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Firecracker by Sean Stewart
William "Dead" Kennedy has problems.He's haunted by family, by dead people with unfinished business, and by those perfect pop songs you can't get out of your head. He's 32 and living on Ramen and cheap Mexican espresso. He shaved off his Mohawk when it began to recede. He just lost his job at Petco for eating cat food in front of customers. His air conditioning is broken, there's nothing good on the radio, and he's still in love with his ex-wife.When Will's cousin calls in the middle of the night about a dead girl haunting his garage, helping him out seems like an easy way to make a thousand bucks.It doesn't work out that way.Now his ex-wife's new husband is a former Marine who thinks Will is bad news. His 12-year-old daughter, Megan, thinks he needs looking after. And his dead relatives all think he owes them a favor.Sometimes a guy is haunted for a really good reason.
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First published January 1, 2004
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About the author
Sean Stewart
36 books148 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sean Stewart (born June 2, 1965) is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968. After stints in Houston, Texas, Vancouver, British Columbia, Irvine, California and Monterey, California, he now lives in Davis, California, with his wife and two daughters.
He received an Honors degree in English from University of Alberta in 1987, following which he spent many years writing novels. He gradually moved from writing novels to interactive fiction, first as lead writer on the Web based Alternate Reality Game The Beast.
He served as a consultant on several computer games, and was on the management team of the 4orty2wo Entertainment experiential marketing and entertainment company, where he was lead writer for Haunted Apiary aka ilovebees and Last Call Poker. His newest novel Cathy's Book seems to represent the melding of his two careers, as it crosses the alternate reality game format with a teen novel. In 2007, he and several 4orty2wo co-founders left that company to start Fourth Wall Studios.
Awards:
* Arthur Ellis Award Best First Novel winner (1993): Passion Play
* World Fantasy Award Best Novel winner (2001): Galveston
Sean Stewart (born June 2, 1965) is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968. After stints in Houston, Texas, Vancouver, British Columbia, Irvine, California and Monterey, California, he now lives in Davis, California, with his wife and two daughters.
He received an Honors degree in English from University of Alberta in 1987, following which he spent many years writing novels. He gradually moved from writing novels to interactive fiction, first as lead writer on the Web based Alternate Reality Game The Beast.
He served as a consultant on several computer games, and was on the management team of the 4orty2wo Entertainment experiential marketing and entertainment company, where he was lead writer for Haunted Apiary aka ilovebees and Last Call Poker. His newest novel Cathy's Book seems to represent the melding of his two careers, as it crosses the alternate reality game format with a teen novel. In 2007, he and several 4orty2wo co-founders left that company to start Fourth Wall Studios.
Awards:
* Arthur Ellis Award Best First Novel winner (1993): Passion Play
* World Fantasy Award Best Novel winner (2001): Galveston
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
November 24, 2016
Great read, exceptional story, great writing. Out of the box. In Europe it's called Firecracker by the way. This is a talented writer. Recommended!
May 9, 2024
East Texas paranormal noir.
This is a story about being rubbish at being human. It also has ghosts in it, but are they there to help or are they there for some other reason? I really enjoyed this, something different, quite comic but also very sad.
In Europe this book is called Firecreacker, but in the US it's called Perfect Circle, after the REM song.
This is a story about being rubbish at being human. It also has ghosts in it, but are they there to help or are they there for some other reason? I really enjoyed this, something different, quite comic but also very sad.
In Europe this book is called Firecreacker, but in the US it's called Perfect Circle, after the REM song.
January 3, 2013
This is not a book that goes somewhere at speed. Or really goes somewhere, at all. It's about a guy who doesn't really manage to get anywhere at speed (unless maybe you're talking about the drug in which case he might have some experience with it), who is in his mid-thirties and hasn't really done anything to his life, who is a great dad to his kid on the Sundays he gets to see her. An ordinary sort of guy, kinda useless, who just happens to see ghosts. (Not a spoiler. It's even on the dust jacket.)
Where the read that swept me away yesterday was an ideas book, this is much more a people book. I love this deadbeat idiot Will. I want to jump into the book and fix his life for him, but I love him anyway, because he loves his daughter and his family and his ex-wife, and he does the best he can with the hand he's been dealt, even though he's occasionally daft enough to ignore the good cards in his hand or throw them away in some silly move. I love his daughter, who is an ordinary twelve year old girl who loves and hates her parents, and whose biggest thing to ask of her dad is 'Don't Screw Up' (capital letters included). I loved his ex-wife, who was not a Madonna or a whore in the equation, but a woman who screwed up sometimes like anybody else.
If you're looking for a book that takes you on a ride, don't bother. Will can't even drive. It's the bus or your own two feet all the way. It's not even good if you want something supernatural and creepy, because Will and his family are so damn ordinary. But there's some amazing writing in here, the last page is gorgeous, and if you like Will, it'll make you smile and maybe release a bit of tension from your chest, because maybe he's gonna be okay.
I really, really enjoyed it. I read it in one sitting -- okay, no, that's a lie: I read it in three sittings. The first one on the floor until my ass went numb, the second one until my dad came and poked me to come and see if I wanted him to buy me a new hoodie, and the third until I'd finished it. I did do a bit of emergency Anglo-Saxon translation for someone in which I managed to translate every word but the verbs*, but that was forty minutes ago and I swear I only just settled down to read a couple of minutes ago...
(In case you're wondering about the length of the sittings, I can stand having a numb backside for a long time. I come from a distinguished line of people who can fall asleep on the back of a motorbike while riding pillion: uncomfortable is not a word I'm very familiar with. But other than that helpful hint, I can't tell you. What I'm trying to say is, this is the kind of book that for me meant putting it down involved some kind of effort. I can't promise you'll like it, mind.)
You'll notice I haven't said much about the ghosts. They have their part to play, but it's much more about a guy who sometimes sees ghosts than about A Guy Who Sees Ghosts.
