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Jack and Mr. Grin
A surreal and horrifying thriller from Andersen Prunty. Jack Orange is a twenty-something guy who works at a place called The Tent packing dirt in boxes and shipping them off to exotic, unheard of locales. He thinks about his girlfriend, Gina Black, and the ring he hopes to surprise her with. But when he returns home one day, Gina isn't there. He receives a strange call from a man who sounds like he is smiling- Mr. Grin. He says he has Gina. He gives Jack twenty-four hours to find her. What follows is Jack's bizarre journey through an increasingly warped and surreal landscape where an otherworldly force burns brands into those he comes in contact with, trains appear out of thin air, rooms turn themselves inside out and computers are powered by birds. And if he does find Gina, how will he ever survive a grueling battle to the death with Mr. Grin?
212 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2008
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708 people want to read
About the author
Andersen Prunty
51 books669 followersAndersen Prunty lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He writes novels and short stories. Visit him at notandersenprunty.com, where he posts a free story every Friday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 14, 2019
It’s been a few days since I’ve finished this and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. So, let me start with a music analogy.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a rocker at heart. My tastes can be heavier at times and lighter at others, but I very rarely like pop music, which means my choices can be limited.
Some years ago, I saw a music video of a song they used in the movie TWILIGHT. (Sigh, let’s get this out of the way first: TWILIGHT is not horror. Nobody will take you serious as a bad-ass if you’re drinking apple juice in a sippy cup.)
The song was by MUSE. I’ve heard a song here and there by them and it was good enough that I wouldn’t change the channel, but I wouldn’t have bought an album. And then, a few years later, I saw the music video for UPRISING. I fucking LOVED everything about it! The music, the message and the video especially (you can’t go wrong with killer teddy bears!). Then I heard RESISTANCE which I liked as well. They were winning me over…
And then they released the video for the song UNDISCLOSED DESIRES (I had to Google it just now) and I thought to myself: What the FUCK is this SHIT?! I just couldn’t believe how much I disliked that particular song.
Why this analogy? I’ll get to that later.
The story in this book is mainly about Jack (go figure, huh). He has a monotonous job with absolutely zero intellectual stimulation (you know, something at least half the Kardashians might be able to do). On the day he is about to propose to his girlfriend, she disappears. He receives a call from Mr. Grin (that’s right, Sherlock), who claims to have her, and he gives Jack only 24 hours to find her or he will never see her again.
To which Jack replies: “I don’t have money, but what I do have is a particular set of skills…”
No, that’s another story. Jack doesn’t really have any skills, so he is mightily fucked unless he can come up with something incredible. And as the story progresses, things will become incredible…
Soooooo…what are my thoughts on this story…
I find it difficult to articulate, because my opinion changes day to day. This story borders on extreme horror, but at a certain stage you move into this different world where all the rules are different, which comes across as more fantasy, perhaps?
And I’ll be damned if I can explain why I felt – disappointed is the wrong word, perhaps – like this story didn’t live up to its full potential. The reason I say this is because I have thought about it the last few days and I can’t come up with a single idea that could have made this story better than it was.
Which brings me back to the analogy I started with:
I think Anderson Prunty is like MUSE. It will depend on the reader how you experience it. Maybe it will be your UPRISING or maybe it will be your UNDISCLOSED DESIRES. And not exactly sure if and where the middle ground for this story will be. Maybe you should be able to bend your mind just a little more than I am comfortable with.
In the end, I’m glad I read this story, it was good.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a rocker at heart. My tastes can be heavier at times and lighter at others, but I very rarely like pop music, which means my choices can be limited.
Some years ago, I saw a music video of a song they used in the movie TWILIGHT. (Sigh, let’s get this out of the way first: TWILIGHT is not horror. Nobody will take you serious as a bad-ass if you’re drinking apple juice in a sippy cup.)
The song was by MUSE. I’ve heard a song here and there by them and it was good enough that I wouldn’t change the channel, but I wouldn’t have bought an album. And then, a few years later, I saw the music video for UPRISING. I fucking LOVED everything about it! The music, the message and the video especially (you can’t go wrong with killer teddy bears!). Then I heard RESISTANCE which I liked as well. They were winning me over…
And then they released the video for the song UNDISCLOSED DESIRES (I had to Google it just now) and I thought to myself: What the FUCK is this SHIT?! I just couldn’t believe how much I disliked that particular song.
