Friday, March 30, 2018

“Finn,” by Jon Clinch


FM's ratings:
  1. Premise 10
  2. Prose 10
  3. Plot 8
  4. Characters 8
  5. Overall 9
Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

I love the idea of spinning off a novel from a classic, especially when it's done well as it is here. Another great example is "Caliban," by Robert Devereaux, which tells Shakespeare’s story, "The Tempest," from the perspective of the most depraved character in the work, the son of the evil witch, Sycorax. "Finn" echoes that idea, with arguably the most depraved character in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the starring role. This is a very dark work, exploring the psychotic mess that is Huck Finn's father in the original work and filling in the details with some vivid and disturbing images of the river-dwelling alcoholic. The literary perfectionism of the prose offers a highly effective contrast to the seamy, almost barbaric actions and language of the characters. Several distinctive dialog devices add to the almost allegorical quality of the story. The author includes an explanation at the end for some of the most extreme ornamentations of the original novel, especially the idea that Huck's mother was a black woman. The sheer depravity of Mr. Finn is so powerfully portrayed that I actually felt myself being negatively influenced by the man. What better compliment can one pay to an author than that?



Dear Readers!

This is the last post that will show on this Blogspot page. The club is being moved to Facebook!

The new location on FB is Foreverman's Book Club. We will continue with the same format for now, with possible wrinkles to allow for the new format. 

Next month marks the 6th anniversary of the club and, as every April, will begin with a book by Dean Koontz.

Here's the April line-up!
"The Silent Corner," by Dean Koontz [4-7-18]
(My favorite Author for many years)
"The Forever Man," by Gordon R. Dickson [4-14-18]
(Representing Sci-Fi, originally my favorite genre)
"The Black Cat Knocks on Wood," by Kay Finch [4-21-18]
(Representing Cozy Mysteries, my current favorite genre)
"The Good, the Bad, and the Undead," by Kim Harrison [4-28-18]
(Representing my love of "dark" stories)

Hope to see you at the new site! Happy Reading!