Wally

by Don Peteroy

Charming, manic Wally Tiparoy has done something awful to his wife, Elizabeth, and he’s determined to prevent it from happening again. Knowing that his problem is too big for medication, and complex enough to baffle an entire team of psychoanalysts, Wally takes Elizabeth’s Honda and puts all his faith in a therapeutic road trip from Cincinnati to Inuvik, the northernmost town on the continent. He’s got a score to settle with Santa Claus, a lifetime of traumas to amend, and a marriage in need of repair. Told in letters to his wife, Wally retraces where his marriage went wrong, and recounts his encounters with diner patrons, a prayer hotline counselor, and the inventor of Memory Foam. But Wally has no more control over the momentum of his letters than he does his highway encounters, and ends up unearthing memories of his abusive grandfather, Marvin. What begins as a trip about reflection and redemption, quickly becomes a narrative of rationalization and evasion, as Wally’s mental state deteriorates. It could be that he’s off his meds, or it could be that he’s been hiding something else from Elizabeth, something far worse than his original transgression, something that only the loathsome Marvin would understand, and if Wally doesn’t tell her, he’s wasted a lot of gas.This e-book edition contains 3 bonus short stories by Don Peteroy.

Genres: Fiction

ebook

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Don Peteroy is a PhD. candidate at the University of Cincinnati of Cincinnati, majoring in English and Comparative Literature with a Creative Dissertation. The condensed name for the major is "Creative Writing" but it doesn't sound as classy. He earned a BA in Theater Arts from SUNY Fredonia (1999), and spent the subsequent ten years working not in theater, but as a social worker. In 2010, he entered graduate school at UC.

His novella, Wally, will be released by Burrow Press on October 9th 2012. His is the winner of the 2012 Playboy College Fiction contest, and his story "The Circuit Builders" will be in the October issue. His short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Chattahoochee Review, Yemassee, Worcester Review, Ellipsis, Eleven Eleven, Cream City Review, Permafrost, Oyez Review, Santa Clara Review, Dislocate, and others. He's been nominated for a Pushcart Award, and has been finalists in a bunch of contests like the Glimmer Train Short Fiction Award.

He plays bass in the band The Knife Incident, and blogs at letterstojamesfranco.com

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me so long to write this review because this little novella packed a serious punch and left me ruminating about it all of it for months after I put the story down.

The plot is very simple. It's about a 32 year old bi-polar man named Wally, who leaves everything behind - his job, his medication, and his wife - in order to go on a mission to find and be honest with himself about his past.

What was fascinating to me about the story was how it unfolds. Wally has written it all down in letters that have been mailed back to his wife Elizabeth. Thus, the reader is able to be in both Wally's and Elizabeth's shoes. Wally has not been a great husband, but he makes for a fantastic narrator. I also enjoyed the way the back story of his boyhood was weaved into the letters via philosophical discussions, literary references, and even a bit of genetics here and there. Even though the journey doesn't end happily, it ended as it should of, raw and to the point, which was why it took me so long to figure out my own twisted emotions regarding this story.

So, in conclusion, if you like well written and thought out literary pieces that may leave you emotionally train wrecked for months after you put the book down, then you should definitely read this one. I can't wait to keep tabs on Don Peteroy's literary career and read other books of his once they are written and available to the masses for consumption. Also, Burrow Press is fantastic and I can't wait to explore more of their offerings as well.

[Lavinia Ludlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review here:

http://smallpressreviews.wordpress.co...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wally really desperately wants to be a good guy. He wants a happy, active marriage with his wife, whom he believes he doesn't deserve. He's a done a couple of terrible, abusive things to her, surprising even himself.

Full of remorse and determined to change, Wally embarks on a road trip to the tundras of Canada, hoping to come home as the husband he wishes to be. Along the way, he meets several characters, and writes his thoughts and confessions in a series of letters to his wife.

Wally is a reflective, tell-all narrator with a sense of humor. He's neurotic, but not in an irritating way. I found myself wanting to see him succeed, but at times, I also wanted to shake him. He is obsessed with his family history and heredity, because of the monsters in his own family.

I don't want to give away too much, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and frequently found myself smiling at Wally's confessions and thoughts.

