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Solo Pass
This is a dark yet often funny novel told from the point of view of a man who for the past two months has been a patient at a New York City mental ward. Having suffered a breakdown-due to his shattered marriage and an irrational fear of fading away as a human-he now finds himself caught between two worlds, neither of which is a place of comfort or the world of the ward, where abnormality and an odd sort of freedom reign, and the outside world, where convention and restrictive behavior rule. Finally on his way to becoming reasonably normal again, he requests and is granted a solo pass, which allows him to leave the locked ward for several hours and visit the city, with the promise that he will return to the hospital by evening. As he prepares for his excursion, we get a picture of the ward he will temporarily leave behind-the staff and the patients, notably Mandy Reed, a schizophrenic and nymphomaniac who has become his closest friend there. Solo Pass is an unsettling satire that depicts, with inverted logic, the difficulties of madness and normalcy.
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First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 21, 2015
I snagged a paperback copy of Solo Pass because the colorful cover art caught my eye and the blurb described a "Dark, unsettling, yet grimly funny" novel. Sure, sounds good! Count me in!
What I found was certainly dark and a little grim, but there is nothing "grimly funny" about it. There are absurd images and interesting contrasts (that are humorous? Maybe?) between the two "worlds" explored, the interior and exterior of a psych ward, but nothing really funny. At one point I laughed out loud at the odd phrasing of, "Wally's sloppy puppy," but that was it. Sorry, I spoiled the one good laugh, and it wasn't even remotely grim. If cowardly impetus and cruel circumstance get you chuckling, then grab this book right away.
The protagonist is interesting because he is fully realized (and you spend half the time inside among his gloomy, exaggerated thoughts) but otherwise I found every other character totally flat. Substantial time is spent describing the other patients in the ward even though they are just caricatures, as if De Feo went down a list of psychological disorders and picked them out: here's the manic-depressive, the man-child, the token sociopath, etc. The supporting cast is also painfully cliche and consists entirely of stereotypes: the taxi driver who gripes about his superintendent, various nosy children who pop in just to shake Ott out of his thoughts and force the plot along so they can disappear a second later, the psychologists who exist only to pry and then smirk with self-satisfaction, every retail employee who is boring and predictable and yet gets a paragraph of needless description. There's a young girl in heavy makeup working at a fancy cosmetics store? Color me flabbergasted. The curators at an art gallery are dressed nicely but are otherwise nondescript? Thanks for the insight, I would never have guessed!
My main gripe with the novel is that it's slow and insipid. There is a lot of passive voice, useless conversation, and moments of indecision that go on for too long for too little payoff. Much of the story takes place in Ott's head and there is no justification for spending so much time looking backward--it is abundantly clear after the first 50 pages that Ott, who was recently divorced, had some rough spots with his marriage. He is in a psych ward, and therefore clearly mentally unstable. The entirety of "Part II" is almost redundant because it covers no new ground. There are 25 pages of background that was already implied by the rest of the book.
I find it funny that the character's surname, "Ott" is revealed toward the end of the novel, like it's some kind of thrilling secret. Of course "Ott" implies "aught," or zero, or nothing, and this is presented like it's an earth-shattering, novel concept, that this man who has lived constantly in fear of dissolving into nothingness is named nothing. The entirety of Solo Pass strikes me the same way, like the reader is expected to be thrilled by each each empty, idle plot point until the whole journey is done and the bottom of the cliche barrel is struck with a hollow thud. Ott also recalls the character "Nada" from the film "They Live!" and it is not an especially flattering correlation.
The novel has charm that is obscured by the dreadfully slow pace. Ott reaches all these revelations and battles with himself but for no reason other than to provide him with more obstacles. His struggles become far more obnoxious than they are profound. The events of the novel are mundane and monochrome; Instead of a colorful, eventful story packed with lively characters, De Feo presents a cadre of unimaginative stock figures that exist to needle a protagonist who narrates everything through a tired, monotonous cycle of anxiety, rage, and then resignation.
So is the novel dark and unsettling as advertised? Perhaps. Is it "grimly funny"? No. It clearly has a mood which is executed well and it has a smattering of smart ideas, but there is not enough here to forgive a novel that would have been better off further removed from the remarkably boring protagonist who embodies nothingness. It is hard to make "nothing" interesting.
If you are looking to experience a remarkable transformation, a perspective-shattering look into the mind of the mentally infirm, a story that will captivate and chill you, this novel falls completely flat.
What I found was certainly dark and a little grim, but there is nothing "grimly funny" about it. There are absurd images and interesting contrasts (that are humorous? Maybe?) between the two "worlds" explored, the interior and exterior of a psych ward, but nothing really funny. At one point I laughed out loud at the odd phrasing of, "Wally's sloppy puppy," but that was it. Sorry, I spoiled the one good laugh, and it wasn't even remotely grim. If cowardly impetus and cruel circumstance get you chuckling, then grab this book right away.