*I keep wanting to go on tangents, which I think I somewhat blame on the style of this book. The style of a book always gets into my head. So anyway, here is just one of them: it's the 'because' and 'therefore's that stick with you from a language: I can still 'parce que...' with the best of them but damned if I can remember the complicated conversations drilled into me about nuclear power vs windfarms in my French classes. Fortunately, Anglo-Saxon doesn't involve words for nuclear power or windfarms, but I still couldn't figure out what God was supposed to be doing in that sentence. Although it doesn't help that my Norse vocabulary is more recent, and both similar and different enough to get in my way.
Where the read that swept me away yesterday was an ideas book, this is much more a people book. I love this deadbeat idiot Will. I want to jump into the book and fix his life for him, but I love him anyway, because he loves his daughter and his family and his ex-wife, and he does the best he can with the hand he's been dealt, even though he's occasionally daft enough to ignore the good cards in his hand or throw them away in some silly move. I love his daughter, who is an ordinary twelve year old girl who loves and hates her parents, and whose biggest thing to ask of her dad is 'Don't Screw Up' (capital letters included). I loved his ex-wife, who was not a Madonna or a whore in the equation, but a woman who screwed up sometimes like anybody else.
If you're looking for a book that takes you on a ride, don't bother. Will can't even drive. It's the bus or your own two feet all the way. It's not even good if you want something supernatural and creepy, because Will and his family are so damn ordinary. But there's some amazing writing in here, the last page is gorgeous, and if you like Will, it'll make you smile and maybe release a bit of tension from your chest, because maybe he's gonna be okay.
I really, really enjoyed it. I read it in one sitting -- okay, no, that's a lie: I read it in three sittings. The first one on the floor until my ass went numb, the second one until my dad came and poked me to come and see if I wanted him to buy me a new hoodie, and the third until I'd finished it. I did do a bit of emergency Anglo-Saxon translation for someone in which I managed to translate every word but the verbs*, but that was forty minutes ago and I swear I only just settled down to read a couple of minutes ago...
(In case you're wondering about the length of the sittings, I can stand having a numb backside for a long time. I come from a distinguished line of people who can fall asleep on the back of a motorbike while riding pillion: uncomfortable is not a word I'm very familiar with. But other than that helpful hint, I can't tell you. What I'm trying to say is, this is the kind of book that for me meant putting it down involved some kind of effort. I can't promise you'll like it, mind.)
You'll notice I haven't said much about the ghosts. They have their part to play, but it's much more about a guy who sometimes sees ghosts than about A Guy Who Sees Ghosts.
*I keep wanting to go on tangents, which I think I somewhat blame on the style of this book. The style of a book always gets into my head. So anyway, here is just one of them: it's the 'because' and 'therefore's that stick with you from a language: I can still 'parce que...' with the best of them but damned if I can remember the complicated conversations drilled into me about nuclear power vs windfarms in my French classes. Fortunately, Anglo-Saxon doesn't involve words for nuclear power or windfarms, but I still couldn't figure out what God was supposed to be doing in that sentence. Although it doesn't help that my Norse vocabulary is more recent, and both similar and different enough to get in my way.
August 29, 2013
Originally read May 2007. Re-reading August 2013.
Still just as awesome as I remembered.
*****
Will "Dead" Kennedy (also known as DK) sees dead people. I know this is starting to sound like a cliche, what with "The Sixth Sense" and Dean Koontz's popular "Odd Thomas" trilogy, but Stewart surpasses both of these with this moving, funny, and creepy book. DK's a former Texas punk, still in love with his ex-wife, and very much involved with his twelve-year-old daughter, Megan. In some ways his life is shaped by the dead -- he can't drive a car, for example, because he's gotten in too many accidents braking for ghosts -- but the real haunting is in the form of a past he can't let go. When a cousin of sorts calls DK up because there's a ghost crying in his garage, DK opens up a can of worms in the ghostly world and in his own life.
I started this book yesterday morning, and finished it last night. It's impossible to put down, and it's got one hell of a soundtrack. DK's the kind of protagonist who you root for, want to slap around, and kind of want to dive between the covers of the book to save. I just loved this.
Still just as awesome as I remembered.
*****
Will "Dead" Kennedy (also known as DK) sees dead people. I know this is starting to sound like a cliche, what with "The Sixth Sense" and Dean Koontz's popular "Odd Thomas" trilogy, but Stewart surpasses both of these with this moving, funny, and creepy book. DK's a former Texas punk, still in love with his ex-wife, and very much involved with his twelve-year-old daughter, Megan. In some ways his life is shaped by the dead -- he can't drive a car, for example, because he's gotten in too many accidents braking for ghosts -- but the real haunting is in the form of a past he can't let go. When a cousin of sorts calls DK up because there's a ghost crying in his garage, DK opens up a can of worms in the ghostly world and in his own life.
I started this book yesterday morning, and finished it last night. It's impossible to put down, and it's got one hell of a soundtrack. DK's the kind of protagonist who you root for, want to slap around, and kind of want to dive between the covers of the book to save. I just loved this.
July 15, 2024
If this was a Friends episode, it would be titled The One Where the Exorcist Gets Haunted. It wasn’t funny fun like friends, but it was fun as in I-cannot-get-enough-of-this. And in a way, I found it scary and haunting.
Ghosts don’t do things to you. Ghosts make you do unspeakable things to yourself.
Perfect Circle follows William ‘Dead’ Kennedy (aka: DK), a divorced Loser (capital L) with no money to his name but who is still a good dad. Oh, and he sees ghosts. He used to deal with ghosts back in the day, but not anymore, until he gets a call from Hanlon - he’s got a female ghost in his garage. It’s the ghost of a girl he ran over with a car back in Germany. But maybe he is lying… *suspenseful music*
Now let me start with a childhood story. When I was a kid, I looked up to two types of people: runners and readers. I didn’t like reading, and I was allergic to working out. My dad kept trying to get me into books and failed and failed. I recall one day we went to a big bookstore in Barcelona and I found a curious little book for teenage girlies: Cathy's Book. I became obsessed with it. It was so much fun. It had a little pocket with little notes and drawings you only got to see once you reached certain chapters.
The author? Sean Stewart. So here I am, 15+ years later, reading Sean Stewart again. Only it’s not a book for teenage girls, but a ghost story with spectacular writing that actually scared me? Insane.
