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Run Charlie Run
Roam the streets of Ottawa with Charlie, a third year university student bent on recapturing the essence of his first love, all the while doing everything he can to sabotage his relationship with his current girlfriend, Natasha. Explore the seedy underworld of Ottawa in this coming of age story as Charlie's increasingly manic quest for self-validation quickly leads him down dark and dangerous roads.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2013
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5 people want to read
About the author
John Dodsworth
2 books5 followersI write best when I have a stiff drink and a lit cigarette burning between my lips, sitting on my porch with no shirt on.
johndodsworth.ca
johndodsworth.ca
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 3, 2016
Review copy kindly donated by author and GR friend, John Dodsworth.
This book chronicles the misadventures of Charlie, a university student from Ottawa, as he tries to drown his angst in a world of alcohol, drugs, sex and irresponsibility. He is haunted by memories of the girl whom he loved, and by the voice of a frightened child who keeps calling him on a cell-phone.
Charlie bears some resemblance to Holden Caulfield, anti-hero of The Catcher in the Rye. He is sarcastic, superficially self-confident, and mistrustful of adults and authority figures. At the same time, like Holden, he has been crippled by past trauma, and is trying to get back to a state of happiness; there are hints that it may never have existed in the first place, or at best only briefly, but this makes him all the more frantic in his search of it.
Despite some technical glitches, this is a good story, although for the most part very bleak. It describes with stark naturalistic accuracy the depths of depravity to which people can sink when they have nothing noble to which they can aspire.
This book chronicles the misadventures of Charlie, a university student from Ottawa, as he tries to drown his angst in a world of alcohol, drugs, sex and irresponsibility. He is haunted by memories of the girl whom he loved, and by the voice of a frightened child who keeps calling him on a cell-phone.
Charlie bears some resemblance to Holden Caulfield, anti-hero of The Catcher in the Rye. He is sarcastic, superficially self-confident, and mistrustful of adults and authority figures. At the same time, like Holden, he has been crippled by past trauma, and is trying to get back to a state of happiness; there are hints that it may never have existed in the first place, or at best only briefly, but this makes him all the more frantic in his search of it.
Despite some technical glitches, this is a good story, although for the most part very bleak. It describes with stark naturalistic accuracy the depths of depravity to which people can sink when they have nothing noble to which they can aspire.
June 27, 2013
Charlie is a twisted playboy living in Ottawa. He is constantly running from his responsiblitys. Consumed by drugs, alcohol and women. Social apathy and an obsessed society drives Charlie to ridicule the Canadian dream. He grows alienated from the university scene, as he discovers the disturbing dark undertones beneath the surface. A fantastic read easy to follow plot and Charlie is well written character. I look forward to reading more books by John Dodsworth
February 9, 2014
I gave this book a 3 because it took a little while for me to get into. The first half was kind of slow, it picked up around the half way point, and then again at the end.
Things I liked:
Relatable characters - I feel like I know some of the characters personally, or know people close enough that it fits.
The true college life experience - I really think this book shows what it's like. or some kids in school that don't really know if what they're studying is what they really want, and when drugs and alcohol are only a short walk away.
Things I disliked:
Charlie - Well actually it's not so much Charlie as it is the fact that he had all the information needed to save Cindy about half way through the novel, and still waited months in the storyline to actually do it. For all of his talk about how fucked up society is for the entire book I figured he wouldn't just leave the poor girl to her fate for so long. In a book where I can relate to 90% of the characters, I didn't like how the main character would do something so un-relatable to me.
Overall I enjoyed the length of the story as I was able to read it in an afternoon, which is the best way to experience a story like this. Good job John.
Things I liked:
Relatable characters - I feel like I know some of the characters personally, or know people close enough that it fits.
The true college life experience - I really think this book shows what it's like. or some kids in school that don't really know if what they're studying is what they really want, and when drugs and alcohol are only a short walk away.
Things I disliked:
Charlie - Well actually it's not so much Charlie as it is the fact that he had all the information needed to save Cindy about half way through the novel, and still waited months in the storyline to actually do it. For all of his talk about how fucked up society is for the entire book I figured he wouldn't just leave the poor girl to her fate for so long. In a book where I can relate to 90% of the characters, I didn't like how the main character would do something so un-relatable to me.
Overall I enjoyed the length of the story as I was able to read it in an afternoon, which is the best way to experience a story like this. Good job John.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews