Final Things

by Richard B. Wright

With the publication of Clara Callan and its sweep of the awards and bestseller lists, Richard B. Wright has become a household name. But as many fiction lovers are just now discovering, Wright has been dazzling critics, writers, and his loyal audience for years, with stories that grab hold and don’t let go. Final Things is one such book, a story as shockingly timely now as it was when it was first published in 1980. Jonathan Farris, 12, leaves his father’s apartment one Saturday afternoon and never returns. The next day police discover that Jonathan was brutally raped and murdered, his trip to the convenience store cut short by an unknown killer. Charlie, Jonathan’s father, already on a down-ward slide from a nasty divorce, a stalled writing career, and a creeping alcohol addiction, struggles to cope with the most devastating loss a parent can ever endure. When an anonymous phone call offers him information about his son’s killer, Charlie is galvanized into action, channeling his grief, his guilt, and his rage into one of the most powerful confrontations since James Dickey’s Deliverance .

Genres: Novels, Literature

147 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Richard B. Wright was a Canadian novelist.

Born in Midland, Ontario, Wright attended Trent University, from which he graduated in 1970. He was the author of 13 published novels and two children's books. Many of his older novels were republished after his novel Clara Callan won three of Canada's major literary awards in 2001: the Giller Prize; the Trillium Book Award; and the Governor General's Award.

Reviews

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This threw me for a loop. It goes from a compact, straightforward examination of grief, to a character mystery, to something violently akin to a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's well written, as are all things by Richard B Wright, but its a strange mish-mash of genres and ideas that don't always sit well together.

[Millie Vickers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uhhhhh....I don’t even really know what to say about this one. It was a quick read as it’s very short and incredibly well-written, however, it felt like two different stories. The first half seemed like a document on grief and immense loss and then the second half is a suspenseful graphic (oh so graphic!) Thriller.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

From back cover:

"One Saturday afternoon, twelve-year-old Jonathan Farris leaves his father's apartment and never returns. The next day, police discover that Jonathan was brutually raped and murdered, his trip to the convenience store cut short by an unknown killer. Charlie, Jonathan's father, already on a downward slide from a nasty divorce, a stalled writing career and a creeping alcohol addiction, struggles to cope with the most devastating loss a parent can ever endure.

When an anonymous phone call offers him information about his son's killer, Charlie is galvanized into action, channeling his grief, his guilt and his rage into one of the most powerful confrontations since James Dickey's Deliverance."

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i couldn't put this book down ... even when nothing was happening the book engulfed you

[Rebecca Bomasuit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ummm.... I’m not sure what to say... that took a turn from dark to incredibly violent. Quick read, very short, very well written. Probably not going to forget this book anytime soon.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Richard B. Wright book. He mixes together the simple and the bizarre, creating unusual moments in everyman's life. I question the protagonist's method of finding his son's killer. But if he is actually under the influence of alcohol, then his wacky decisions can more easily be explained. There were some very predictable moments; times when I could skim read (which I hate to do in Wright's work) but his prose always has a clarity, truthfulness, and surprises that make him a favourite author of mine.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, in spite of its dreadful plot line (12 year old boy is raped and murdered, disintegrating alcoholic father gets revenge) and in spite of what I found to be an implausible and even somewhat hokey ending. The characters are believable and painfully human, and the story, while sensational and awful, is not without its sad parallels in real life--too many I fear.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard B. Wright hits hard with this short book about family loss, misunderstanding and murder. Another winner from this Canadian writer takes place in and around Toronto at Christmastime when the weather is brutal, windy & cold, not unlike this story.

[Karen Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

How a father reacts when his 12 year old son is raped and murdered. Not a subject I would ordinarily read. But if Richard B. Wright writes it, I will read it.