Over There - Hardcover

Jarrard, Kyle

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1880909537 ISBN 13: 9781880909539

Publisher: Baskerville Pub, 1997

Synopsis

Marc, a writer for a quiz show, uses his vacation to write about his grandfather, Ansel, who moved to Mexico after the death of his wife, in a novel that moves from Paris to Mexico and beyond, and explores the lives of three generations--Ansel, his son-in-law, Henri, and Marc

About this title

Reviews

A let-out-the-stops effort at serious metaphysical comedy in the manner of Beckett or Burroughs, Jarrard's first novel takes readers on a wild ride not just through time and space but through loopholes in language and meaning. Traveling from France to Texas to Mexico to Italy and back to France, this avant-garde tale traces the exploits of three generations of a family trying to reconcile their past, present and future. Taking a summer vacation to write a book about his grandfather Ansel's mysterious disappearance, young Marc Du conjures up the old man and a cast of derisive and mocking characters. As part of his literary search, Marc Du recreates his father's own search through Mexico for Ansel. Despite some deliciously weird and promising opening gambits, Jarrard fails to develop distinctive personalities and voices for his characters, unless one counts some questionable accents and dialects. Funny bits come from a speaking monkey, a surfing Nazi and the immense Sarah, who lives on an island in the Yucatan with her pet pig, but these folk don't stick around long enough to make a big difference. Jarrard has an exuberant imagination and a facility with language. Hopefully, he will apply them in his next work to a more rigorous story populated by more fleshed-out souls.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

At the beginning of Jarrard's ambitious first novel, quiz show writer Marc, on vacation with his wife and two children, sets out to write the story of his grandfather Ansel, who fled to Mexico after the death of his wife. Upon this seemingly simplistic base, Jarrard has crafted a novel of epic proportion distilled through the media of dreams, fantasies, and, above all, remembrances. The main plot concerns son-in-law Henri's pursuit and eventual locating of Ansel, but interwoven into the story are extensions of this enigmatic man's history and his legacy. All of this and more are told in a complex but surprisingly accessible style, as the novel jumps back and forth in time, often changing narrators without warning. Although certain scenes and plot points may be fuzzy, what remains clear is Jarrard's love of and talent for storytelling and stretching the boundaries of traditional narrative. A challenging but rewarding read; highly recommended.
Marc A. Kloszewski, Indiana Free Lib., Indiana, Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Baskerville Pub
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1880909537
• ISBN 13: 9781880909539
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 283