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Dr. Brinkley's Tower: A Novel
A riotous tale of love and lust, valor and villainy on the Mexican frontier of the 1930s.
Robert Hough’s vivid and wildly imaginative novel takes us to 1931 Mexico and Corazón de la Fuente, a war-ravaged border town where the only enterprise is a brothel in which every girl is called Maria. Enter, from north of the border, Dr. Romulus Brinkley, inventor of a miraculous “goat gland operation” said to cure sexual impotence. When Brinkley decides to build a gargantuan new radio tower to broadcast his services throughout the United States, he chooses none other than Corazón de la Fuente for its site.
The town’s fortunes change overnight, but not all to the good – word of the new prosperity spreads, and Corazón is overrun with desperadoes and mercenaries itching to reopen old wounds. Worst of all, Dr. Brinkley has attracted the affections of the town’s most beautiful citizen, Violeta Cruz. But with the help of a motley band of allies, Violeta’s spurned fiancé, Francisco, decides to fight back.
Inspired by the monstrous shenanigans of a real life American con man and peopled with unforgettable characters, Dr. Brinkley’s Tower captures a young Mexico caught between its own ambitions and the designs of its wealthier neighbor to the north.
Robert Hough’s vivid and wildly imaginative novel takes us to 1931 Mexico and Corazón de la Fuente, a war-ravaged border town where the only enterprise is a brothel in which every girl is called Maria. Enter, from north of the border, Dr. Romulus Brinkley, inventor of a miraculous “goat gland operation” said to cure sexual impotence. When Brinkley decides to build a gargantuan new radio tower to broadcast his services throughout the United States, he chooses none other than Corazón de la Fuente for its site.
The town’s fortunes change overnight, but not all to the good – word of the new prosperity spreads, and Corazón is overrun with desperadoes and mercenaries itching to reopen old wounds. Worst of all, Dr. Brinkley has attracted the affections of the town’s most beautiful citizen, Violeta Cruz. But with the help of a motley band of allies, Violeta’s spurned fiancé, Francisco, decides to fight back.
Inspired by the monstrous shenanigans of a real life American con man and peopled with unforgettable characters, Dr. Brinkley’s Tower captures a young Mexico caught between its own ambitions and the designs of its wealthier neighbor to the north.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Robert Hough
9 books52 followersToronto author, bon-vivant, family man, spelunking enthusiast. My seventh novel, The Marriage of Rose Camilleri, was published in November of 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 52 reviews
July 29, 2021
Wanted to like this more than I was able to. Felt the author was trying too hard. Also expectations interfered. I loved his previous novel (The Final Confession of Mabel Stark) so had high hopes for this one, especially since I had read a fascinating biography about the real-life Dr. Brinkley (Charlatan) and his goat gland treatments. However, this novel is not so much about Dr. Brinkley, but is centered on the little town in Mexico where Dr. Brinkley built his radio tower to get around US broadcast regulations while still advertising in the US.
Was distracted while reading by trying to come up with a better title, something like The Healer, or Bruja, or Curandero/Curandera, which would have connected the fake doctor Brinkley with the local healer/medicine woman in the village. But then, the tower is the centre of the novel, and it is right there in the title, so maybe I should jut pay closer attention to details.
Was distracted while reading by trying to come up with a better title, something like The Healer, or Bruja, or Curandero/Curandera, which would have connected the fake doctor Brinkley with the local healer/medicine woman in the village. But then, the tower is the centre of the novel, and it is right there in the title, so maybe I should jut pay closer attention to details.
October 24, 2012
I was first attracted to the book due to its great cover art, which I recognized as part of a Diego Rivera mural.Rivera portrayed himself as the little boy and Frida Kahlo stands behind him. I was interested because it has been short-listed for the Governor-General's award in fiction. Once I began to read I stayed for the great characters and the vivid portrayal of a Mexican village in the 1930's.
The setting is a small Mexican village just across from the Texas border.The village has been impoverished following the Mexican Revolution and subsequent raids by bandits. Its main industry seems to be its bordello, run by Madam Felix. The girls she employs have all been named Maria by her.
Bentley soon enters the story. He calls himself a doctor, but is actually a con-man and womanizer.He has started a medical technique where he operates on men experiencing erectile dysfunction by inserting goat glands. He has a powerful radio station built in the village to circumvent American regulations.