Why this analogy? I’ll get to that later.
The story in this book is mainly about Jack (go figure, huh). He has a monotonous job with absolutely zero intellectual stimulation (you know, something at least half the Kardashians might be able to do). On the day he is about to propose to his girlfriend, she disappears. He receives a call from Mr. Grin (that’s right, Sherlock), who claims to have her, and he gives Jack only 24 hours to find her or he will never see her again.
To which Jack replies: “I don’t have money, but what I do have is a particular set of skills…”
No, that’s another story. Jack doesn’t really have any skills, so he is mightily fucked unless he can come up with something incredible. And as the story progresses, things will become incredible…
Soooooo…what are my thoughts on this story…
I find it difficult to articulate, because my opinion changes day to day. This story borders on extreme horror, but at a certain stage you move into this different world where all the rules are different, which comes across as more fantasy, perhaps?
And I’ll be damned if I can explain why I felt – disappointed is the wrong word, perhaps – like this story didn’t live up to its full potential. The reason I say this is because I have thought about it the last few days and I can’t come up with a single idea that could have made this story better than it was.
Which brings me back to the analogy I started with:
I think Anderson Prunty is like MUSE. It will depend on the reader how you experience it. Maybe it will be your UPRISING or maybe it will be your UNDISCLOSED DESIRES. And not exactly sure if and where the middle ground for this story will be. Maybe you should be able to bend your mind just a little more than I am comfortable with.
In the end, I’m glad I read this story, it was good.
July 28, 2014
When Jack Orange's girlfriend Gina goes missing, he soon gets a sinister phone call from a man that sounds like he's constantly smiling, Mr. Grin. Mr. Grin has Gina and Jack has 24 hours to find them. In the mean time, Mr. Grin is going to have some fun...
This is the ninth book in my Kindle Unlimited Experiment. For the 30 day trial, I'm only reading books that are part of the program and keeping track what the total cost of the books would have been.
This is my fourth Andersen Prunty novel and my favorite so far. Jack & Mr. Grin is a psychological horror novel about a man racing the clock to find his girlfriend and the psychopath that is holding her hostage. Complicating things is that Mr. Grin seems all-knowing and people who Jack encounters wind up with a brand on them and get possessed with psychotic rage and try to kill him. Not to mention Mr. Grin repeatedly calling him.
Around the halfway mark, the book was so hard to put down it was as if it was stapled to my hands. Jack manages to figure out where Gina might be held and things get pretty bizarre. It reminded me of the story of Orpheus a few times.
I wanted to love this book but I only wound up liking it quite a bit. Jack had a case of the stupids a few times, like wondering if Mr. Grin had supernatural powers late in the book despite all the supernatural things that had already occurred. Also, there were a few too many unanswered questions about Gina and Mr. Grin. Other than that, it was an easy four star read for me.
Current Kindle Unlimited Savings Total: $49.09.
This is the ninth book in my Kindle Unlimited Experiment. For the 30 day trial, I'm only reading books that are part of the program and keeping track what the total cost of the books would have been.
This is my fourth Andersen Prunty novel and my favorite so far. Jack & Mr. Grin is a psychological horror novel about a man racing the clock to find his girlfriend and the psychopath that is holding her hostage. Complicating things is that Mr. Grin seems all-knowing and people who Jack encounters wind up with a brand on them and get possessed with psychotic rage and try to kill him. Not to mention Mr. Grin repeatedly calling him.
Around the halfway mark, the book was so hard to put down it was as if it was stapled to my hands. Jack manages to figure out where Gina might be held and things get pretty bizarre. It reminded me of the story of Orpheus a few times.
I wanted to love this book but I only wound up liking it quite a bit. Jack had a case of the stupids a few times, like wondering if Mr. Grin had supernatural powers late in the book despite all the supernatural things that had already occurred. Also, there were a few too many unanswered questions about Gina and Mr. Grin. Other than that, it was an easy four star read for me.
Current Kindle Unlimited Savings Total: $49.09.
October 17, 2012
Jack returns home from procuring a greasy fast food breakfast intending to propose to his lady-love, Gina. BUT...Gina is nowhere to be found.
Jack's cell phone rings and suddenly a nasty man is saying nasty things and making nasty promises. Jack now has just 24 hours to find Gina, or Mr. Grin will make her disappear forever.
