Customer Reviews

Welcome to Scranton

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the opening scene, I could not put it down. Halpin is great with dialogue, interjecting backstory with taste, and adding his own wry sense of humor when appropriate. I stayed glued to his prose until the very last page.

I must confess, I also got a real kick out of reading all the landmarks in print, as I live and study in Scranton. I felt like I was sitting right next to Hank, Jake, Mike, and Ed while at Whistles, I felt like I could see those grey walls in the Mercy hospital waiting room, I was looking up Ash street, and I could see the pool table in that upper-level-thingy at Jack's. I'm sorry - the old Jack's.

As a whole, I was very impressed with his writing and ability to tell a story with a great balance of detail and introspection. The book is very tasteful and it flows with ease. I don't think there was ever a moment when I found myself bored while reading it.

In conclusion, the story seems to take place at least 15 years ago and Halpin has to be at least that much older then me. Sadly, or ironically (or both), I think about the current state of Scranton, and the same problems still exist: Heavy drinking and drug use, lack of employment, friends who can't cope so they try to kill themselves by consuming a whole bottle of pills, etc etc etc ... And I flip to the cover of his book and re-read the title "Welcome to Scranton" and don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

But besides that little rant, this book is excellent. Halpin has got real talent!

Character likeability is subjective. In Greg Halpin's debut novella, Welcome to Scranton, Hank and Ed are not your typical valiant heroes or romantic leading men. Instead, they offer a glimpse into the mind of a twenty-something, small town male. They are rude, crude and obsessed with the opposite sex. All in all, they represent Halpin's take on the average guy. Their realistic portrayal demonstrates how good writing can overshadow the cult of personality.

The main question Halpin addresses is: Would you try to save someone you didn't like? Despite the fact that they've been friends since childhood, Hank despises Ed. Hank is the owner of the gourmet coffee shop, Cafe del Sol, while Ed is a strip club hustler. Hank likes to watch independent films at the Ritz Theater while Ed indulges in cocaine. Hank is tolerant of the differences of others while Ed is a bigoted homophobe. Hank is in a committed relationship while Ed cheats on his pregnant girlfriend. Yet when Ed's life is in danger, Hank must decide whether or not he is worth saving.

This powerful premise is developed through dialogue laced with profanity and sexually explicit language. Hank is not depicted as a saint. He is hesitant to respond to Ed's call for help. He is reluctant to do the right thing. He doesn't want to take charge of the situation and shoulder the responsibility. This is a complex, emotional response to what may seem like a straight forward dilemma. Hank is not one who gladly rises to the challenge of saving the day. Instead, he exhibits the characteristics of a genuine antihero.

When a protagonist doesn't fall into a cliche and think/say/do the expected thing, it lends credence to the narrative. Real life isn't black and white, and good writers live in shades of gray. When characters are composed of both merits and faults, they are ultimately more believable and authentic. Their true natures are revealed by the choices they make under difficult circumstances. Do they rise to the occasion or do they fall short?

In fact, the city of Scranton, itself, is featured as a multi-dimensional character, and Halpin fleshes out the mindset of those who live there. In fact, he explains that despite the feeling of self-hatred the city imprints on its residents, many are so close to their city that they tend to view it as a member of the family. Halpin also highlights the lack of opportunity throughout the region from the impossible odds of obtaining a job with the Scranton School District to Ed suggesting Sinatra should have been singing about Scranton with the words, "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere." Halpin continues by addressing the long held politically incorrect views of older residents in regards to non-whites and gays, and extols the younger generation for being more open minded about community diversity.

Halpin also features colorful asides in regards to area landmarks and local innuendos. Mickey Gannon's Irish Pub in North Scranton is considered the gathering place for the children of the city's elite despite being a nondescript watering hole. Due to the uneven male to female campus ratio, the girls of Marywood University are believed to be sex-starved, yet unobtainable. While Cooper's Seafood House is mocked for its out of place architecture, but viewed sentimentally for its ship regalia. Across various settings, Halpin illuminates how Scranton culture is immersed in contradiction.