There was really a "Doctor" Bentley who was even a bigger fraud and womanizer than the character in the story.A tower was actually built in a Mexican village and was purported to be the most powerful in the world.
The tower brings prosperity to the village, but an ancient witch-like hag (the curandera) has predicted it will cause nothing but trouble, and dances around the tower burning weeds and chanting.The transmissions are picked up by any metal object such as dental braces and fences.Men are attracted from across the border to the bordello and soon bandits arrive.The villagers grow to hate the tower.
Among the colorful characters who inhabit the pages are:a young man falling in love for the first time, his girlfriend who is seduced by Bentley, an old man in his 80's who experiences love with a much younger woman, Antonio Garcia, a Spanish hacendro who lost almost everything during the revolution except for a few horses, a mayor and the priest, and the local innkeeper who is secretly in love with the madam.
The story lagged in the middle, but the plot thickened later when the villagers converge to save the village.
The setting is a small Mexican village just across from the Texas border.The village has been impoverished following the Mexican Revolution and subsequent raids by bandits. Its main industry seems to be its bordello, run by Madam Felix. The girls she employs have all been named Maria by her.
Bentley soon enters the story. He calls himself a doctor, but is actually a con-man and womanizer.He has started a medical technique where he operates on men experiencing erectile dysfunction by inserting goat glands. He has a powerful radio station built in the village to circumvent American regulations.
There was really a "Doctor" Bentley who was even a bigger fraud and womanizer than the character in the story.A tower was actually built in a Mexican village and was purported to be the most powerful in the world.
The tower brings prosperity to the village, but an ancient witch-like hag (the curandera) has predicted it will cause nothing but trouble, and dances around the tower burning weeds and chanting.The transmissions are picked up by any metal object such as dental braces and fences.Men are attracted from across the border to the bordello and soon bandits arrive.The villagers grow to hate the tower.
Among the colorful characters who inhabit the pages are:a young man falling in love for the first time, his girlfriend who is seduced by Bentley, an old man in his 80's who experiences love with a much younger woman, Antonio Garcia, a Spanish hacendro who lost almost everything during the revolution except for a few horses, a mayor and the priest, and the local innkeeper who is secretly in love with the madam.
The story lagged in the middle, but the plot thickened later when the villagers converge to save the village.
February 2, 2013
4.5 stars
Amazing storytelling to the tune of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, without the supernatural elements, but with the same vivid protrayal of everyday people using everyday language. Highly recommended.
Amazing storytelling to the tune of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, without the supernatural elements, but with the same vivid protrayal of everyday people using everyday language. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2015
The Mexican revolution left the small town of Corazon de la Fuente deep in poverty and still emotionally raw from the memories of violence. Robert Hough evokes a real sense of place when he describes the unrelenting blistering heat of the day & the dustiness of the town. One day their fortunes appear to change as the local Mayor makes a deal with (unbeknownst to him) an American con-man named Dr. Brinkley to build the largest radio tower ever, just behind the local whorehouse.
Dr. Brinkley claims to have conquered the problem of male impotence by replacing human testicles with those of a goat. He conducts the surgeries from a converted hotel, in a small town in Texas and wants to build the tower in order to advertise his services and reach the largest possible audience. The tower ends up being so large and the signal so strong, that it is rumoured that the signal can reach Alaska.This is a fictional account of an actual event that occurred in the 1930's.
The story mainly focuses on the relationships between a handful of characters and and changes that occur in the town after the tower is built. By all accounts, Dr. Brinkley was not a nice man but in this story, although the tower takes center stage, the man himself is more of a sideline character. The reader can only guess at the depth of his depravity.
Towards the end of the story as you may suspect, undesirables are attracted to the town which leads to heavy fighting, reminiscent of the Revolution. The most respected men of the town must act if they are to save their beloved town.
I enjoyed the begining of book with decriptions of the town & its people but towards the with the heavy fighting, I was eager for the author to wrap up the story. It was an interesting story for the most part. Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of Dr. Brinkley. While I enjoyed reading about the romances, marriages & friendships between the five most respected men in town, I would have given this book a higher rating if we had been able to learn more about Dr, Brinkley himself. The story plays more like a regular romantic drama than a real piece of historical fiction. This story was so important to the communications history of the US, that they enacted the Brinkley Act, named after Dr. Brinkley.