So anyways, this book was terrifying. Stewart does a mean job at making you care for Will, Megan, and Josie (and Lee, I loved Lee). And then he makes you hate Hanlon (and Don) to the point you want bad things to happen to them, which is why the slow unravelling of what is going on with one of the ghosts following him is so terrifying. Like a descent to madness you witnessed in slow motion and you were so distracted by ‘the other guy,’ you missed all the signs.
The writing was absolutely incredible. It was brilliant. It made me think of Joe Hill (and it also included looooots of music, like he does). It has pretty heavy themes such as negligence that ends up in death, domestic violence (and this may be macho thinking that if the woman isn’t with you, she won’t be with anybody), addiction, divorcing with a child in the picture, and poverty (or being very broke). Something else I want to say: this is what The Handyman Method wanted to be. A slow haunting that turned an actual good guy into someone who would confuse ideas (If you love a woman enough, you kill her) and it was so brilliantly done and not misogynistic whatsoever.
The only downsides I decided to ignore because of how much I enjoyed the book were: the pacing, sometimes there was too much reminiscing and it slowed down a bit too much. I would have liked to see more current haunted house cases. And lastly, there were a few bits where Will pointed out her 12-year-old daughter wore a bra or had little pink lips and I did not need that (yuck). But otherwise, a nice little hidden gem. Thank you to @Jennifer Austin for the suggestion!!
Bits I highlighted:
Love turns you into a refrigerator. You think you’re a person, you can laugh and talk and move around, but it’s not true. At any moment your lover can pull you open and rummage around inside, pull out your heart and walk away. And you can’t stop it. You can’t hold the door closed. All you can do is sit there while she takes your heart and walks away.
—
On Sunday morning I signed myself out of the hospital, putting $4,317.14 on my Visa at the cashier’s desk. First installment of my $19,317.14 bill.
That’s a lot of noodle soup.
—
“The dead always hate us.”
—
“A lawyer?” I said. “What are you going to pay him with? USMC blow job? Or had you forgotten you’re out of work?”
Ghosts don’t do things to you. Ghosts make you do unspeakable things to yourself.
Perfect Circle follows William ‘Dead’ Kennedy (aka: DK), a divorced Loser (capital L) with no money to his name but who is still a good dad. Oh, and he sees ghosts. He used to deal with ghosts back in the day, but not anymore, until he gets a call from Hanlon - he’s got a female ghost in his garage. It’s the ghost of a girl he ran over with a car back in Germany. But maybe he is lying… *suspenseful music*
Now let me start with a childhood story. When I was a kid, I looked up to two types of people: runners and readers. I didn’t like reading, and I was allergic to working out. My dad kept trying to get me into books and failed and failed. I recall one day we went to a big bookstore in Barcelona and I found a curious little book for teenage girlies: Cathy's Book. I became obsessed with it. It was so much fun. It had a little pocket with little notes and drawings you only got to see once you reached certain chapters.
The author? Sean Stewart. So here I am, 15+ years later, reading Sean Stewart again. Only it’s not a book for teenage girls, but a ghost story with spectacular writing that actually scared me? Insane.
So anyways, this book was terrifying. Stewart does a mean job at making you care for Will, Megan, and Josie (and Lee, I loved Lee). And then he makes you hate Hanlon (and Don) to the point you want bad things to happen to them, which is why the slow unravelling of what is going on with one of the ghosts following him is so terrifying. Like a descent to madness you witnessed in slow motion and you were so distracted by ‘the other guy,’ you missed all the signs.
The writing was absolutely incredible. It was brilliant. It made me think of Joe Hill (and it also included looooots of music, like he does). It has pretty heavy themes such as negligence that ends up in death, domestic violence (and this may be macho thinking that if the woman isn’t with you, she won’t be with anybody), addiction, divorcing with a child in the picture, and poverty (or being very broke). Something else I want to say: this is what The Handyman Method wanted to be. A slow haunting that turned an actual good guy into someone who would confuse ideas (If you love a woman enough, you kill her) and it was so brilliantly done and not misogynistic whatsoever.
The only downsides I decided to ignore because of how much I enjoyed the book were: the pacing, sometimes there was too much reminiscing and it slowed down a bit too much. I would have liked to see more current haunted house cases. And lastly, there were a few bits where Will pointed out her 12-year-old daughter wore a bra or had little pink lips and I did not need that (yuck). But otherwise, a nice little hidden gem. Thank you to @Jennifer Austin for the suggestion!!
Bits I highlighted:
Love turns you into a refrigerator. You think you’re a person, you can laugh and talk and move around, but it’s not true. At any moment your lover can pull you open and rummage around inside, pull out your heart and walk away. And you can’t stop it. You can’t hold the door closed. All you can do is sit there while she takes your heart and walks away.
—
On Sunday morning I signed myself out of the hospital, putting $4,317.14 on my Visa at the cashier’s desk. First installment of my $19,317.14 bill.
That’s a lot of noodle soup.
—
“The dead always hate us.”
—
“A lawyer?” I said. “What are you going to pay him with? USMC blow job? Or had you forgotten you’re out of work?”
February 3, 2009
Back cover: William “Dead” Kennedy has problems.
He’s haunted by family, by dead people with unfinished business, and by those perfect pop songs that you can’t get out of your head. He’s a 32 year old Texan still in love with his ex-wife. He just lost his job at Petco for eating cat food. His air-conditioning is broken, there’s no good music on the radio, and he’s been dreaming about ghosts roads.
When Will’s cousin (“My dad married your Aunt Dot’s half sister”) calls in the middle of the night about a dead girl haunting his garage, helping him out seems like an easy way to make a thousands dollars.
But nothing is ever that simple, especially when family is involved. Will’s mother is planning a family reunion of epic proportions. Will’s ex-wife is married to a former Marine who knows Will is bad news. Will’s 12 year old daughter, Megan thinks he needs someone to look after him.
And recently his dead relatives seem to want something from him.
I think this is definitely something I’ll be coming back to… as much for the plot than for the sometimes critical eye the author lays on Texas or even Americans in general. I would recommend it to fantasy fans that are looking for something a bit different from your usual epic quest fantasy.