And so begins a sick, twisted, and twisty treasure hunt..
This is a taut horror/thriller with supernatural elements and nightmarish imagery. It is violent and oh yes, NASTY at times, so be forewarned.
Unlike many horror novels where the ending is rushed, phony, or a just plain cop-out - ("Let's all hold hands and sing 'Kum Ba Yah' and all the bad spirits will go away!") - this ending fits this book perfectly.
Jack's cell phone rings and suddenly a nasty man is saying nasty things and making nasty promises. Jack now has just 24 hours to find Gina, or Mr. Grin will make her disappear forever.
And so begins a sick, twisted, and twisty treasure hunt..
This is a taut horror/thriller with supernatural elements and nightmarish imagery. It is violent and oh yes, NASTY at times, so be forewarned.
Unlike many horror novels where the ending is rushed, phony, or a just plain cop-out - ("Let's all hold hands and sing 'Kum Ba Yah' and all the bad spirits will go away!") - this ending fits this book perfectly.
May 16, 2008
Just imagine David Lynch directing an episode of the Twilight Zone..
Considering that the only thing I have read of Andersen Prunty’s work was his flash fiction collection THE OVERWHELMING URGE, I was a little unsure about how the author would approach a full length work. As I stated in my review of his previous book, I’m not a huge fan of flash fiction and prefer longer works. Well, Prunty answered my prayers with this bizarro cat-and-mouse suspense novel.
JACK & MR. GRIN really captures the pain and anguish of Jack whose girlfriend is kidnapped. He is taunted by the kidnapper (Mr. Grin) via cell phone and even though the set-up seems clichéd, Prunty puts a twist on it by making Mr. Grin realistically sleazy and disgusting. As soon as you feel like you’re involved in a typical kidnapper-holding-girl-hostage plot, something happens that leaves you saying, “Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening.” or “I can’t believe so-and-so character just said that.”
Oh, but wait… what’s the book about? Jack’s girlfriend disappears and he gets a phone call from a guy who claims that he has her. What follows is a weird story that follows Jack on his quest to find her. On that quest, he encounters not only bizarro situations but doubt about his girlfriend Gina as well. Some of the topics covered by Prunty are fidelity and the true past of your girlfriend/boyfriend. In this the author succeeds in showing the realistic thought processes of a young guy in a troubled relationship.
At times the plotting reminded me of a Dean Koontz novel albeit one that is less corny and contrived. Mysterious things happen that make the reader on edge, eagerly awaiting the next chapter to find out just what the hell is going on. When it all comes together, we’re faced with a truly bizarre unfolding of events. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll let the reader find out for themselves. Let’s just say, you probably won’t see it coming. I know that while I was reading the end, I sat wide-eyed and in awe of the weirdness that Prunty put forth.
One criticism that I had when I first started reading was that we really aren’t given a lot of time to get to know Jack’s girlfriend so we don’t really get to identify with or care about her. We really just get to see it from Jack’s point of view. However, as I found out later on, Prunty did that for a reason.
Also, some of the dialogue between Jack and the other characters was a little awkward at times and didn’t seem to fit with the seriousness of the situation at hand (the kidnapping). Of course, when writing about situations like that, it’s difficult to really capture what someone would really do or say since most of us have never dealt with a kidnapping. Still, despite this awkwardness, I felt that Jack was a very real person, someone the reader could relate to due to us knowing the progression of his thoughts.
I think this may be a result of Prunty’s work in weird flash fiction where the characters are all very bizarro people caught in strange situations. Still, if I had to pick one area where I’d like to see the author improve in, it’d probably be dialogue. Of course, I’m an Elmore Leonard nut and so I’m very into realistic talk between characters and therefore am overly critical when it comes to that sort of thing.
The ending. Well, like I mentioned above, the ending is very strange and I won’t do the reader the disservice of revealing it. The explanation behind everything is strange yet, like novels by authors such as Dean Koontz and Stephen King, not everything is revealed. Things aren’t spelt out for us and we’re left with just enough mystery to make us want a sequel but not too little as to not form a satisfying ending.
There is still a feeling that Prunty probably feels at home with shorter works. Though JACK & MR. GRIN is close to 200 pages, there is a feeling that he padded it a little bit with more of Jack’s thoughts than was necessary. I do have a feeling, however, that his next novel will probably improve upon this and therefore I’m looking forward to his next work.