Dr. Brinkley claims to have conquered the problem of male impotence by replacing human testicles with those of a goat. He conducts the surgeries from a converted hotel, in a small town in Texas and wants to build the tower in order to advertise his services and reach the largest possible audience. The tower ends up being so large and the signal so strong, that it is rumoured that the signal can reach Alaska.This is a fictional account of an actual event that occurred in the 1930's.
The story mainly focuses on the relationships between a handful of characters and and changes that occur in the town after the tower is built. By all accounts, Dr. Brinkley was not a nice man but in this story, although the tower takes center stage, the man himself is more of a sideline character. The reader can only guess at the depth of his depravity.
Towards the end of the story as you may suspect, undesirables are attracted to the town which leads to heavy fighting, reminiscent of the Revolution. The most respected men of the town must act if they are to save their beloved town.
I enjoyed the begining of book with decriptions of the town & its people but towards the with the heavy fighting, I was eager for the author to wrap up the story. It was an interesting story for the most part. Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of Dr. Brinkley. While I enjoyed reading about the romances, marriages & friendships between the five most respected men in town, I would have given this book a higher rating if we had been able to learn more about Dr, Brinkley himself. The story plays more like a regular romantic drama than a real piece of historical fiction. This story was so important to the communications history of the US, that they enacted the Brinkley Act, named after Dr. Brinkley.
May 17, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and am glad that I read it. The setting is a little border town in Mexico called Corazon de la Fuente. The time is 1931 which is a time when Corazon had just come out of a bloody civil war. Along comes an American named Romulus Brinkley and he tells the citizens that he is going to build a huge radio tower near their town. At first they are happy because there is work and jobs. But then they realize that the tower's frequencies are broadcasting through every bit of metal in the town, including a young woman's new braces. Now they are not so happy with this gargantuan piece of metal being so close. The story appears simple enough, but it's the cast of characters that makes the book so delicious. Hough has created an entire community here of beautiful characters even though Brinkley was an actual person. I loved all the characters from the young Francisco who plays an important role in the book, to Father Alvarez the alcoholic pries,t to the hacendero to the lame and ineffective mayor. (And a whole host of others.) This book is a romp back in time and lots of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 18, 2012
There was a lot about this book that I really enjoyed. First, I really liked that this book took place in Mexico as I realize I have not read any fiction that takes place in Mexico - I appreciated the portrayal of life in a small village there. I also really liked a lot of the characters. I felt that the writing was really strange and enjoyed the voice of the writer. However, I didn't enjoy how male centric the book was and also that the female characters appeared to be in the book for the sole purpose of supporting the male characters in their pleasure (except for Madam which seems strange since her entire business is in the pleasure of men but if you read the book you will understand what I mean).
January 10, 2018
What I wasn't expecting from this book was to be so enamored with each character, through their flaws and decisions. Yet, here we are and I'm mad it had to end. Robert Hough wrote such realistic, endearing characters that allowed the story to flow from story to story in a way that wasn't disconnected or abrupt, but did so in a way that actually made a reader want to continue on just because you had to know what happened to each person in the town. While Dr. Brinkley plays a minor role in this novel, it's Francisco and Violeta and the Madam and the hacendero and everyone else's story and how each character came into their own because of this ridiculous radio tower. Definitely a great read to start off my new year.
October 12, 2017
Strong start, plodding middle and end.
April 29, 2019
This book would be fine except the few women characters in the book are all caricatures. The beauty, the ugly, the whore(s), the witch. Honestly, I think we can do better.
October 21, 2012
A great romp across the Mexican border!
Page 60:
As preposterous as it may have seemed, there were people in town who dislike that Dr. Brinkley had chose Corazon de la Fuente as the recipient of his tower. Foremost among these was the curandera, the bristle-faced old witch who lived in a shack out in the desert. Her real name was Azula Mampajo, and it was becoming more and more common to see her patrolling the perimeter of the work site, waving bunches of smouldering herbs while simultaneously moaning. This unerved the Kickapoo Indians labouring on the tower, all of whom follwed the same belief system as the curandera. The accident rate at the building site - which had not been low to begin with - increased. One unluckly indigenous, upon hearing the curadera's incantations, lost his balance and fell from the second tier of the tower, breaking an arm and a smattering of ribs.