The protagonist is interesting because he is fully realized (and you spend half the time inside among his gloomy, exaggerated thoughts) but otherwise I found every other character totally flat. Substantial time is spent describing the other patients in the ward even though they are just caricatures, as if De Feo went down a list of psychological disorders and picked them out: here's the manic-depressive, the man-child, the token sociopath, etc. The supporting cast is also painfully cliche and consists entirely of stereotypes: the taxi driver who gripes about his superintendent, various nosy children who pop in just to shake Ott out of his thoughts and force the plot along so they can disappear a second later, the psychologists who exist only to pry and then smirk with self-satisfaction, every retail employee who is boring and predictable and yet gets a paragraph of needless description. There's a young girl in heavy makeup working at a fancy cosmetics store? Color me flabbergasted. The curators at an art gallery are dressed nicely but are otherwise nondescript? Thanks for the insight, I would never have guessed!
My main gripe with the novel is that it's slow and insipid. There is a lot of passive voice, useless conversation, and moments of indecision that go on for too long for too little payoff. Much of the story takes place in Ott's head and there is no justification for spending so much time looking backward--it is abundantly clear after the first 50 pages that Ott, who was recently divorced, had some rough spots with his marriage. He is in a psych ward, and therefore clearly mentally unstable. The entirety of "Part II" is almost redundant because it covers no new ground. There are 25 pages of background that was already implied by the rest of the book.
I find it funny that the character's surname, "Ott" is revealed toward the end of the novel, like it's some kind of thrilling secret. Of course "Ott" implies "aught," or zero, or nothing, and this is presented like it's an earth-shattering, novel concept, that this man who has lived constantly in fear of dissolving into nothingness is named nothing. The entirety of Solo Pass strikes me the same way, like the reader is expected to be thrilled by each each empty, idle plot point until the whole journey is done and the bottom of the cliche barrel is struck with a hollow thud. Ott also recalls the character "Nada" from the film "They Live!" and it is not an especially flattering correlation.
The novel has charm that is obscured by the dreadfully slow pace. Ott reaches all these revelations and battles with himself but for no reason other than to provide him with more obstacles. His struggles become far more obnoxious than they are profound. The events of the novel are mundane and monochrome; Instead of a colorful, eventful story packed with lively characters, De Feo presents a cadre of unimaginative stock figures that exist to needle a protagonist who narrates everything through a tired, monotonous cycle of anxiety, rage, and then resignation.
So is the novel dark and unsettling as advertised? Perhaps. Is it "grimly funny"? No. It clearly has a mood which is executed well and it has a smattering of smart ideas, but there is not enough here to forgive a novel that would have been better off further removed from the remarkably boring protagonist who embodies nothingness. It is hard to make "nothing" interesting.
If you are looking to experience a remarkable transformation, a perspective-shattering look into the mind of the mentally infirm, a story that will captivate and chill you, this novel falls completely flat.
June 25, 2018
An instructive, realistic book
I read this book for a book club, and I am glad I did. The main character was very disturbed, no doubt, and his life was painful. He did crazy things. No wonder he ended up on a psychiatric ward. I wish he had read Guide To Natural Mental Health by Mr Jiang. Why? It seemed to me that all or most of the main character's issues were caused by an unhealthy environment: people, places, and what he did with his body. Most of his family seemed quite toxic. Although he did not drink nor smoke much, the depressing room he lived in had chemically-laden, dirty air and no sun. He did not eat right nor did he ever exercise. The sad thing is that these days, many, if not most of us are very similar to Mr Ott. Many of us will need talk therapy and/or medications for psych issues before we die. That is why I like Jiang' s book. Why not avoid problems that are, many times preventable?
I read this book for a book club, and I am glad I did. The main character was very disturbed, no doubt, and his life was painful. He did crazy things. No wonder he ended up on a psychiatric ward. I wish he had read Guide To Natural Mental Health by Mr Jiang. Why? It seemed to me that all or most of the main character's issues were caused by an unhealthy environment: people, places, and what he did with his body. Most of his family seemed quite toxic. Although he did not drink nor smoke much, the depressing room he lived in had chemically-laden, dirty air and no sun. He did not eat right nor did he ever exercise. The sad thing is that these days, many, if not most of us are very similar to Mr Ott. Many of us will need talk therapy and/or medications for psych issues before we die. That is why I like Jiang' s book. Why not avoid problems that are, many times preventable?
August 18, 2015
Unusual book. (I actually listened to the audiobook).
Life on the ward of a mental institution - told by an inmate who is about to get his first 'solo pass' for an afternoon out on his own.
We are told about the other patients and, to a lesser extent the staff.
His back story is metered out and we don't know if he is a reliable narrator or not. Although he narrates as if he is the only sane person on the ward, naturally we, as readers are hesitant to accept this. Obviously there is a reason for him being there. Is there more to his story ?? It's not up to me to say!
Life on the ward of a mental institution - told by an inmate who is about to get his first 'solo pass' for an afternoon out on his own.
We are told about the other patients and, to a lesser extent the staff.
His back story is metered out and we don't know if he is a reliable narrator or not. Although he narrates as if he is the only sane person on the ward, naturally we, as readers are hesitant to accept this. Obviously there is a reason for him being there. Is there more to his story ?? It's not up to me to say!
