Catching Fire

by Wyatt Wyatt

Catching Fire is the story of an erstwhile professor of speech and now professional writer of canned sermons: Norman Foreman, who has had the misfortune to have been burned, literally and figuratively, by love, causing him to lose his wife, his home, his job and his navel. Norman has taken a vow: never again, he swears, the beast of desire, never again the triumph of animal lust.

Ah, until that day fifteen months, seven days and almost five hours later. . . when that first faint spark is struck, and it begins: the slow, hilarious, aching, astonishing and finally rattling roller-coaster ride of sexual and emotional reawakening, a plunge down a path loaded with pitfalls and lined by extraordinary characters: a concatenation of conmen, rogues, fools, and a devastating female embodiment of life force named Spider Webb, all of whom reside in Florida in a most un-Edenic hotel known as the Paradise. It is there they teach Norman the primal lesson: in order to be Human, we must first discover the beast in all of us.

"A remarkable first novel, the whole of which I read in a single, delightful sitting. God bless and keep the storytellers, those of the hard narrative line, spinning itself out in page after page of language solid and gamy as flesh. I salute Mr. Wyatt for being such a one. I champ at the bit waiting to see what he will give us next." -- Harry Crews

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn! This book is hilarious and sad and sweet and mad and lovely. My favorite book of the summer? Let’s say it was.

[2017sofiec]

Imagine you just won The Hunger Games with your friend Peeta but only one person was supposed to win. In Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the capitol puts Katniss and Peeta back in the Hunger Games once again with winning tributes from all the other districts. President Snow is trying to kill Katniss because outsmarted him in the first book when they had two winners. I like this book because it kept your suspense up and you didn't know what was coming next. My favorite part is at the end of the book the tributes come together to try to ruin the game and keep everyone alive. That is my favorite part because it shows them all coming together to try and stop the capitol. I recommend this book to everyone because I think it includes everyone's interests like sci-fi and romance.

[David]

very good follow-up to The Hunger Games. Collins brings more characters into the mix and they are all integral to the story and build the plot. The second time in the arena is a blow to Katniss and Peeta, and I was afraid Collins would keep the reader there too long, but it was just enough. Great ending, one that makes it absolutely necessary to read the 3d installment, Mocking Jay.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cliff hanger!! I need to read Mockingjay now, but I have to read my book club book first. So many books, so little time...