The next day, one of the sub-foremen, accompanied by Geraldo the translator, congronted thw woman, who was performing a fitful jig while waving around bunches of stinkweed. She stopped and regarded them through eyes that, over the years, had grown milky and weak.
-Lady, said the foreman. -Y'all cain't be distractin' my workers like that.
The curandera turned to the translator, who interpreted the sub-foreman's request as follows: -He siad to fuck off back to hell, you malodorous witch. If you don't, we'll drown you in the river.
She withdrew, muttering, kept to herself for a few days, and was then seen off in the distance, performing spooky rituals by herself. Over the next week or so she inched toward the work site, until the day came when the workers again started misfiring their riveting guys and walking off crossbeams. One of the sub-foremen was again dispatched to talk to her, and again she was told to fuck off by Geraldo, who this time emphasized the sentiment by pushing her into the dirt. Nothing if not resilient, the old woman picked herself up and directed the less filmy of her eyes towards Geraldo.
-This tower, she pronounced - is the work of the devil.
She then punctuated this sentiment by kicking Geraldo in the shin. He leapt around on one foot, swearing as only a mexicano can swear, while the old woman walked off snickering.
Page 60:
As preposterous as it may have seemed, there were people in town who dislike that Dr. Brinkley had chose Corazon de la Fuente as the recipient of his tower. Foremost among these was the curandera, the bristle-faced old witch who lived in a shack out in the desert. Her real name was Azula Mampajo, and it was becoming more and more common to see her patrolling the perimeter of the work site, waving bunches of smouldering herbs while simultaneously moaning. This unerved the Kickapoo Indians labouring on the tower, all of whom follwed the same belief system as the curandera. The accident rate at the building site - which had not been low to begin with - increased. One unluckly indigenous, upon hearing the curadera's incantations, lost his balance and fell from the second tier of the tower, breaking an arm and a smattering of ribs.
The next day, one of the sub-foremen, accompanied by Geraldo the translator, congronted thw woman, who was performing a fitful jig while waving around bunches of stinkweed. She stopped and regarded them through eyes that, over the years, had grown milky and weak.
-Lady, said the foreman. -Y'all cain't be distractin' my workers like that.
The curandera turned to the translator, who interpreted the sub-foreman's request as follows: -He siad to fuck off back to hell, you malodorous witch. If you don't, we'll drown you in the river.
She withdrew, muttering, kept to herself for a few days, and was then seen off in the distance, performing spooky rituals by herself. Over the next week or so she inched toward the work site, until the day came when the workers again started misfiring their riveting guys and walking off crossbeams. One of the sub-foremen was again dispatched to talk to her, and again she was told to fuck off by Geraldo, who this time emphasized the sentiment by pushing her into the dirt. Nothing if not resilient, the old woman picked herself up and directed the less filmy of her eyes towards Geraldo.
-This tower, she pronounced - is the work of the devil.
She then punctuated this sentiment by kicking Geraldo in the shin. He leapt around on one foot, swearing as only a mexicano can swear, while the old woman walked off snickering.
March 4, 2012
Wow, what a story! As usual, Robert Hough, in this, his fourth novel, does what he does best: tell a good story. Dr. Brinkley’s Tower takes place in a small Mexican pueblo, just south of the border with Texas in the early 1930’s. John Romulus Brinkley, our doctor, is more a con artist than a physician. With his “procedure” to help men in distress, a precursor to the little blue pill, he’s made a lot of money, but he is dreaming of more. So he decides to erect a radio tower in this little village to circumvent the FCC. This tower will help Brinkley promote his procedure across the United States, and apparently, on a good night, all the way to Russia.
But the story is more than Brinkley’s story. It is about the unique characters that live in Corazón de la Fuente. It’s about Francisco Ramirez, a young man looking for love, or Madam Felix, the local operator of the House of Gentlemanly Pleasures, or also Antonio Garcia, a hacendero who lost almost everything during the Revolution. What Hough has done is build stories around all of these unique, colourful characters that try to survive the life around this town with the arrival of the tower.
There are no heroes in this story. These people we meet are all flawed, they all want to improve their lives and do what they can to achieve that. Or maybe, there is a hero after all, and maybe that collection of individuals, the ones who survive, can all be considered heroes.
