The Webster Chronicle [Paperback]

Daniel Akst (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Penguin (2001)
• ASIN: B000WR3EY0
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Daniel Akst is a writer whose columns, essays and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Wilson Quarterly, Slate, Metropolis and many others. He's also the author of two novels and two nonfiction books. He works as an editorial writer at Newsday, on Long Island, where he also writes a weekly column that is distributed by the McClatchy-Tribune news service. For more information, visit www.akst.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich, Complex and Literate, October 17, 2001

By 

K. A. Locker "power user" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Webster Chronicle (Hardcover)

A thought-provoking tale of America in the 80's. This a rich multi layered tale that careens from child abuse, witchcraft, sexual yearning and the deceptive complexities of life in small town America. Terry Mathers, the flawed everyman "hero" is as richly drawn a personality as those created by Updike, Pynchon and Bellow. Akst expertly juggles many themes, weaving them into into a glittering iridescent fable. I have been of fan of Akst's since his first non-fiction book "Wonder Boy" and this clearly continues the arc of what has already been a compelling body of work. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience one of America's finest young writers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A serious, well-written novel, October 30, 2001

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Webster Chronicle (Hardcover)

Daniel Akst takes his readers into the small town of Webster, where Terry Mathers and his estranged wife Abigail run the weekly newspaper, The Webster Chronicle, in a time of change. The local department store is embroiled in a takeover bid that threatens the downtown as Webster knows it (no matter that most people shop at the mall), and the Alphabet Soup preschool is so popular that they admit children on a competitive basis (even though it is used primarily for day-care and not academic enrichment.) Single parenthood is on the rise. In this environment, the stage is set for an unknowning reenactment of the Salem witch trials: a drunken, bereaved mother shouts out a single, misunderstood accusation, and the town is forever changed by hysteria.

Akst is best here when he explores Webster through the eyes of Terry Mathers, the stuttering, struggling, editor who feels that he will always be living in the shadow of his father, a well-known newscaster. Emily,the owner of the preschool who is accused of child abuse, also has a compelling perspective, but some of the others water down the central thrust of the novel. Akst, in his attempt to fully explore the issues, spreads himself too thin, sometimes glossing over areas he has carefully introduced, other times concentrating on a minor aspect. However, the quality of the writing carries this story through its weaknesses with aplomb.

Although THE WEBSTER CHRONICLE does not have the emotional energy of Akst's debut, ST. BURL'S OBITUARY, it does have the mark of a maturing novelist. Akst is a literary talent to watch.

I recommend this book for readers of literary fiction as well as for those interested in issues of small town America, false memories, child abuse, and mass hysteria.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, haunting and memorable, October 14, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Webster Chronicle (Hardcover)

Terry and Abigail Mathers are the owners of the town's weekly newspaper THE WEBSTER CHRONICLE. Even though the couple is separated and have significant others, they still care about each other and have the paper and a child tying them together. Terry has always lived in his father's shadow, a Walter Cronkite type figure who is a top gun on television. While he can't beat his father on the national level, he hopes his hometown will have a hot story that will make his name a household word too.

Terry's chance comes when the owners of the Alphabet School pre-school and their employees are accused by two of the townsfolk of child abuse and molestation. The gossip spreads like wildfire and more parents who have placed their children in the preschool come forth with tales that their children have told them. Terry starts out by being an objective journalist but as he plunges deeper into the story, he crosses the line that separates the watcher from the participant.

THE WEBSTER CHRONICLE is a fabulous work that demonstrates how rumors, innuendoes, and accusations quickly can turn into a very ugly witch hunt. Daniel Akst has written a credible yet frightening story that spotlights the role the media has on the justice system. This insightful work is worthy of award nominations.

Harriet Klausner