Heroes

by Ray Robertson

"Ray Robertson is an irrepressible voice, with brass balls and a heart of gold."—Jonathan Evison Peter Bayle—heavy drinker, philosopher, scholar, anemic lover—is in Kansas, writing a feature on middle America's newfound love for hockey. There he meets a morphine-injecting reverend, a reviled reporter, and a drug salesman; obsessed by his self-destructive new friends, Bayle abandons the project and returns home to confront a future and a girlfriend he may no longer want. Ray Robertson is the author of seven novels and two collections of award-nominated nonfiction. His novel David was a Women's National Book Association Great Group Reads Selection, 2013.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Ray Robertson is the author of six novels including Moody Food and What Happened Later, a finalist for the Trillium Book Award. He has also published a collection of nonfiction, Mental Hygiene: Essays on Writers and Writing. He is a contributing book reviewer for The Globe and Mail.

Robertson lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Michael Baranowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently, if you're going to get published by a small independent imprint, you need to be able to write wonderful sentences, create quirky characters (dark quirky characters with serious emotional damage preferred), and have absolutely no interest in a plot. (It's really too bad, because Robertson is like so many other literary authors these days - talent out the wazoo but can't be bothered to make things actually happen in his book. I know, some would surely say, "You're an ignorant Philistine Mike - it's the characters that make the novel, not the plot.' So fine, I'm a Philistine. But what I wouldn't give to make Robert McKee's 'Story' required reading at every MFA program in the world.)

[James Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago and originally gave it 5 stars. Rereading it now, it really feels more like a 3 1/2-star read.

I've read a lot of Ray Robertson and do very much enjoy is works. At the time, I think I was attracted to this one's more plot-driven narrative. Now, however, I find that to actually be the distraction. The basic plot is definitely interesting and engaging, but at times, comes off a bit forced and sensational. It feels at its strongest when focused on the main character's relationship with is father and his sister. To me, those sections definitely represent the best of what Robertson's prose and characters can offer. Many of the other characters end of feeling thin and more a way to move the main plot forward.

Also, as much as Robertson's prose can truly be compelling and carry a unique and vivid voice, in this novel, to me the styling seems heavy and forced, as if he is aware the overall novel is lacking a certain substance and he is trying to make up for it with a more dramatic narrative style.

Still, this is an enjoyable book and I'm glad I reread it. If new to Ray Roberston, this might be the best place to start, but then I strongly recommend other books of his, such as Gently Down the Stream and Moody Food.

[Adam Sol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missed my subway stop while reading this novel.