There is a bit of everything in this tale: love, humour, violence, drinking, but oddly enough, very little sex! It keeps you entertained, and you can hardly wait to see what will happen next to this cast of characters. I highly recommend this. You won’t regret it. Oh, and by the way, if you buy this as an ebook, you get additional content, which gives you a bit more background on some of these stories.
But the story is more than Brinkley’s story. It is about the unique characters that live in Corazón de la Fuente. It’s about Francisco Ramirez, a young man looking for love, or Madam Felix, the local operator of the House of Gentlemanly Pleasures, or also Antonio Garcia, a hacendero who lost almost everything during the Revolution. What Hough has done is build stories around all of these unique, colourful characters that try to survive the life around this town with the arrival of the tower.
There are no heroes in this story. These people we meet are all flawed, they all want to improve their lives and do what they can to achieve that. Or maybe, there is a hero after all, and maybe that collection of individuals, the ones who survive, can all be considered heroes.
There is a bit of everything in this tale: love, humour, violence, drinking, but oddly enough, very little sex! It keeps you entertained, and you can hardly wait to see what will happen next to this cast of characters. I highly recommend this. You won’t regret it. Oh, and by the way, if you buy this as an ebook, you get additional content, which gives you a bit more background on some of these stories.
December 22, 2012
The set of quirky and memorable characters in this book are what bring alive this eccentric and unusual novel -- tracing unlikely Depression-era interactions between Mexico and the US, based on a real-life radio station and its off-the-wall owner. The book has a surprising appeal, despite the outlandish idea at its heart -- that a transplant operation to insert goat glands can cure male impotence. The high-powered radio antenna is meant to reach millions with this alluring message -- but also comes to create unexpected social consequences in the Mexican village where it is built.
For writing such a remarkable tapestry of bizarre happenings and strange characters, author Robert Hough was nominated as one of the five short-listed for Canada's Governor General's Fiction prize this year (2012.)
Francisco Ramirez, a young man with some courage, some smarts and far too much passion for the beautiful Violeta Cruz, is a central figure in the book. Another is his unlikely friend, an 88 year old Lothario named Roberto Pantelas, who also becomes swept away by love, for a thin 21-year-old named Laura Velasquez. Both men find the new radio tower dramatically changes the course of their love affairs -- while the business affairs of the local brothel are also shifted greatly by the anti-impotence work set off by the new radio station. From there, events become ever more amazingly strange -- as hacienda owners, the local mayor, the owner of the cantina, the resident witch, and a growing set of former revolutionaries and their foes are set in motion.
And finally, of course, there is Dr. John Brinkley himself -- charlatan? Perhaps. Certainly indelible character in this novel. And as it turns out, an actual historical figure. The most remarkable element of this unusual novel is that it is, at least to some degree, based on fact.
For writing such a remarkable tapestry of bizarre happenings and strange characters, author Robert Hough was nominated as one of the five short-listed for Canada's Governor General's Fiction prize this year (2012.)
Francisco Ramirez, a young man with some courage, some smarts and far too much passion for the beautiful Violeta Cruz, is a central figure in the book. Another is his unlikely friend, an 88 year old Lothario named Roberto Pantelas, who also becomes swept away by love, for a thin 21-year-old named Laura Velasquez. Both men find the new radio tower dramatically changes the course of their love affairs -- while the business affairs of the local brothel are also shifted greatly by the anti-impotence work set off by the new radio station. From there, events become ever more amazingly strange -- as hacienda owners, the local mayor, the owner of the cantina, the resident witch, and a growing set of former revolutionaries and their foes are set in motion.
And finally, of course, there is Dr. John Brinkley himself -- charlatan? Perhaps. Certainly indelible character in this novel. And as it turns out, an actual historical figure. The most remarkable element of this unusual novel is that it is, at least to some degree, based on fact.
April 2, 2017
Mi Dio y hijo de puta, this is one darn great yarn of a tale! I couldn't put the book down by reading it in just a few days. The characters are so believable and one is easily sympathetic towards them that you keep flipping the pages to see what happens to them? There are highs, lows and a lot of humour. Hough gives you some Mexican history but it all fits it and is never preachy.