He’s haunted by family, by dead people with unfinished business, and by those perfect pop songs that you can’t get out of your head. He’s a 32 year old Texan still in love with his ex-wife. He just lost his job at Petco for eating cat food. His air-conditioning is broken, there’s no good music on the radio, and he’s been dreaming about ghosts roads.
When Will’s cousin (“My dad married your Aunt Dot’s half sister”) calls in the middle of the night about a dead girl haunting his garage, helping him out seems like an easy way to make a thousands dollars.
But nothing is ever that simple, especially when family is involved. Will’s mother is planning a family reunion of epic proportions. Will’s ex-wife is married to a former Marine who knows Will is bad news. Will’s 12 year old daughter, Megan thinks he needs someone to look after him.
And recently his dead relatives seem to want something from him.
I think this is definitely something I’ll be coming back to… as much for the plot than for the sometimes critical eye the author lays on Texas or even Americans in general. I would recommend it to fantasy fans that are looking for something a bit different from your usual epic quest fantasy.
August 29, 2007
The protagonist of Perfect Circle is a has-been punk, a deadbeat dad and pretty much an all-around loser. He also sees dead people on a regular basis, and is dealing with some murderous relatives.
Although it does have some genuinely creepy parts, the story is more about how a man deals with his erratic family life, his strained relations with his daughter, and his inability to just cope with life as a grown-up, than about horrific situations (i.e. less Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz and more along the lines of a Faulkner short story with some Douglas Coupland thrown in).
The writing is very descriptive and sets each scene beautifully, although it sometimes got in the way of the action (I caught myself scanning a few of the more detailed paragraphs a few times since they didn't seem to be going anywhere). And although some characters made terrible choices again and again to the point where you just wanted to shake them, they were all realistically portrayed and fairly sympathetic. The final scene of the book was especially poignant and left the story exactly where it should be.
If you're looking for a horror story, it's not going to satisfy you. If you're looking for a story about a man who hits bottom and somehow finds a way to redeem himself (in a bitingly sarcastic, anti-sentimental way) to a bizarre cast of characters, it's a great read.
Although it does have some genuinely creepy parts, the story is more about how a man deals with his erratic family life, his strained relations with his daughter, and his inability to just cope with life as a grown-up, than about horrific situations (i.e. less Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz and more along the lines of a Faulkner short story with some Douglas Coupland thrown in).
The writing is very descriptive and sets each scene beautifully, although it sometimes got in the way of the action (I caught myself scanning a few of the more detailed paragraphs a few times since they didn't seem to be going anywhere). And although some characters made terrible choices again and again to the point where you just wanted to shake them, they were all realistically portrayed and fairly sympathetic. The final scene of the book was especially poignant and left the story exactly where it should be.
If you're looking for a horror story, it's not going to satisfy you. If you're looking for a story about a man who hits bottom and somehow finds a way to redeem himself (in a bitingly sarcastic, anti-sentimental way) to a bizarre cast of characters, it's a great read.
September 19, 2016
This was a quirky, enjoyable read that just didn't quite live up to its promise. Will "Dead" Kennedy (DK to friends) is a bit of a deadbeat dad who likes alternative and punk music, belongs to a large dysfunctional family, gets into bar fights, is still in love with his ex-wife, and, oh, by the way, sees dead people. When a distant cousin asks for his help in exorcising a ghost, DK finds himself in over his head. A dead uncle keeps preaching to him, and another dead cousin seems to be warning him against something. Throw in a lot of shenanigans, ramen noodles and Mexican food, plus a lot of references to some pretty cool music, and you have the bones for a pretty good story. Unfortunately, the author never fulfills his contract with his audience. Nothing is ever resolved, and the two larger "mysteries" aren't faithfully addressed either. The writing is good, the characters are likable, but the story falls a little short. Probably closer to 3 1/2 star read...
December 28, 2017
No es exactamente lo que me esperaba pero me ha gustado mucho DK (el hecho de que tenga una familia gigantesca es un extra). La narrativa parece un poco errática pero acompaña perfectamente a Will que no deja de ser un hombre perdido.
Me gustaría ver más de él, tiene mucho potencial y más después del final que nos ha dado Círculo Perfecto.
Me gustaría ver más de él, tiene mucho potencial y más después del final que nos ha dado Círculo Perfecto.
July 18, 2016
Pourquoi une histoire nous touche-t-elle plus qu'une autre ? Pourquoi un livre vous impressionne-t-il au point d'avoir envie de le relire à peine la dernière page tournée ? Peut-être parce qu'il arrive au bon moment de votre vie, à un moment où vous êtes prêt à comprendre, à entendre son message en fonction de votre propre vécu ?
J'ai tout aimé : l'histoire, les protagonistes, les flashbacks, les tourments,les réflexions sur la vie et les rapports humains, la perception du monde, le voile noir et blanc de la dépression et même les fantômes ... au niveau humain, je trouve que c'est un chef d’œuvre de finesses, d'empathie
Certains amateurs d'histoire de fantômes seront peut-être déçus (ou pas), d'autres allergiques à ces histoires seront peut -être embarqués par l'auteur (ou pas)
Pour moi, Perfect Circle est une des meilleures lectures de cette année Je ne lui trouve aucun point négatif
Mille Mercis à Nikki dont le commentaire a motivé mon achat
NOTA / je me demande bien pourquoi ce livre est classé en 'fantaisie" ?
Why does a story affect us more than an other one? Why does a book impress you to the point you want nothing but reread it immediately ? Maybe because it happens at the right time in your life, at a moment when you are ready to understand, to hear his message according to your own real-life experience?
