Our Napoleon in Rags
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.12 (867 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0975251732 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 211 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-04-04 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Tilting at windmills Luan Gaines Author Kirby Gann appreciates life's ambiguities, especially couched in human form. With a keen eye and finely tuned wit, he assembles an eclectic group of misfits, who gather nightly to commiserate with each other at the neighborhood watering hole, the Don Quixote. At the center of all is Haycraft Keebler, "political philosopher and populist idealist, manic-depressive man-about-town", quietly subversive character.The proprietors of the Don Q are especially protective of Keebler, self-appointed guardians of "Our Napoleon in Rags". Haycraft is ever brewing one scheme or another, small anarchies to challenge neighborhood co. Don't be swayed by PW RXcot With all due respect to Publishers Weekly, I think the review above betrays a reviewer stressing under a deadline and hoping for a quick read. Gann's novel is a small wonder, one that rewards attentive reading and even rereading. His language is elegant and musical, and his incisive portrayal of some of the most unusual, yet believable characters is a rarity in contemporary fiction. This is not a novel that can be read and fully appreciated within a few hours, and, if one gives it the proper attention, will linger in the reader for a long time.. Did PW reviewer read this book? M. Bab I agree with other comments about the PW review. While not The Great American Novel, this book is a solid 4 of 5 stars -- and Gann's wonderful characters are perfectly believable to anyone who's spent time in an urban neighborhood bar. The characters of Haycraft and Mather in particular were poignantly drawn -- I've known several men these characters could be based upon.Gann's writing is first-rate, as you would expect from somebody with his credentials. Nods to Cervantes's masterwork are purposeful and enrich the story. What the reviewer felt was disjointed worked well for me, namely narrator changes amongst the characte
. Gann explores the lives of various Don Quixote frequenters, including the bar's ageing hippie owners and the pragmatic Romeo, who stumbles into the Internet porn industry. Ultimately, this beautifully written novel about lofty ideals and inevitable disappointments mirrors its own themes-it fails to achieve all its goals, but is nonetheless commendable for the valiant effort. The regulars at the Don Q, all idealistic misfits in their own ways, affectionately tolerate Haycraft's crazy schemes and outraged polemics, but when he becomes romantically involved with a teenage male prostitute, a disastrous chain of events ensues that throws the community into chaos. Unfortunately, the plot is disjointed and, until the end, seemingly lacki
It’s the story of the regulars at the Don Quixote, a bar in a decaying Midwestern city, whose lives are torn apart when their self-appointed “Napoleon,” Haycraft Keebler, bipolar son of a famous local politician, falls in love with a 15-year-old male hustler. From a writer called “an important new voice in fiction” by Bret Lott and a “novelist of daring creativity and passion” by Edmund White, comes Our Napoleon in Rags. Weaving the hot-button issues of mental illness, pedophilia, racism and police brutality through a novel that is Victorian in its graceful storytelling,
He is also Managing Editor at Sarabande Books, and teaches in the MFA Program at Spalding University.. His short fiction has appeared in Witness, The Crescent Review, American Writing, The Louisville Review, The Southeast Review, and The Southern Indiana Review. Kirby Gann's first novel, The Barbarian Parade, was called "a striking debut for a noveli