The Miniature Man - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1905005520 ISBN 13: 9781905005529

Publisher: Snowbooks, 2006

Synopsis

Julian Papp found redemption in the game of chess, a kind of intellectual redemption that helped offset the shame and ridicule he often faced as an albino. With his unique ability to achieve a state of perfect concentration, Julian was an awesome prodigy--until, that is, he suffered his first epileptic seizure. Suddenly stripped of his chess-playing prowess, Julian attempts suicide, and finds himself at St. Francis Sanitarium, an institution run by an order of nuns. It is here that he meets Marcy--an enigma to those trying to help her, an adolescent who has blotted all memory of an undisclosed past. When put under hypnosis, in an effort to reclaim her lost identity, the young girl seeks the protection of an aged wood-carver, The Miniature Man, who offers her hints about events she has repressed. He also suggests that Julian may hold a key. Julian thus begins his most significant game, one in which both he and Marcy will learn much about themselves--and about the unavoidable pain of being human.

About this title

About the Author

also by r. muir novels In The Lap of Morpheus Möbius Africanus Refugees from a Merry-Go-Round Q The Cloven They Act A Lot Like People The Scarecrow's Daughter Navel of the World Dance Me on the Table Monkey Due Skin God's Last Gasp Just Get Me To Limbo screenplays The Miniature Man short stories r. muir Collected Short Works children's books Turpentine: a tale hard to swallow Vina and Her Petting Zoo The Little Girl Who Saw Things The Frozen Bunny Book

Reviews

This is a psychological mystery of the first order. Set in Arizona, in a mental health sanitarium run by nuns, it describes several months in the lives of Melanie, a 15-year-old rape victim suffering from amnesia, and Julian, an epileptic, suicidal 20-year-old albino chess prodigy. Both attempt to come to grips with reality as he teaches her how to play chess. There are a number of strange twists, including her discovery of events from her past under hypnosis through the medium of a carver of miniatures, and Julian's recurring nightmares about Melanie's rape. Through their friendship Melanie gradually regains her lost past while Julian becomes more human. The characters are unique, the prose is smooth, the story fascinating. A superb first novel. Brian E. Coutts, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Snowbooks
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1905005520
• ISBN 13: 9781905005529
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 242