Overall, this is a nail-biting bizarro novel that will keep you wondering until the very end. It’s a bizarro thriller that was a (disturbing) joy to experience. I definitely prefer JACK & MR. GRIN over his previous work THE OVERWHELMING URGE since it gave Prunty the room to explore characters and flesh out the weird world that he cracked open in his flash fiction.
Considering that the only thing I have read of Andersen Prunty’s work was his flash fiction collection THE OVERWHELMING URGE, I was a little unsure about how the author would approach a full length work. As I stated in my review of his previous book, I’m not a huge fan of flash fiction and prefer longer works. Well, Prunty answered my prayers with this bizarro cat-and-mouse suspense novel.
JACK & MR. GRIN really captures the pain and anguish of Jack whose girlfriend is kidnapped. He is taunted by the kidnapper (Mr. Grin) via cell phone and even though the set-up seems clichéd, Prunty puts a twist on it by making Mr. Grin realistically sleazy and disgusting. As soon as you feel like you’re involved in a typical kidnapper-holding-girl-hostage plot, something happens that leaves you saying, “Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening.” or “I can’t believe so-and-so character just said that.”
Oh, but wait… what’s the book about? Jack’s girlfriend disappears and he gets a phone call from a guy who claims that he has her. What follows is a weird story that follows Jack on his quest to find her. On that quest, he encounters not only bizarro situations but doubt about his girlfriend Gina as well. Some of the topics covered by Prunty are fidelity and the true past of your girlfriend/boyfriend. In this the author succeeds in showing the realistic thought processes of a young guy in a troubled relationship.
At times the plotting reminded me of a Dean Koontz novel albeit one that is less corny and contrived. Mysterious things happen that make the reader on edge, eagerly awaiting the next chapter to find out just what the hell is going on. When it all comes together, we’re faced with a truly bizarre unfolding of events. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll let the reader find out for themselves. Let’s just say, you probably won’t see it coming. I know that while I was reading the end, I sat wide-eyed and in awe of the weirdness that Prunty put forth.
One criticism that I had when I first started reading was that we really aren’t given a lot of time to get to know Jack’s girlfriend so we don’t really get to identify with or care about her. We really just get to see it from Jack’s point of view. However, as I found out later on, Prunty did that for a reason.
Also, some of the dialogue between Jack and the other characters was a little awkward at times and didn’t seem to fit with the seriousness of the situation at hand (the kidnapping). Of course, when writing about situations like that, it’s difficult to really capture what someone would really do or say since most of us have never dealt with a kidnapping. Still, despite this awkwardness, I felt that Jack was a very real person, someone the reader could relate to due to us knowing the progression of his thoughts.
I think this may be a result of Prunty’s work in weird flash fiction where the characters are all very bizarro people caught in strange situations. Still, if I had to pick one area where I’d like to see the author improve in, it’d probably be dialogue. Of course, I’m an Elmore Leonard nut and so I’m very into realistic talk between characters and therefore am overly critical when it comes to that sort of thing.
The ending. Well, like I mentioned above, the ending is very strange and I won’t do the reader the disservice of revealing it. The explanation behind everything is strange yet, like novels by authors such as Dean Koontz and Stephen King, not everything is revealed. Things aren’t spelt out for us and we’re left with just enough mystery to make us want a sequel but not too little as to not form a satisfying ending.
There is still a feeling that Prunty probably feels at home with shorter works. Though JACK & MR. GRIN is close to 200 pages, there is a feeling that he padded it a little bit with more of Jack’s thoughts than was necessary. I do have a feeling, however, that his next novel will probably improve upon this and therefore I’m looking forward to his next work.
Overall, this is a nail-biting bizarro novel that will keep you wondering until the very end. It’s a bizarro thriller that was a (disturbing) joy to experience. I definitely prefer JACK & MR. GRIN over his previous work THE OVERWHELMING URGE since it gave Prunty the room to explore characters and flesh out the weird world that he cracked open in his flash fiction.
May 7, 2011
First, thanks for the loan Marvin!
