Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living: A Book Review


I’m ashamed to say that I’ve not read John Grisham. Legal thrillers and mysteries don’t often rise to the top of my reading stack. But if John Grisham was a funny as Martin Clark (whom the New York Times referred to as a “drinking man’s John Grisham), I might have to begin reading Grisham. That said, this is the second book I’ve reviewed by Deana’s husband, Martin Clark.


This is one crazy book. My life has been crazy for the past few weeks and it has been a pleasure to occasionally retreat into Evers Wheeling’s world. Wheeling, a young district court judge in Norton, North Carolina is bored and ready for adventure. It arrives one day when the beautiful Ruth Esther English, one of the top car sales associates in the Southeast, seeks his help with her brother’s trial. She must get her brother Artis out of jail to help her recover money and a letter left by her father. Wheeling refuses to do anything illegal to help Artis, but when his case comes up, the police have screwed up the evidence so that he has no choice but to free him. Soon everyone, including Evan’s brother Pascal, are off on a trip to recover the hidden money in Salt Lake City. Pascal, like Evers, had inherited a small fortune from their parents. Unlike Evers, Pascal lived as the Prodigal (except there was no father to come home to), and after blowing much of his inheritance, spends his days living in a double wide, smoking pot. Evers also has a fondness for the weed and seems to get most of his caloric intact in the form of distilled spirits.

When I reviewed Clark’s other novel, Plain Heathen Mischief, earlier this summer, I noted that it had more twist and turns than Lombard Street, San Francisco. The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living tops Plain Heathen Mischief. It has more twist and turns than the highway out of Owen’s Valley and into Yosemite via Tioga Pass. There are many characters and more than a few deaths and a lot of “who-done-it” questions. Those who die include Evers' non-live-in wife (she refused to live in Norton). After Evers discovers her in bed with a “cow farmer,” they are locked in a divorce battle. Although her death seemed to be a suicide, it was also suspicious. At first, Evers seems a likely suspect, but then Pascal confesses although he later recants. Due to the many problems with his confession, he is offered a plea bargain that nets him only a couple of months in jail. Of course, there’s more to the story but to tell it all would be to ruin the story. Read it and laugh. And don’t get too hung up on all the characters, cause some just disappear without explanation and not all questions that are raised by the story get answered. The book may not be neat and tidy in that way, but such is life in a double-wide inhabited by a bunch of lazy pot smokers.

There are also many characters in the book. Paulette is a sharp dressed African American attorney from Charleston, West Virginia. Paulette represents Ruth Ester and later defends Pascal. Ruth Esther’s brother Artis is short and African American and obviously not blood related to his stately "white" sister. There are also boozing doctor and a handful of good ole boy cops. And then there are some mysteriously white tears. A hint of mysticism is found in the pages of the novel and at one point, I wondered if I was reading a legal thriller or fantasy. The mix-mash of characters create lots of humorous moments—such as when Judge Wheeling does a double take when he’s introduced to Artis, Ruth Esther’s brother, realizing there is no way they’re real siblings.

There are a few things in this book that I will have to blog about later. The first is the town of Climax, NC (yes, there is a town and when I was a high school debater, we often drove through it going to tournaments in the High Point, Greensboro and Winston Salem area). Next is William Jennings Bryan. The letter that Ruth Esther wanted was written by Bryan to a “teenage” lover of his, a letter which is real would have tarnished Bryan’s Puritan image. When I was in college, I did a paper on Bryan and discovered that I wasn’t at all interested in the Scopes Monkey Trial (for which he is remembered) but as him being a populist (probably in reality a socialist) candidate for President in 1896. He carried much of the nation. Although many in the religious right revere Bryan for being the prosecutor in the Scopes Trial, they would be horrified to realize that his political philosophy wasn’t anywhere near theirs. The final thing I should blog about sometime is Salt Lake City. I’ve spent a lot of time in that city when I lived in Utah. Two corrections that I might suggest to Clark, you don’t need a cab to get from the Hilton to Temple Square (if I remember correctly, the Hilton is only two blocks west). Secondly, Mormons don’t’ wear crosses.

This was a quirky fun book. Reading it during the chaos of my life over the past month, I found myself wanted to visit Pascal and sit out on the front porch of that trailer and enjoy a beer while we talked philosophy and other nonsense. I hope he brought back a six pack or two of Polygamy Porters from Wasatch Beers out in Utah.
For other book reviews by Sage, click here.
For Semicolon's Saturday's list of book reviews in blogs, click here.

16 comments:

  1. Honestly Sage you have made me want to reread the book! I will tell Martin to check out your reviews and corrections....he needed you to edit beforehand! I wonder if anyone else noticed the Mormon's and crosses. I had no idea myself.

