dynamics of the intricate web of character, tradition and circumstance that constitutes small town living. The end result is a charming and extremely funny book that has you running back to the bookshelves hoping there is a sequel to be read. With luck, perhaps someday Welter will treat us to one.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"I Want to Buy a Vowel",
By sebastian magiera (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: I Want to Buy a Vowel (Paperback)
With many funny scenes and lines "I Want to Buy a Vowel" would have to be the best book I have read so far. For the first time reading one of John Welters books, it certainly made a good impression on me. The book kept me interested and always waiting for more. The charters were well introduced and made the plot more interesting. What seems to be a book only about immigration turns out to be a mix of immigration and satanical rituals that seem to be going on in the town, which turn out to be practical jokes. Jokes, that happen to get out of hand and turn a town upside down. The author John Welter does a great job of introducing characters and a great job of making the book flow smoothly from scene to scene. I give this book four stars, and would recommend this book to everyone and especially to the people that don't like to read books, because this book would keep anyone interested with its humor.
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