The Bull - Softcover

Weber, Matthew T.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 098545900X ISBN 13: 9780985459000

Publisher: Pint Bottle Press, 2012

Synopsis

The mayor of Fulton Springs, Alabama, has one thing on his mind: His reelection, and the money and power that come with it. He’s an old pro in the political game and quick to sell out the public to special interests if the price is right. He says all his decisions are made in the best interest of his citizens, so they should just shut up and follow the rules. Restaurant owner, Frank Standish, is tired of having his business hamstrung by all the new taxes and regulations that crop up at each city council meeting helmed by the mayor's lackeys. The cronies in office are choking off his livelihood and stomping on his freedom. So Frank decides to do something about it. Backed by a surge of grassroots support, Frank and his family and friends at The Bull, a local bar and barbecue pit, mount a blue-collar revolt against government run amok. Frank runs on a groundbreaking political platform: a promise to serve only a single term on behalf of the freedom-loving citizens of Fulton springs, imposing his own strict term limit to insulate himself from the influence of outside interests. His strategy resonates wildly with the voters who orchestrate an underdog campaign to unseat the mayor — a concerted effort that refuses to be silenced by slanderous propaganda, corrupt authority, vindictive police or even bullets from a gun. With a red-hot rebellious streak steeped in rich southern tradition, this is the story of Frank Standish and company, who are sick of the city telling them what to do. And they plan to make a change, whether the mayor likes it or not.

About this title

About the Author

Matt Weber is a husband and father who resides just north of Birmingham, Alabama. He is editor-in-chief of Extreme How-To, a home-improvement magazine for handymen and DIY'ers, which he has managed since 2003 (www.extremehowto.com). He is vice-president of the National Association of Home & Workshop Writers (NAHWW), and plays bass guitar in the punk-rock band SKEPTIC? The Bull is his first novel.

Review

Nowadays politicians seem to work more for their own interests than those of the voters. Taxes climb, special interests bribe, small businesses die and the American dream that once glittered has gone dim. Government is now threatening our rights to smoke, eat certain foods and drink sugary sodas.

Well, maybe not everyone wants to live to see 100, especially if it means giving up the very foods, luxuries and liberties that make life worth living. That's the thesis of Matthew Weber's new novel, "The Bull," the story of a small Alabama city held hostage by a mayor and his system of "Good Old Boy" politics. That man's name is [Davenport] Cornelius, a former minister on a power trip who sells out his trusting citizens to rake in money for himself and his comrades. Frank Standish, owner of the town's favorite barbecue joint, "The Bull," has had enough. With the help of his family, patrons and the local radio DJ, he launches a grassroots campaign to end Cornelius's reign and shatter the learned helplessness paralyzing the town.

The tension between the proud, independent citizens and the dominating fat cats is established from the first sentence of the novel: "One thing about people from the South ... they do not like being told what to do." Fast-moving and provocative, "The Bull" also stands as a relevant critique of the times, an era when nanny-state politics are chipping away at the individual's pursuit of happiness. A living monument to modern political contamination, Cornelius is an infuriating villain. As the protagonist, Standish is also well developed as a local racing legend dedicated to humbly serving the very people who used to idolize him.

At its heart, however, Weber's book is about bullying. "The Bull" illustrates the empowerment of standing up for oneself and one's people against whatever or whomever is pushing them around. Sooner or later the bully has to face the music. (-W. Buchheit, "Boiling Springs Sentry" South Carolina)

About this edition

• Publisher: Pint Bottle Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 098545900X
• ISBN 13: 9780985459000
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 188