The premise is simple. Set in 1931, a rich Amrican Doctor sets up a radio tower in the charming Mexican border town of Corazon de la fuente to broadcast his services to sell a wonder treatment for impotency. Do I smell a con artist? You bet and the characters, who border on parody, weave together this reflective tale of when "progress" comes to a sleepy little town, things do change, and depending who you are, its either good or bad. When things get predictable or too pastiche, one of the characters explain how pastiche things are, and all you can do is laugh.
One thing that I loved was how Robert Hough used Spanish words at so many appropriate times that he didn't need to translate, you just knew what that Spanish word meant. So you don't need a dictionary. Now having said this, I never learned so many swear words in one book. Damn that works for me. I just know that I can't use this language in front of any abuelas or risk getting my face slapped! Muchas gracias senor Hough.
The premise is simple. Set in 1931, a rich Amrican Doctor sets up a radio tower in the charming Mexican border town of Corazon de la fuente to broadcast his services to sell a wonder treatment for impotency. Do I smell a con artist? You bet and the characters, who border on parody, weave together this reflective tale of when "progress" comes to a sleepy little town, things do change, and depending who you are, its either good or bad. When things get predictable or too pastiche, one of the characters explain how pastiche things are, and all you can do is laugh.
One thing that I loved was how Robert Hough used Spanish words at so many appropriate times that he didn't need to translate, you just knew what that Spanish word meant. So you don't need a dictionary. Now having said this, I never learned so many swear words in one book. Damn that works for me. I just know that I can't use this language in front of any abuelas or risk getting my face slapped! Muchas gracias senor Hough.
October 15, 2012
Dr. Brinkley’s Tower is a very moving portrayal of the various citizens of a 1930′s Mexican border town. Corazon de la Fuente continues to feel the effects of the Mexican Revolution with poverty and despair touching the lives of all of its citizens. When a wealthy American, Dr. Brinkley, decides to build a radio broadcast tower in Corazon de la Fuente, mostly for the purpose of hawking his impotence-curing “goat gland operation,” a new prosperity comes to town as well. However, with this new found wealth, and the radio tower itself, come a number of disastrous problems for the town’s people.
Hough lovingly describes the landscape of northern Mexico and creates a group of wonderful core characters. A young man coming of age and falling in love, the young woman he loves dreaming of a way out of the life she’s been living, the town’s mayor, the cantina owner, the Madam, an octogenarian who finds love for the first time, all have recognizable stories but Hough makes them fresh and unique.
Ultimately, this novel asks, “What are the unseen or unimagined consequences of our often blind pursuit of wealth and the ‘American Dream’, and what damages to our world are we willing to live with?”
Hough lovingly describes the landscape of northern Mexico and creates a group of wonderful core characters. A young man coming of age and falling in love, the young woman he loves dreaming of a way out of the life she’s been living, the town’s mayor, the cantina owner, the Madam, an octogenarian who finds love for the first time, all have recognizable stories but Hough makes them fresh and unique.
Ultimately, this novel asks, “What are the unseen or unimagined consequences of our often blind pursuit of wealth and the ‘American Dream’, and what damages to our world are we willing to live with?”
June 10, 2013
There is much to love here. The cast of characters, the absurdity of Dr. Brinkley and his operation, the charming gullibility of the villagers and at the same time their simple nobility. After many years of hardship brought on by poverty and the violence of revolution, they are only too happy to grasp at prosperity in the strangest of forms. As always seems to be the case however, the price is high and they can never go back - what is done is done.
Years of enduring the challenges of mere existence have left a village which functions in the strangest of ways - the corruptions of a little prostitution, a little bribery, or a bit of smuggling seem suddenly quaint when compared to life after the arrival of new found riches.
To those who like this book, I would recommend Louis deBerniere's South American trilogy. I believe deBerniere better captures the magic and mysticism typical of much Latin fiction. I also believe he better captures the enduring tragedy of the already downtrodden.
Years of enduring the challenges of mere existence have left a village which functions in the strangest of ways - the corruptions of a little prostitution, a little bribery, or a bit of smuggling seem suddenly quaint when compared to life after the arrival of new found riches.
To those who like this book, I would recommend Louis deBerniere's South American trilogy. I believe deBerniere better captures the magic and mysticism typical of much Latin fiction. I also believe he better captures the enduring tragedy of the already downtrodden.
