Review of A Miracle of Catfish (Hardcover)

'A Miracle Of Catfish' was unfinished when author Larry Brown died unexpectedly.Because the book was almost finished, publication of Brown's last offering to his fans was possible.The book uses ellipsis to show where editing was done, and though unfinished, includes the notes that Brown left behind as to how he planned to wrap up the novel.

In Brown's languid southern prose, he explores the lives of several people living in the quiet, countrified outskirts of a small town.Cortez Sharp, a 72 year old man who's wife is disabled, decides to dig out a large pond on his property and stock it with catfish.He lives a solitary life, preferring to be left alone with his vegetable patches and herds of cows.His daughter Lucinda lives in Atlanta with her boyfriend Albert, who suffers from Tourettes Syndrome.Cortez calls Albert 'The Retard', driving a wedge between him and his only surviving child.Cortez carries a dark secret with him, one of horrible proportions.

There's Jimmy, a ten year old boy with bad teeth, who lives near Cortez's farm in an old trailer.Jimmy struggles with his father's temper, his two half-sisters Evelyn and Velma, and his desire to fix the go-kart his daddy built for him.Jimmy's Daddy (known only in the book as 'Jimmy's Daddy') is a typical redneck loser.He drives around in his old '55 drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, fights with himself over trying to treat Jimmy better, and has an affair with a woman at the stove factory where he works that turns out bad (in pregnancy) which threatens his life and marriage to Jonette.

And then there's Cleve, an old black man who used to work for Cortez, mean as a polecat, and murderous to boot.He's been in prison twice and though he swore he'd never go back, he's not quite done committing crimes.

Typical of Brown's unhurried and languorous prose, there's lots of smoking, beer drinking, and driving around.There's surprises like DUI's, tractor accidents, unwanted pregnancies, affairs, fishing, hunting, and a young boy worried about having puppies.

These aren't exactly people you would want for neighbors, but Brown brings them out fully fleshed and alive, and you know there are people out there just like Brown's characters.Everyday folk struggling with everyday problems, inner monologues that both repulse and enchant, and scenes that will suck you into the story despite their slowly building climaxes.

While I highly recommend Brown's work, I would recommend 'Joe', 'Fay', and 'Father And Son' as a warm up to 'A Miracle Of Catfish', simply because this is an unfinished work and may leave the novice Brown reader feeling flat at the abrupt end.It's sad that this is the last time we will hear Brown's voice in the literature world.Enjoy!




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Review of Golf Balls Are Female (Paperback)

It has been a while since I read this book, but much of the humor has stayed with me. I wrote about it previously (maybe for the author) and mentioned that while it is a laugh out loud tome on almost all things male, it is notably free of flatulence. Most "guy books" about drinking, whoring, and football would have some mention of the inevitable outcome of too many beers, too much bad food, and a total lack of manners.
In the end, this is a "bromance", a story about strong male bonds and friendship. I won't ruin the ending for those who plan to purchase this literary masterpiece, but suffice it to say that the book ultimately shows itself to be something of a paean to a lost friend and to days gone by.
It is, also, the book that will get Bob fired...

Product Description
I realize that anyone sufficiently intrigued by the title so as to open the cover of Golf Balls Are Female has probably already conjured up some ideas as to its contents. To end the suspense, I will tell you that Golf Balls Are Female is simply about the three greatest pleasures in a man s life drinking, golf, and the OU-Texas football game. Unfortunately, life requires a lot of living in between these most gratifying of pursuits, so Golf Balls Are Female is also about public humiliation, immaturity, emotional desperation, broken engagements, deceit, stupidity, sexually transmitted diseases, cybersex, lovesick lunacy, divorce, one-night stands, heartache, and partaking of the world s oldest profession. Although there are numerous incidents that stretch to the limits of plausibility, the book is based on real life stories. In fact, bona fide concerns about personal retaliation have convinced me to actually leave out some of the more incriminating details. Some readers may find our humor irreverent, others may deem our lifestyles to border on misogynistic, both would be correct. However, those that read beyond the outrageous behavior will find that Golf Balls Are Female is really about friendship. Most importantly, this book answers one of modern man s most enduring questions golf balls are definitely female!

About the Author
Robert C. Knox is a recognized expert in the field of ground water contamination and has won several national awards for excellence in engineering education. He is an avid in-line skater and, currently, a nineteen handicapper.

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