My fellow blogger Garrett not only renamed his site for me for weeks on end, he also did a lengthy review of my novel Harvey & Eck.
I am reiterating his final words here. You can visit his original post and read all the comments, as well as an evocative P. S. here.
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On Harvey & Eck - DAYS TEN, ELEVEN, AND TWELVE
KAPOW!
Erin was right. I started up reading Harvey & Eck at the "regular" time this morning. It was about 8:15 a.m. There were a bit more than forty pages of the book yet to read. My goal was to be ready to leave for work by 8:45 a.m. I had allotted twenty to thirty minutes for the three-stage ritual preparation looming ahead of me, including reading my usual one-twelfth of her fine novel.
Well, the best laid plans of mice and men. The words, the story. The thrill, the agony. I just couldn't stop reading. The pages were turning themselves. The paragraphs were relentless.
Time - to me - stood still.
How would it end?
How would it end?
How would it end?
Thirty minutes later I was still sitting, still reading. Five minutes after that, those all too familiar feelings of joy and sorrow, elation and regret washed over me. I was spent. I had finished the book. I knew how it ended. I had completed the journey. Lives had opened and closed.
* * *
Harvey & Eck, is a charming book, worthy of being cherished. This is a book I intend to read again (and in my view, this is about the highest compliment a reader can pay a novelist); there is deeper understanding to be achieved. As Harvey and Eck discovered (or did they?), there is truth to be gleaned from reliving experiences (or is there?). Life is the richer for memories, especially memories remembered. This book ably reminds us that time is a magnificent filter, capable of eroding our experiences until just the slender vein of truth remains. And that the truth is important.
Erin O'Brien has created something special and wonderful. I am grateful to her that she entrusted me with her book, inviting me to publish my thoughts about it on these pages. Of course it wasn't much of a gamble; my audience of three to four people will only help (or hurt) her in the Amazon beauty contest so much. But I am thrilled and blessed to be able to say, confidentially to Erin, of course, that I loved this book.
And now, as my review of Harvey & Eck (finally, you say) ends, I want to make sure that the book's future readers (whom I hope will be legion) are absolutely clear with regards to my position on the one most controversial topic contained in its pages:
PARAKEETS HAVE NO PLACE IN A WINNEBAGO.
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The complete list of links that Garrett authored on behalf of Harvey & Eck:
Part 1
Part 2
Introduction
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Days Ten, Eleven and Twelve
And to my darling Garrett, all I can say is thanks, thanks, thanks.
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7 comments:
Garret is the man! and you are too Erin! i heart Harvey & Eck muchly, i do.
If Erin is a man, it looks like I'm headed for more electro-shock treatments.
Now that I'm done with that, I can focus my blog on my true love: POOP!
I think Garret should have to bring back his Block Buster movies before he pays a restocking fee. That's right. That's what I said.
Grant, Grant, Grant,
Have you not been reading the Blockbuster propaganda? They no longer have fees for late movies.
It may be time to re-evaluate your feelings toward Garrett and realize that he really is a good guy and there is no reason to be a hater.
It's all good.
Dongley - you may have a point, however.
I am not a hater! I love Garrett. Like a brother. Of a friend. Who I am no longer in touch with.
Yay Garrett! say I. Boo Block Buster! Workers unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!
If I lost my chains, there would be several rubber ball mouthed gimps loose on this island.
I can't have that!
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