August 17, 2012
Wonderful book! Hough creates a vivid impression of the tiny Mexican village and its people. The entire story is beautifully written in a style somewhat reminiscent of the 1930s without ever becoming oppressive. The author creates a fluid sense of criss-crossing cultural lines by employing the occasional Spanish word. The characters are fantastically realized and engaging.
This story is truly something special. More than trying to capture a particular era, or a story of the long con, the novel is a biography of a poor Mexican town and it's struggle to survive in a time of upheaval. As in all places existing in tough times, the array of emotions never gets stuck in desperation, instead the novel is filled with love, beauty, laughter, and every manner of human experience. I would recommend Dr. Brinkley's Tower to anyone who loves a good book!
This story is truly something special. More than trying to capture a particular era, or a story of the long con, the novel is a biography of a poor Mexican town and it's struggle to survive in a time of upheaval. As in all places existing in tough times, the array of emotions never gets stuck in desperation, instead the novel is filled with love, beauty, laughter, and every manner of human experience. I would recommend Dr. Brinkley's Tower to anyone who loves a good book!
October 25, 2012
Dr. Brinkley brings a radio tower and a possible cure for erectile dysfunction to the town of Corazon de la Fuente. On his arrival, the doctor gains supporters and dissenters who eventually team up to try and save their village from the trouble the tower eventually brings to town. Hough portrays his characters with both seriousness and humour and evokes a real sense of place and history in this 1930's Mexican village.
Dr. Brinkley's character is based on a historical figure, it makes me wonder if he was just as colourful in his life. The concern over the effects of the tower, both mentally and physically still exist today in opposition to proposed/existing towers, wind mills, etc. in present day.
Dr. Brinkley's character is based on a historical figure, it makes me wonder if he was just as colourful in his life. The concern over the effects of the tower, both mentally and physically still exist today in opposition to proposed/existing towers, wind mills, etc. in present day.
April 19, 2013
Historical Fiction is easily becoming one of my favorite genres. It allows for a familiar setting, but doesn't require the less-than-satisfactory finale of most History. This work definitely fits the bill.
Hough sets his story in post-revolutionary Mexico (1930s), placing the reader in Corazon de la Fuente, just south of the Rio Grande near the Mexican-American border. As the storyline develops, readers are introduced to the main characters who span several generations of the Corazon de la Fuentes citizenry-each facing their own personal hardships and struggles. With the embers of the revolution's destruction still burning, Dr. Brinkley's tower inadvertently throws the pueblo back into a kind of chaos it is well acquainted with but is simply unprepared to battle, at first.
Hough sets his story in post-revolutionary Mexico (1930s), placing the reader in Corazon de la Fuente, just south of the Rio Grande near the Mexican-American border. As the storyline develops, readers are introduced to the main characters who span several generations of the Corazon de la Fuentes citizenry-each facing their own personal hardships and struggles. With the embers of the revolution's destruction still burning, Dr. Brinkley's tower inadvertently throws the pueblo back into a kind of chaos it is well acquainted with but is simply unprepared to battle, at first.
June 6, 2015
I liked this book than I thought I would. I'd like to give it a 3.5
I picked this book up because of the cover. I read the back and thought that it would be an interesting story. Only after finishing reading the book did I realise it's based on a true story.
The characters were well developed, the story was rather interesting, and I wasn't sure exactly how the crazy old women fit into it. I did get a little annoyed with the band of men that were brought into the town to "protect" some as I felt that it was very obvious that would turn out badly.
Overall, it's a good book. Not overly light, but interesting. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a story based outside of the usual WASP setting.
I picked this book up because of the cover. I read the back and thought that it would be an interesting story. Only after finishing reading the book did I realise it's based on a true story.
The characters were well developed, the story was rather interesting, and I wasn't sure exactly how the crazy old women fit into it. I did get a little annoyed with the band of men that were brought into the town to "protect" some as I felt that it was very obvious that would turn out badly.
Overall, it's a good book. Not overly light, but interesting. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a story based outside of the usual WASP setting.
February 28, 2016
This is a delicious book exploring the complex relationship between "progress" and stagnation in a small Mexican town. Part of its appeal is that the tale is based largely on fact, and man you could not make this stuff up!
Written with great empathy and sensitivity as well as humour. Larger than life characters who you can't help but like. A bogus doctor who surgically treats impotence, a brothel madam all of whose girls are named Maria, a young man in love, the town mayor, the beautiful village girl, the down-at-heels Spanish hacienda owner - all are multi layered vivid characters. Beautifully done.