Overall, a raw look at the different forms a love-hate relationship can take.

Halpin connects to the underlying humanity of a generation too often depicted as bereft of soul. His protagonist is reminiscent of Hemingway's Jake Barnes in a setting of a new "Lost Generation". Today's strip clubs may just be the modern equivalent of the bull ring.
We look forward to more from this insightful young writer.

Welcome to Scranton was a very interesting read that I found comical, yet something I could imagine life in Scranton to be. It made me wish I could visit the cafe at that time and meet Hank and his crazy friends.

This book was a very well written book and hope there are more to follow in the very near future. It only took me a few nights to get thru myself but, it is funny, sad, an all-around attention getting book you can't seem to put
down. Good luck Greg Halpin!

This book is engaging, concisely written, and a real page turner. The dénouement is deft and spot on; the narrator solves his dilemma in the simplest way possible, surprising even himself. Not only hilarious, the story and its resolution are profoundly moral.

It was interesting to me to have an inside look on how some young men interact with one another. Greg's story kept my attention and only took a few hours to read the whole book. I enjoyed reading it.

What I liked about the book was that the city of Scranton sort of became a character in the book, or the central character in many ways. Quite a few characters in the story are either trapped by this creature called Scranton or suffer the delusion that they are trapped. That seems pretty typical of twenty-somethings who grow up in some city that is Not New York, Not Chicago, Not LA, you get the idea. The characters are well-drawn, and the story held my interest. I also like the book's cover.

Do you like dark humor? I thought this was amazing! Somehow even with loads of foul language, disparaging remarks about women, and you name it this book has it, I think this book is great. The foul language and racial slurs are all necessary to depict the characters in the book.

The two main characters that 'Welcome to Scranton' revolves around are Henry and Ed. It is all written in first person from the viewpoint of Henry. He hates his name so you don't even know that right off. Henry has a group of male friends that he has known from way back, Jake, Mike and Ed. But the real main characters are Henry, Ed and the town of Scranton. If you look at the cover of the book, you will see a collage of the important parts of the story but you can't figure it out just by looking at the cover.

The story is told by Henry in first person. First he tells about Ed waking up him up in the middle of the night. Ed has an apartment in the same complex and he bangs on the door at three in the morning. Ed asks him for some smokes and mentions that he took a whole bottle of pills. Henry gives him the smokes, Ed leaves and then he goes back to sleep. Then he wakes up again. He thinks about the bottle of pills that Ed took. What should he do? Take Ed to the hospital. Then he hesitates. Why, that you will learn!

There are two more parts of the story, a journey back into the past with meetings in bars with his friends, a road trip to Atlantic City and we really get to know Henry, Ed and Scranton and the rest of the group. Then we are back to the present. Henry has to make an important decision.

From the first sentence of the book with Ed banging on Henry's door, I did not want to put `Welcome to Scranton" down'. The whole book is a wild ride through the past and through Scranton. I have seen some complaints in reviews that there is no plot. But there is definitely conflict. That conflict resides in Henry and he has to make a very important decision. This book is so skillfully written that all you have to do is read and you will be carried along by the story at break neck speed.

There is a trailer for this book at:
[...]

I think that it would be better to see the trailer after you read the book, unless of course, you are already familiar with Scranton. The music to the trailer is perfect; it expresses the dark humor in this book to a T. The title of this book is very important because, Scranton is a main character in this book. You get to know Scranton in this book, the seamy side, the funny side and quirky side.

I recommend this book to all who love dark humor.

Welcome to Scranton, by Greg Halpin, is a must read for those who were born in the area of Scranton, PA. The author takes you back to some familiar haunts in his story about a group of young friends in their twenties who are coming of age. There is a villain-like character, a hero, and a lots of young men who are forced to take a bite of maturity. The story is easy to read with lots of dialogue and a satisfying ending.