Started: Feb. 13
Finished: Feb. 23
Notes: I'm in need of some fiction, so I turn to this novel. I know comedian Ferguson can write non-fiction, as I've read his excellent autobiography, so now I'll find out how he handles fiction.
Mini review: It's not easy to describe this novel. For one thing, the plot jumps around all over the place, especially early on, though by about the halfway point things begin to mull and the last half of the novel is easy to follow. Also, there are numerous characters, and it's sometimes not so easy to keep track of them. There are two Scottish men who were friends as boys but who part ways in high school, one who eventually becomes a television personality and the other who lives a rather dull life with a wife he does not truly love. One of them becomes something of a holy man, the other discovers he has cancer and falls in love, though I won't tell you which is which. Then there are the two brothers from the South in America, one who becomes a movie star and the other his manager, and eventually they go into the business of religion. And there are many other charcters, though those are the main ones. It all ties together somewhat in the end in what turns out to be quite the spiritual novel. If there's a message here, it's ultimately a simple one, "Help others." The title itself doesn't seem to make much sense until the end of this book, and there's definitely a spirituality there. I like that. I won't say this was a fun read, though there is some humor, but it wasn't a complete drudge.
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