Written with great empathy and sensitivity as well as humour. Larger than life characters who you can't help but like. A bogus doctor who surgically treats impotence, a brothel madam all of whose girls are named Maria, a young man in love, the town mayor, the beautiful village girl, the down-at-heels Spanish hacienda owner - all are multi layered vivid characters. Beautifully done.
January 23, 2025
I was off for a bad start, I was really miffed at mirror description over the first 2 pages. What kind of a start is this???
Thereafter, however, it proved to be a good book and very deeply human. Entire social microcosm in one village with all its good, bad and evil. It relates perfectly to problems of today. "Ironically, many of these [laws] bore a moralistic hue, which is always the case when laws are created by the despicable." - True in all times, isn't it..
It is also interesting that it was kind of a true story.
I am not sure what is the point of "Questions for discussion" in the end. Feels like a classroom exercise or homework.
Thereafter, however, it proved to be a good book and very deeply human. Entire social microcosm in one village with all its good, bad and evil. It relates perfectly to problems of today. "Ironically, many of these [laws] bore a moralistic hue, which is always the case when laws are created by the despicable." - True in all times, isn't it..
It is also interesting that it was kind of a true story.
I am not sure what is the point of "Questions for discussion" in the end. Feels like a classroom exercise or homework.
August 4, 2024
I searched Libby for "radio" and this was one of the books that came up. It sounded interesting, so I got it. It WAS very interesting, I've always been fascinated by the Mexican/American border power stations. Also, I know people from very poor Mexican villages, although not near the border. And then at the end I learn what's real and what's not! Wow!
My almost favorite character was Azul.
My almost favorite character was Azul.
May 8, 2013
A good yarn, based on a true story. I liked the writing but all the Spanish words detracted from my reading pleasure. I had to choose whether or not to look them up and either way, it broke my train of thought. As a friend mentioned, it must mimic the experience of a new reader who is still learning the language.
I would read something else by Hough. Recommended to those who have done Spanish or who don't mind the interruptions.
I would read something else by Hough. Recommended to those who have done Spanish or who don't mind the interruptions.
September 7, 2013
This was not what I expected at all. This novel takes place in Mexico and focuses on the "benevolent" Dr. Brinkley who brings sudden prosperity to a small town south of Del Rio, TX when he builds a radio tower to boost his pirate radio station. The tower brings unexpected horrors to the town and changes its people in unpredictable ways. This story is written from the POV of the Mexican townspeople, which was very enlightening.
November 17, 2014
What an outstanding read. Although light in language Dr. Brinkleys Tower has a nice depth to the way characters and plot are explored. In fact, it reminded me a lot of Steinbeck's novels that take place around the same time period. Namely, Cannery Row and Tortilla Flats. Being a big Steinbeck fan is perhaps why I enjoyed this novel so. I understand that Dr. Brinkleys Tower is typical of Hough's work. As such, I will certainly be tracking down his other novels for further joyful reading.
June 13, 2012
Laying down Brinkley's Tower after a throuoghly good read was like crossing the border into America the last time I left Mexico. I wept for the loss of pleasure at being immersed in that wonderful, crazy, vivid country. Hough got it all - the people with the sights, sounds and smells of authenticity. Yet it was fiction! Bravo!
September 30, 2012
I realized, when I read this book, that I know very little about Mexico's history. In modern times (i.e. 2012), some areas of Mexico sound really violent and dangerous This book takes place in 1931 and it is violent and dangerous.
I really enjoyed the story but it dragged on a bit. That's why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4.
I really enjoyed the story but it dragged on a bit. That's why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4.
February 11, 2013
A friend recommended this to me because he thought it was similar to Gabriel Garcia Marquez and therefore I would love it. I did see similarities but I found the story to be a bit too long (I suppose you could say Marquez is a bit winded, too) and the story a bit generic. Having said that, it was a well written book and I would recommend to others who enjoy hispanic historical fiction.
October 2, 2013
Hough has wonderful comedic timing and storytelling abilities. His strength is definitely in his characters; he brings them to life! This novel though would have worked better as a series of interconnected short stories. There's not much by way of actual plot, Brinkley's Tower only loosely tying together these separate lives/individual stories.
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