I liked everything: the story, the protagonists, the flashbacks, the agonies, the reflections on life and human relationships, the perception of the world, the black and white veil upon life and its feeling of depression and even the ghosts concept ... at the human level, I find that it is a masterpiece of sharpness, of empathy
Some amateurs of ghost story will maybe be disappointed (or not), others allergic to this stories will be embarked by the author (or not)
For me, Perfect Circle is on top of my "best read books of this year" I do not find any negative point to tell you
Many thanks to Nikki whose review motivated my purchase
J'ai tout aimé : l'histoire, les protagonistes, les flashbacks, les tourments,les réflexions sur la vie et les rapports humains, la perception du monde, le voile noir et blanc de la dépression et même les fantômes ... au niveau humain, je trouve que c'est un chef d’œuvre de finesses, d'empathie
Certains amateurs d'histoire de fantômes seront peut-être déçus (ou pas), d'autres allergiques à ces histoires seront peut -être embarqués par l'auteur (ou pas)
Pour moi, Perfect Circle est une des meilleures lectures de cette année Je ne lui trouve aucun point négatif
Mille Mercis à Nikki dont le commentaire a motivé mon achat
NOTA / je me demande bien pourquoi ce livre est classé en 'fantaisie" ?
Why does a story affect us more than an other one? Why does a book impress you to the point you want nothing but reread it immediately ? Maybe because it happens at the right time in your life, at a moment when you are ready to understand, to hear his message according to your own real-life experience?
I liked everything: the story, the protagonists, the flashbacks, the agonies, the reflections on life and human relationships, the perception of the world, the black and white veil upon life and its feeling of depression and even the ghosts concept ... at the human level, I find that it is a masterpiece of sharpness, of empathy
Some amateurs of ghost story will maybe be disappointed (or not), others allergic to this stories will be embarked by the author (or not)
For me, Perfect Circle is on top of my "best read books of this year" I do not find any negative point to tell you
Many thanks to Nikki whose review motivated my purchase
March 21, 2019
Will Kennedy sees dead people.
He tries to keep it a secret, but his family all seem to know, and one night his cousin asks him to get rid of a ghost in his garage. Things do not go well, and suddenly everyone knows he sees dead people, aaaaaaaand also he's got more ghost problems.
Perfect Circle initially appears to be a book with a plot, but it is not! And for a while, that didn't bother me too much, as I mostly enjoyed Sean Stewart's incredible grasp of character voice and lovingly detailed Houston (he even namedrops a Thai restaurant we used to go to in college). Will's life is kinda fucked, and he's just sort of hanging by, and it's hard not to feel for the guy, what with his ex-wife's husband being a big ol' jerk who doesn't even want him hanging out with his own daughter.
But this is much more of a ~*literary*~ novel, which means plenty of flashbacks and introspection, and very little resolution to much of anything. Stewart keeps teasing directions the story could go, mines tension from Will's interactions with some of the ghosts, and then...just lets them kind of fizzle away. I think the book has a climax? After a while I started to lose interest because the lack of ghost tension was so frustrating; it started to become a book where Things Just Happen in Succession for the most part. By the end, it was clear to me that the book was much more about Will and his relationship with his family, and, you know, being haunted as a metaphor (even though he was also being haunted as not-a-metaphor), but because I couldn't get a sense of the shape of the narrative while reading, it failed to grab me.
There is definitely material to like here, and it's well written. I shouldn't dislike it for not being the book I wanted it to be, but I know there are plenty of people who would appreciate the book it is.
He tries to keep it a secret, but his family all seem to know, and one night his cousin asks him to get rid of a ghost in his garage. Things do not go well, and suddenly everyone knows he sees dead people, aaaaaaaand also he's got more ghost problems.
Perfect Circle initially appears to be a book with a plot, but it is not! And for a while, that didn't bother me too much, as I mostly enjoyed Sean Stewart's incredible grasp of character voice and lovingly detailed Houston (he even namedrops a Thai restaurant we used to go to in college). Will's life is kinda fucked, and he's just sort of hanging by, and it's hard not to feel for the guy, what with his ex-wife's husband being a big ol' jerk who doesn't even want him hanging out with his own daughter.
But this is much more of a ~*literary*~ novel, which means plenty of flashbacks and introspection, and very little resolution to much of anything. Stewart keeps teasing directions the story could go, mines tension from Will's interactions with some of the ghosts, and then...just lets them kind of fizzle away. I think the book has a climax? After a while I started to lose interest because the lack of ghost tension was so frustrating; it started to become a book where Things Just Happen in Succession for the most part. By the end, it was clear to me that the book was much more about Will and his relationship with his family, and, you know, being haunted as a metaphor (even though he was also being haunted as not-a-metaphor), but because I couldn't get a sense of the shape of the narrative while reading, it failed to grab me.
There is definitely material to like here, and it's well written. I shouldn't dislike it for not being the book I wanted it to be, but I know there are plenty of people who would appreciate the book it is.
October 20, 2020
Hablar de este libro no me resulta tan fácil, tuve que analizarlo muy bien para poder escribir esta reseña. ¿Por qué? No era lo que me esperaba, y aunque por esto un libro no es malo, tampoco cubrió con las expectativas que me iba formando mientras estaba leyendo...pero sabía que había algo más.
La verdad es que lo estaba viendo desde una perspectiva que ya tengo establecida de un libro de fantasía. Tuve que olvidarme de todo lo que ya había visto en libros de este género.
Este es un buen libro. Sí, es de fantasía, pero explora mucho las emociones del ser humano. Este libro esta más enfocado en las personas, a pesar de los elementos de ficción es lo más realista que puede ser. Aquí no hay héroes o villanos, solo un tipo que puede ver muertos y trata de poner su vida en orden.
No puedo evitar verlo como una deconstrucción.
Aquí vemos personajes decadentes que tienen que enfrentar las consecuencias de sus decisiones. Estamos en la mente de un protagonista que lucha a diario para poder sobrellevar la vida miserable que tiene, y solo porque tuve un golpe de suerte que puede ayudarlo a salir adelante no significa que todo va a estar bien de la noche a la mañana.
Círculo Perfecto no es para cualquiera, personalmente me costó mucho ver que tan bien hecha está la historia. Es algo diferente, y fresco...es una fantasía más humana.
La verdad es que lo estaba viendo desde una perspectiva que ya tengo establecida de un libro de fantasía. Tuve que olvidarme de todo lo que ya había visto en libros de este género.