January 18, 2017
This quick read novel is a dark sometimes funny story about a man in a mental institution who gets a day pass to leave the facility to see how he will do back in the city alone after suffering a nervous breakdown.
I like stories with unreliable narrators, they keep you guessing. In this story, you aren't sure if he is entirely trustworthy because he has many things he can't remember about when his breakdown happened.
I like stories with unreliable narrators, they keep you guessing. In this story, you aren't sure if he is entirely trustworthy because he has many things he can't remember about when his breakdown happened.
September 18, 2018
This was such a sad book!
I, many times, wanted to stop reading. 1- could not connect 2- too sad and far away!
I think each of us will find a connection with this guy! The writing is so real and vulnerable ... so slow to develop too.
I, many times, wanted to stop reading. 1- could not connect 2- too sad and far away!
I think each of us will find a connection with this guy! The writing is so real and vulnerable ... so slow to develop too.
September 1, 2024
Audio. This novel won't appeal to everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I probably would have enjoyed it even more in print as on audio I tended to be a bit lost in the time frame. If you feel at all alienated from society, and you enjoy a solid character-driven novel, give this one a try.
July 28, 2017
believable characters
May 11, 2019
The author really gets in to what it's like to have extreme anxiety, it seems very realistic. Nothing much happens, but it's so well written I don't even care, it was still entertaining,
September 26, 2025
DNF 33%
April 5, 2013
Original review at Reading in Progress
I requested this book from Netgalley as it seemed to be right up my street. And I was not disappointed.
We follow the main character as he embarks on a days release from the mental ward where he is currently staying following a breakdown. We get to meet a variety of characters on the ward, plan his journey with him and get out onto the mean streets of New York. More importantly, we get to feel his feelings, ride the emotional rollercoaster that he does and understand what caused the breakdown and irrational thoughts.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was sensitively handled without feeling as if it was walking on eggshells and gave a real insight into the irrational thoughts that often accompany a range of mental illnesses. Some parts of the book were really quite funny and others were heartbreakingly sad. The characters were all very human and parts of the storyline kept me guessing.
I will definitely seek out more from this author.
I requested this book from Netgalley as it seemed to be right up my street. And I was not disappointed.
We follow the main character as he embarks on a days release from the mental ward where he is currently staying following a breakdown. We get to meet a variety of characters on the ward, plan his journey with him and get out onto the mean streets of New York. More importantly, we get to feel his feelings, ride the emotional rollercoaster that he does and understand what caused the breakdown and irrational thoughts.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was sensitively handled without feeling as if it was walking on eggshells and gave a real insight into the irrational thoughts that often accompany a range of mental illnesses. Some parts of the book were really quite funny and others were heartbreakingly sad. The characters were all very human and parts of the storyline kept me guessing.
I will definitely seek out more from this author.
March 3, 2013
Solo Pass is interesting territory for me. Typically, I shy away from psychological contemporaries, so I don't have much to compare this one to. Ronald De Feo has an interesting premise, a man is preparing for his first solo day trip out of a mental institution in New York City. It takes a look at what exactly is normal and what's insane through this one man's at times twisted logic. I'm just not sure how well it was executed. These are some pretty deep questions and I'm just not sure if Solo Pass covers them.
This was definitely a quick read at only 199 pages and I found myself breezing through it. But here's the thing, I was left asking myself why at the end of it. As in, why did I read it so quickly, what was it all about? I feel like my mind wanted to add meaning to the story that just wasn't there. It would have made an excellent short story, it was interesting, but I just don't think it delved deep enough into the protagonist's psyche to warrant it being a novel.
For Full Review
http://backstagebooklover.blogspot.co...
This was definitely a quick read at only 199 pages and I found myself breezing through it. But here's the thing, I was left asking myself why at the end of it. As in, why did I read it so quickly, what was it all about? I feel like my mind wanted to add meaning to the story that just wasn't there. It would have made an excellent short story, it was interesting, but I just don't think it delved deep enough into the protagonist's psyche to warrant it being a novel.
For Full Review
http://backstagebooklover.blogspot.co...
January 11, 2014
He captured the feel of a mental hospital which may seem more common-day today then it did 10 years ago, but a lot of the behavior is similar. Full disclosure I skimmed the last half of the book since I was reading it in the library, so I can't say the ending was amazing. But it is so easy to read De Feo's work that I'd recommend it for a 3 hour plane ride.
September 15, 2013
Part 1 was fairly good, downhill from there. Probably didn't help that I was reading Good Kings Bad Kings at the same time.
November 20, 2012
A day in the life of a mental patient as he gets a 24 hour pass. A lot can happen in this short time period...mostly internally.
February 22, 2013
I enjoyed this novel about a patient on a mental ward who was granted a half-day pass. The other ward occupants were also fun. Quick tense but fun read.
April 14, 2013
Spot on
May 19, 2014
Very unusual and interesting - written from the perspective of a mentally ill man who is residing in a mental facility. Worth the read.
February 11, 2021
Real mental illness in a ward.
Audiobook hoopla
Audiobook hoopla
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews