Customer Reviews

I Want to Buy a Vowel: A Novel of Illegal Alienation

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

While this book does not go into any deep character development, I found the book a very enjoyable quick read. The premise is really good, the struggle of a naive illegal immigrant befriended by two little sisters, and I really liked the ending. Again, this is not a super deep book, but if you are looking for something easy, I recommend it.

Wow. Alfredo doesn't know English, but from watching Wheel of Fortune, he is convinced that if he bought a vowel, eventhough he is not sure exactly what that is, he's going to end up with a new American car. And the story begins...laugh out loud book, beautifully and intelligently written, one of my favorites!

This is a book I'm recommending to everyone. As soon as I tell them "Well it's about this illegal alien who arrives in this country knowing only the line.....from watching Wheel of Fortune" their eyes light up, they chuckle, and say "that sounds GOOD!" Well, it is good. It's witty, it's clever, it's creative, but it's also thought-provoking, and tackles some weighty issues like prejudice, religious hypocracy, and what the one job is that nobody wants. I got hooked on Welter after Begin to Exit Here. Too bad he has written only three books. After finishing this one I went seriously cold turkey. Hope he gives us all our next fix soon.

Alfredo crosses the border into Texas and settles into a small town. He hides out in an old cabin in the woods. People begin hearing his singing and talking and begin to get scared. Then strange things begin to happen. Signs of the Devil begin to appear around the town. People find Alfredo and begin to accuse him of these acts. Is Alfredo guilty or not. You'll have to read to find out.

This book is one of my favorite books of all time. It is truly hilarious and just an altogether fun book. Maybe it's not destined to become some great literary classic, but for a good read, it is just great. I have recommended it to ALL my friends, because it is witty and personable, and I just love it!

Somethings are very hard to laugh about. This book makes you laugh at most of them religion, law, politics, descrimination, and such. But it also makes you think. As I read this book I felt relieved to be a citizen of the USA, where things were fairly prosperous. But also ashamed that this great country of ours turns away millions of people seeking a better life for themselves. At the end I was crying with joy, and also sadness.

John Welter is a terrific writer. He is a serious artist masquerading as a humorist, and this book poses strong questions about the importance of faith in lives. It also features one of the great lines in contemporary literature: "Maybe Ted Williams couldn't walk on water, but then Jesus never hit .406." We need more books by this guy, and fast!