Este es un buen libro. Sí, es de fantasía, pero explora mucho las emociones del ser humano. Este libro esta más enfocado en las personas, a pesar de los elementos de ficción es lo más realista que puede ser. Aquí no hay héroes o villanos, solo un tipo que puede ver muertos y trata de poner su vida en orden.
No puedo evitar verlo como una deconstrucción.
Aquí vemos personajes decadentes que tienen que enfrentar las consecuencias de sus decisiones. Estamos en la mente de un protagonista que lucha a diario para poder sobrellevar la vida miserable que tiene, y solo porque tuve un golpe de suerte que puede ayudarlo a salir adelante no significa que todo va a estar bien de la noche a la mañana.
Círculo Perfecto no es para cualquiera, personalmente me costó mucho ver que tan bien hecha está la historia. Es algo diferente, y fresco...es una fantasía más humana.
February 10, 2009
I had never heard of this book before; I saw it in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section at the library and thought I would give it a try. It was rather addicting. I started it during my lunch break, and finished it after I got home from work on the same day.
The tag line on the front is "a novel about Texas, ghosts, and perfect pop songs". Perhaps my view of adding pop songs into a novel is a bit jaded from reading High Fidelity, but while he used pop songs in some places it didn't feel very poignant or important.
I liked Sean Stewart's writing (also on the front cover his writing is compared to "Stephen King meets Ibsen", and even though I don't know any Ibsen at all, I think I could see it), and I'd be interested to read other books by him.
The tag line on the front is "a novel about Texas, ghosts, and perfect pop songs". Perhaps my view of adding pop songs into a novel is a bit jaded from reading High Fidelity, but while he used pop songs in some places it didn't feel very poignant or important.
I liked Sean Stewart's writing (also on the front cover his writing is compared to "Stephen King meets Ibsen", and even though I don't know any Ibsen at all, I think I could see it), and I'd be interested to read other books by him.
September 6, 2011
I loved this novel.
What a weird, wonderful, well-written blend of everything lovely in ghosts, magic, and reality. Also punk-rock.
The novel also moves beautifully thru a story that compels about a young man who is no longer young, and a person in search of meaning in a world that has the hard edges of reality.
Loved it!
What a weird, wonderful, well-written blend of everything lovely in ghosts, magic, and reality. Also punk-rock.
The novel also moves beautifully thru a story that compels about a young man who is no longer young, and a person in search of meaning in a world that has the hard edges of reality.
Loved it!
April 15, 2018
3.5
Libro sorprendentemente profundo que va mucho más allá del terror
Lo primero que hay que saber es que esto no es una novela de terror. Es un drama familiar bastante complejo y con algunos toques sobrenaturales. Comencé este libro pensando en muertes, sangre, dolor y terror, y aunque en ocasiones hay, esta historia va mucho más allá.
Los personajes son profundamente complejos y están muy bien creados. Especialmente Will, nuestro protagonista. Es Will quien lleva la historia, no solo por ser el narrador. Vivimos la historia a través de él gracias a sus visiones, deseos y reflexiones. La manera en que el autor lo enlaza con su familia es soberbia y forma una relación compleja y muy interesante entre ellos. Podemos ver su decadencia, podemos ver su desesperación, podemos ver su evolución. Es cierto que no me agradó como persona pero es solo una opinión. No tiene nada que ver con la excelencia de esta novela.
Si he de hablar de alguna falla esa es el capítulo final. El autor lo rellenó mucho. Quizá quería que fuera igual de largo que los demás y como la historia y solución no daban para más comenzó a presentarnos ciertos momentos del pasado del protagonista. Me pareció completamente innecesario pues ya habían muchas cosas de su pasado que nos ayudan a comprender mejor el personaje por lo que el final quedó con mucho relleno. El autor debió crear un epílogo sin tantos rodeos. Aún así la historia tuvo un buen final y una buena solución.
La prosa estuvo magnífica. La historia se construyó lentamente y al menos a mi no se me hizo pesada. La duración estuvo perfecta. Ni muy largo, ni muy corto. Es un libro bastante bueno y con muchas enseñanzas que te dejará pensando.
Libro sorprendentemente profundo que va mucho más allá del terror
Lo primero que hay que saber es que esto no es una novela de terror. Es un drama familiar bastante complejo y con algunos toques sobrenaturales. Comencé este libro pensando en muertes, sangre, dolor y terror, y aunque en ocasiones hay, esta historia va mucho más allá.
Los personajes son profundamente complejos y están muy bien creados. Especialmente Will, nuestro protagonista. Es Will quien lleva la historia, no solo por ser el narrador. Vivimos la historia a través de él gracias a sus visiones, deseos y reflexiones. La manera en que el autor lo enlaza con su familia es soberbia y forma una relación compleja y muy interesante entre ellos. Podemos ver su decadencia, podemos ver su desesperación, podemos ver su evolución. Es cierto que no me agradó como persona pero es solo una opinión. No tiene nada que ver con la excelencia de esta novela.
Si he de hablar de alguna falla esa es el capítulo final. El autor lo rellenó mucho. Quizá quería que fuera igual de largo que los demás y como la historia y solución no daban para más comenzó a presentarnos ciertos momentos del pasado del protagonista. Me pareció completamente innecesario pues ya habían muchas cosas de su pasado que nos ayudan a comprender mejor el personaje por lo que el final quedó con mucho relleno. El autor debió crear un epílogo sin tantos rodeos. Aún así la historia tuvo un buen final y una buena solución.
La prosa estuvo magnífica. La historia se construyó lentamente y al menos a mi no se me hizo pesada. La duración estuvo perfecta. Ni muy largo, ni muy corto. Es un libro bastante bueno y con muchas enseñanzas que te dejará pensando.
May 4, 2022
This was lovely. It started out reading like more of an... mhm, an adventure/mystery vibe? But it took a turn into a more peaceful, richer character development. It was the perfect book to finish reading on a grey, pleasantly rainy day, and I am glad for having read it.
November 30, 2020
Sean Stewart and I seem to share a particular slice of history--growing up in the Houston/Galveston corridor in the 80s and 90s. This is my third of his books (the first being the even more wonderful Galveston and the also enjoyable Mockingbird), and again here what I enjoyed most was the particular setting. Stewart captures what it was to live in that particular place at that particular time--the heat and humidity, the family reunions, the oil refineries and rigs, some Houston neighborhoods and landmarks. And the brand of magic that involves ghosts people see and talk to.