P.S. For the sake of full disclosure, Don Peteroy is an old friend of mine, but I would have liked the book just as much if I didn't know him, and read it in a single sitting.

[Sonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm writing 'bout the
Book I read
I have to sing about the
Book I read
I'm embarrassed to admit it hit the soft spot in my heart
When I found out you wrote the
Book I read so ..." ~David Byrne

Yes, my friend (and (former, I guess...) Bass player) wrote this hilarious novella.

It is hard to review this in my normal cold-hearted way (heh heh heh.)
And I also do not wish to reveal anything
that would take from a potential readers' enjoyment
of this surprisingly damn good book.

Read it!

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

first reads giveaway

[John Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book a lot for its brutally honest and darkly funny character portrait. Part confession, and as much a psychological journey as a physical one, Wally the book doesn't allow us to settle in for a comfortable ride. Every time we begin to enjoy the company of Wally the character, he confesses to some nearly unforgivable act against his wife or his grandfather. We also learn of the psychological and physical abuse Wally was subjected to as a child, so we grow to understand his compulsion to destroy his own life as well as the lives of those he loves. As Wally ventures into the bleak upper reaches of the Canadian Northwest, his self-analysis grows starker and his sanity deteriorates. This bleakness is tempered by bitterly funny encounters with small-town Canadians, including one man who serves as an ersatz Santa Claus. The book takes the form of letters to his wife, but the letters often read like internal monologues, and the monologues are brilliantly and convincingly rendered and move seamlessly into flashback scenes--an odd form, but Peteroy makes it work. This is a great book for those who enjoy challenging characters and dark humor. Go read it.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a uniquely written story, a monologue in the form of several letters from a husband to his wife while he goes away on his ad hoc solo retreat to the North Pole. The story was a little slow at times, but it was very well written.

Also, I enjoyed the cover art, but I felt it was misleading for this particular book. It looks a little juvenile, had me thinking along the lines of Hatchet. Now that I've read this book, I'm thinking something closer to the cartoon illustrations of Waking Life would be better suited.

It's hard to say more about this book.. it left me without words for some reason. I guess that means you should just read it yourself!

*disclaimer* I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway, but my review is 100% honest.

[Cullen Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this novella. What I think works best is the pacing of the story as well as the meticulous build up of characterization. While reading, I kept thinking of Nabokov's Humbert Humbert. The reason being that Nabokov presents the reader with perhaps one of the most well constructed unreliable narrators in modern literature. Wally Tiperoy in Wally has much in common with Humbert. Don Peteroy trusts the reader enough not to beat them over the head with signaling how readers should feel. Instead, Peteroy drops little hints throughout that Wally is not to be trusted--even when he appears to be most candid. Ultimately, this creates more engagement between the reader and the text as well enhances the suspense readers harbor as Wally nears his destination.

[Chris Koslowski]

Wally dares readers to consider nature, nurture, and destiny's role in human cruelty, and in so doing opens up the minds of people most would write off as damaged, crazy, or just plain evil. Wally reminds me of many great protagonists (Walter White comes to mind) in that he demands and earns sympathy for far longer than readers should be willing to provide it. This book was taut in a way I'm not used t seeing in novels. Every detail, character, and anecdote felt considered, important, and interwoven. Also loved the classic Peteroy love for feet and Kirsten Dunst. Looking forward to the next one!

[Bachorb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me a lot of "This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper. The humor is extremely dark and neurotic, so I wouldn't call it a light read, but the narration is very quick and digestible and the main character strangely relatable. I read it in a few hours and I am by no means a speed reader, so it's a good way to entertain yourself on a Sunday afternoon.

[Debby Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Reads Giveaways. Really enjoyed reading this book. Kept my interest from beginning to end. After I finished the book, the story still stayed with me. Wally is definitely an interesting character;however, I definitely would not consider him prime husband material.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Wally. I felt SO sorry for him throughout his travels. I was "in his head" all the way and felt so hopeless and lost. I'll admit the ending was a bit of a shocker to me!! Thank you Don Peteroy for the excellent book! And thank you Goodreads for the free giveaway!

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those books you regret starting because of the unreliability of the narrator but paradoxically can't put down due to the same reason. No redemption, IMHO. Although, maybe that's the point. I would have preferred to have read something else.