    This is a very popular book. I am always surprised by just how much fan mail he gets on this one...people like crazy I guess! The screenplay is supposed to be really good for this one and I am crossing my fingers that a movie will be made! (And not just because I want to meet someone like Matthew Mc.)

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  2. I wonder where Martin gets his material. Ha ha. Would Deana know? If I don't read it beforehand I will definitely see the movie. Maybe they could film it here and we could all get big parts.

    I was directed here by my psychic abilities.

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  3. Deana, my corrections are minor--this is a fun book. The woman he speaks of at temple square wearing a large cross may not have been Mormon--but I assumed she was. As for jewelry, a CTR (choose the right) emblem would be more likely worn. I can't wait till the movie--it sounds like fun. Does Martin have a role in writing the screen play?

    Collen, that's for stopping by. This is a fun book--I'd encourage you to read it if you get a chance.

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  4. Oh Sage, you mean you would destroy the image of WJB in the name of historical truth? Shame. :) Sounds like a good read. I used to love Grisham, but when he started writing for movies I lost interest. I tried to read Innocent Man for Southern Reading Challenge but after putting it down to start another I never picked it up again. His first books are pretty good, the rest, not so much...but that is jmho. Thanks for the review, I look forward to the stories you teased.

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  5. OK, you talked me into it. I'll go get it. I like silliness and orneriness. Sounds like something right up my alley. Do they have alleys in trailer parks?

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  6. I'll go and look for it tomorrow! If you like that, you would llike the book "Handling Sin". I can't remember the author, but you'd like it!

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  7. fun review, thanks sage! I just picked up Grisham's latest book about an NFL QB who goes to play ball in Italy . . .

    Grisham's best is A Time to Kill, his other books vary, but he is generally pretty entertaining

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  8. I love Grisham's books. This one sounds great. I'll have to check it out.

    You gave me a good idea Sage. I love reading and am currently reading several books (plus some books for school). I will do some little reviews on my blog too. It'd be fun! Thanks.

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  9. Kontan, A lot of things would be different if WJB would have been elected President in 1896--I'm not sure if it would be for the better, but certainly not for the worst. There's a lot to true populism that I like.

    Paul, just remember that the book does have its rough edges (like you, I try to keep by blog "cuss free" but the book doesn't fit that mold)

    Kenju, sometimes I feel like I've handled too much of it already

    Diane, I should read something by him, just haven't gotten around to it

    Joe, I love reading book reviews and many people around here review books in their blogs

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  10. Sounds like a day at the office. ;)

    I will definitely check out the first book. I'm through with horror for now and this one's right up my alley. Thanks for the review.

    One day maybe we can have a book discussion online. Maybe.

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  11. I will do a review or two. Most of the books I read are non-fiction, history, political, or philosophy books. Most folks find those boring. But...I think a few will find them interesting.

    W. J. Bryan is a very interesting person. You are pretty much right about how the religious right might view if they really studied him more.

    Every time I read his "Cross of Gold" speech I still get chills. What it must have been like to hear him actually give that speech! It's a shame we no longer have the great orators like they had way back when.

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  12. I read one Grisham long time back. I don't even remember which one. I have read all the Robert Ludlums and Alistair Macleans.

    I have read only one Stephen King recently, that two four long stories in a hard cover.

    Do you thin, I am book snob?

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  13. I haven't read a Grisham book in years with one noteworthy exception, "Skipping Christmas". It was rolling on the floor hilarious and a must read. A poor version of a movie was based upon it with Tim Allen called "Christmas with the Kranks" a few years back.

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  14. Scarlet: The discussion sounds good--what horror are you reading? That's not a genre I'm into much

    JOe, although I mostly post reviews of fiction, I do read lots of non-fiction, especially essays, theology and history. I got a whole new appreciation of WJB when I was working in Western American History--and the parallels between the Silver movement in the West and the Populist farm movements in the South and Midwest.

    Guatami--you a book snob? No more than me, I'm sure!

    Ed, Skipping Christmas sounds like my kind of book--a good "Christmas read"

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  15. Scarlet: The discussion sounds good--what horror are you reading? That's not a genre I'm into much

    JOe, although I mostly post reviews of fiction, I do read lots of non-fiction, especially essays, theology and history. I got a whole new appreciation of WJB when I was working in Western American History--and the parallels between the Silver movement in the West and the Populist farm movements in the South and Midwest.

    Guatami--you a book snob? No more than me, I'm sure!

    Ed, Skipping Christmas sounds like my kind of book--a good "Christmas read"

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  16. I probably already told you, but hubby loved the book. Not much commentary, as usual, but I caught him chuckling. Always a goo sign. :) Thanks for allow it to stay in our home.

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