[Note: Sean Stewart didn't actually grow up there, according to his bio. He just seems to have captured the feel.]
There's heart in this book, but I don't know how much it comes through if you aren't also completely enthralled by the setting and the way that this book captures this particular bit of history. The characters in this book aren't exactly going anywhere--the protagonist is a sort of Nick Hornby here--early thirties, life didn't quite come together, some rock references, good heart. But there's vulnerability and emotion here too--the interactions with a daughter he rarely sees, the pining for the ex-wife he wishes he'd treated better.
I stayed up way too late finishing this one. But the appeal here felt so personal that I don't know whether anyone else would care about this one.
[Note: Sean Stewart didn't actually grow up there, according to his bio. He just seems to have captured the feel.]
There's heart in this book, but I don't know how much it comes through if you aren't also completely enthralled by the setting and the way that this book captures this particular bit of history. The characters in this book aren't exactly going anywhere--the protagonist is a sort of Nick Hornby here--early thirties, life didn't quite come together, some rock references, good heart. But there's vulnerability and emotion here too--the interactions with a daughter he rarely sees, the pining for the ex-wife he wishes he'd treated better.
I stayed up way too late finishing this one. But the appeal here felt so personal that I don't know whether anyone else would care about this one.
September 29, 2015
Kind of a poor man's Cormac McCarthy, in a way. Sort of.
I enjoyed the details, and the concept. The concept being this guy who sees dead people, a guy who so doesn't have his life together. And lives in the Houston area.
A detail I really enjoyed is the fact that he doesn't drive; he can't always tell the difference between the living and the dead and he got into accidents when he veered off the road to avoid hitting ghosts he thought were real people.
And there are others.
The catfood-eating episode that's in the book's blurb is so much better than it is in the blurb. I mean, he's got a reason, and it's an awesome reason.
There was just some bit of magic missing to get the good details, the personality, voice, writing, plot--to plaster all these things together into a great book. What's sad is, it's better than three stars, but because it has this great potential, the fact that it lacks some undefinable spark of magic to make it so makes it feel like it falls shorter than it does. If that makes sense.
If there are more, I will read them. Even though he just about drove me bats calling The Woodlands "Woodland," and not mentioning anything about The Woodlands that makes it The Woodlands. (Sort of a college student's playground--the Woodlands Mall, theatres, concerts, restaurants.)
I enjoyed the details, and the concept. The concept being this guy who sees dead people, a guy who so doesn't have his life together. And lives in the Houston area.
A detail I really enjoyed is the fact that he doesn't drive; he can't always tell the difference between the living and the dead and he got into accidents when he veered off the road to avoid hitting ghosts he thought were real people.
And there are others.
The catfood-eating episode that's in the book's blurb is so much better than it is in the blurb. I mean, he's got a reason, and it's an awesome reason.
There was just some bit of magic missing to get the good details, the personality, voice, writing, plot--to plaster all these things together into a great book. What's sad is, it's better than three stars, but because it has this great potential, the fact that it lacks some undefinable spark of magic to make it so makes it feel like it falls shorter than it does. If that makes sense.
If there are more, I will read them. Even though he just about drove me bats calling The Woodlands "Woodland," and not mentioning anything about The Woodlands that makes it The Woodlands. (Sort of a college student's playground--the Woodlands Mall, theatres, concerts, restaurants.)
June 26, 2009
This is a great book. Entertaining and well written, with excellent characters and an engaging plot. The descriptions of Houston were spot on, from what I remember. The supernatural aspects were well balanced with regular life. I read somewhere that the main character is a "likeable loser" and that is the most apt description I can think of. Good stuff.
March 31, 2007
Texan loser sees ghosts. Figures out life. Reader feels good.
July 12, 2016
Es un libro sencillo pero a la vez no lo es. Y diferente. Lo he disfrutado muchísimo.
April 3, 2020
Nicely written and touching story of a loser who sees ghosts.
February 13, 2017
Au départ, je ne voulais pas noter, et ce livre mérite plus que 3 étoiles. C'est peut-être parce que je ne l'ai pas lu au bon moment. j'ai même failli après l'avoir commencé, en remettre la lecture à plus tard, mais bon, j'ai continué. J'ai aimé la précision de l'écriture en anglais. Il y a l'atmosphère " Houston is basically a concrete saucepan full of swamp water. The sun heats it up to a slow boil in May and keeps it simmering through to the end of October " ; le lecteur est pris dans un quotidien américain d'accidents industriels et de morts violentes par armes à feu, armes blanches ... ; il y a les fantômes et leur façon d'influer sur les vivants, malévolement pour ceux qui veulent se venger, ou essayant de passer un message; Will est en train de végéter, s'en rend compte, tente de s'en sortir ("the new improved Will Kennedy, committed to moving forward in his life"); mais il est entraîné par son côté sombre et voit le monde de plus en plus en noir et gris; cependant il peut compter sur une grande famille ("family matters in Deer Park, no matter how much you fuck up") et un ami/vosin, et il a une fille, super pré-ado de 12 ans. Peut-être n'ai je pas été perméable à la petite musique qui joue dans le texte "I put on some CDs and listened to the old bands", ces Eagles, Stranglers, REM, Roxy Music, qui pour moi n'ont pas créé dans ma tête la même ambiance. Et j'ai toujours gardé une certaine distance. Au fond, je ne me suis pas identifiée. Mais c'est un bon livre. Il a été traduit en français sous le titre Dead Kennedy.
February 26, 2025
I believe Stewart has a way with words. Unfortunately, I'm just not in the mood for reading a rather depressing book about a rather likable, but basically an unambitious thirty-something from small town Texas, still pining for his ex-wife (remarried) and struggling to be a good father to his daughter. Actually, "Dead" Kennedy underachieves consistently, but his extended family is important to him. The most unique thing about him is the fact that he sees and can communicate with dead people. When he actually finds that this talent might actually help him make money, he struggles to take advantage of the opportunity. I actually don't consider this as "horror", although there are some bad situations.
Our main character does grow and eventually comes to grips with his life and past to some extent, and I found the end to flow pretty well from the ups and downs of the bulk of the story.
Music is also important to him, and the regular mentions about bands and songs from (I think) the 80s and 90s will possibly appeal to some readers. I admit I either didn't know most of them; give me 60s and 70s and I'll feel more nostalgic!
I realized part of the way through that this is the second book about someone who sees ghosts. If this plot point sounds interesting, I enjoyed Delia's Shadow much more.
Our main character does grow and eventually comes to grips with his life and past to some extent, and I found the end to flow pretty well from the ups and downs of the bulk of the story.
Music is also important to him, and the regular mentions about bands and songs from (I think) the 80s and 90s will possibly appeal to some readers. I admit I either didn't know most of them; give me 60s and 70s and I'll feel more nostalgic!
I realized part of the way through that this is the second book about someone who sees ghosts. If this plot point sounds interesting, I enjoyed Delia's Shadow much more.
October 6, 2020
Sometimes, I read books that surprise me by upending my expectations. Perfect Circle did that, despite not really being a book that is meant as a twisting-turning thrill ride. At its core, this is a story about a divorced dad trying to make his way in the world. But for William "Dead" Kennedy, making his way in the world means seeing ghosts. His family knows it, and in the small town in which he grew up, the news got around. So as we see him trying to navigate being an every-other-weekend father, we also witness him trying to solve ghost problems. Early on, the book seems like it could turn into a murder mystery, and it decidedly does not. A whirlwind of events about 1/5 of the way through sets a new course for the book. It's truly more about the inner life and struggle of William than it is anything else. Stewart writes characters amazingly well, and I found myself empathizing with all of them, even though they're all flawed in their own ways. Towards the end, there are numerous absolutely on-point quotes about fatherhood that--whether one agrees or not--cannot fail to get one thinking. So yes, this is a ghost story, but it is primarily a human story. And as a human story, it is superb.
February 4, 2021
I read this book years ago and it is still my favorite novel. It's about a guy who can see ghosts but is haunted less by anything supernatural and more by coming to terms with the man he is versus the man he needs to be- for his family, for his daughter, for himself.
This story is a slow paced but beautiful dive into lamenting lost youth and forgotten punk songs. Will Kennedy isn't a protagonist that you admire- he's a guy you feel sorry for and in the end- root for. You root for him to be a good son, a good ex-husband, and most of all, a good father. His relationship with his daughter is the emotional core of the novel, and his struggle to not disappoint her is both hopeful and heartbreaking. I'm haunted by a lot of passages in this story-but not because of any ghosts that appear, but more by what Will has to face within himself- and the end always makes me emotional.
Every few months I pick this book up to read again- it's that enjoyable. Highly recommended!
This story is a slow paced but beautiful dive into lamenting lost youth and forgotten punk songs. Will Kennedy isn't a protagonist that you admire- he's a guy you feel sorry for and in the end- root for. You root for him to be a good son, a good ex-husband, and most of all, a good father. His relationship with his daughter is the emotional core of the novel, and his struggle to not disappoint her is both hopeful and heartbreaking. I'm haunted by a lot of passages in this story-but not because of any ghosts that appear, but more by what Will has to face within himself- and the end always makes me emotional.
Every few months I pick this book up to read again- it's that enjoyable. Highly recommended!
Want to read
November 9, 2021William ""Dead"" Kennedy has problems. He's haunted by family, by dead people with unfinished business, and by those perfect pop songs that you can't get out of your head. He's a 32-year-old Texan still in love with his ex-wife. He just lost his job at Pet-Co for eating cat food. His air-conditioning is broken, there's no good music on the radio, and he's been dreaming about ghost roads. When Will's cousin (""My dad married your Aunt Dot's half-sister"") calls in the middle of the night about a dead girl haunting his garage, it seems like an easy way to make a thousand dollars. But nothing is ever that simple, especially when family is involved. Will's mother is planning a family reunion of epic proportions. Will's ex-wife is married to a former Marine. His twelve-year-old daughter Megan thinks Will needs someone to look after him. And recently his dead relatives seem to want something from him.
September 12, 2022
Will "Dead" Kennedy sees dead people--mostly his own relatives. This is both a gift and a curse, and one particular encounter has sent his life spiraling. Will lives in a Houston redolent of oilfields and overripe vegetation, and is as likeable and engaging as he is damaged. He has been a father since age 20, but another man's name is on his daughter's birth certificate--born after Will's wife, Josie, left him for a macho ex-Marine mall-manager. Josie is living the suburban lifestyle while Will is getting fired from Petco for eating cat food in front of a customer. Will tries to eke out a living by being a punk ghost hunter, with a sound track by R.E.M., but things don't always go the way he hopes.
Sean Stewart is a poet and the imagery in "Perfect Circle" is spooky and lush to the point of requiring a shower. It is one of my favorite novels so far this year.
Sean Stewart is a poet and the imagery in "Perfect Circle" is spooky and lush to the point of requiring a shower. It is one of my favorite novels so far this year.
June 6, 2020
A powerful look at overcoming one's past and the healing powers of family. Has some of Stewart's best character work, though there's a moment that nearly killed it near the climax, and DK is one of my favorite protagonists I've had the pleasure of meeting recently. Would make an amazing TV show, with the "burned out punk who sees ghosts" aesthetic being tailor-made for the little screen, and it even has a built-in, ambiguous finale. As mentioned some moments near the end keep this from being perfect, for me, and the novel does meander a tad too much for its slim frame, but on the whole, it's a powerful, often quite fun, and really relatable read.
September 15, 2019
This book, about a man who can see ghosts, is reminiscent of Tim Powers (high praise from me) at times, but frustratingly lacking at other times, with inconsistent 'rules' for ghost-world behavior, too many flashbacks, too many interesting things hinted at but not followed up on (the ghost roads, in particular), but overall what is on the page outweighs what is lacking, and therefore recommended. More a family story than a ghost story -- but all the important ghosts in the tale are family, and so it goes...
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