I'm sure I've said this before but I'll say it again - Prunty has a wonderful talent for writing relatable bizarro fiction. His characters are not flashy, they are more along the lines of everyday folks, and they have everyday problems. I like this. I also deeply appreciate how the weirdness in his stories creep up on the reader. Prunty writes real stories not for the sake of shock. His stories have something called a plot. I dislike the trend of bizarro writers just throwing out the weirdest shit they can think of. I love, love, love weird but I need an explanation. Reading that something odd or awful happened to someone is so much scarier when you can place a face and personality with the person.
Another thing about Prunty - I'm beginning to think of him as that-author-who-writes-bizarro-romance. How wonderful. Prunty takes a young man and a young woman and challenges their love by throwing them in otherworldly situations. I quite love it.
The only reason I am rating 4 stars is I wanted more character development but you have to know that this is a short work and probably not meant to connect with the reader overly much. I don't know, maybe it's just me and I'm probably being a little unfair. But I did thoroughly enjoy this. 4 1/2 stars and onto another by the author.
I'm sure I've said this before but I'll say it again - Prunty has a wonderful talent for writing relatable bizarro fiction. His characters are not flashy, they are more along the lines of everyday folks, and they have everyday problems. I like this. I also deeply appreciate how the weirdness in his stories creep up on the reader. Prunty writes real stories not for the sake of shock. His stories have something called a plot. I dislike the trend of bizarro writers just throwing out the weirdest shit they can think of. I love, love, love weird but I need an explanation. Reading that something odd or awful happened to someone is so much scarier when you can place a face and personality with the person.
Another thing about Prunty - I'm beginning to think of him as that-author-who-writes-bizarro-romance. How wonderful. Prunty takes a young man and a young woman and challenges their love by throwing them in otherworldly situations. I quite love it.
The only reason I am rating 4 stars is I wanted more character development but you have to know that this is a short work and probably not meant to connect with the reader overly much. I don't know, maybe it's just me and I'm probably being a little unfair. But I did thoroughly enjoy this. 4 1/2 stars and onto another by the author.
July 31, 2008
I read Prunty's Overwhelming Urge first and thoroughly enjoyed his short stories/flash fiction. So, I was looking forward to reading Jack and Mr. Grin. Jack and Mr. Grin was not what I expected after the Overwhelming Urge (not nearly as bizarre, tasteless, gross, etc.) but I once again enjoyed it a great deal. While the story deals with the supernatural and is brutal at times, I don't really consider it to be Bizarro fiction, at least not from what I have seen from some of the other Bizarro authors. I would say that the story is a fairly straightforward supernatural-thriller-horror-love story, and, is reminiscent of some of Stephen King's work. Mr. Prunty already established himself as a talented writer with his short stories. Now, with Jack and Mr. Grin, he has also demonstrated the ability to craft a compelling, creepy, and intense full length novel. I understand that Prunty has several more novels in the works and look forward to seeing what he does next.
November 9, 2010
All in all, this is a tight, well-told horror/bizarro tale. Every detail matters in the game Mr. Grin forces Jack to play. Anyone who has either tried to write a mystery/thriller/horror novel will know how hard this is to do, and more important, anyone who has read a novel that cannot pull it off knows how marvelous it is when a writer gets it right. Since I don’t want to spoil the plot, I can’t go into depth about all the ways that Prunty makes every word matter, but I can say that Prunty doesn’t make the mistake of making words count in a calculated, stiff manner. He is far more deft than that. Casual conversations help with characterization but it is subtle – not a hammer in our foreheads announcing, “Hey, character development, pay attention!” As Jack careens from one bad scene to the next, the plot’s pace never seems overwhelming or rushed. Read my entire review here.
March 19, 2010
This book is strange. The plot is strange. The author clearly must be strange. Normal people don't write things like this. And I must be strange cause I loved this novel.
This bizarre but delightful horror novel has a "down the rabbit hole" sense of wonder. The main character sounds fairly average in every way but his job (packing dirt?) and his biggest problem is how to propose to his girl friend. He then get a call from someone who has his girl and sounds like he has a perpetual grin (shades of the Cheshire Cat?). Our hero has 24 hours to find her (You're late. You're Late" says the white rabbit)...
Am I overdoing the Alice in Wonderland comparisons? Probably, but this does feel to me like An Alice in Wonderland for the perverse. Lewis Carroll meets David Lynch in a collaboration of Slaughter of The Lambs. Bizarro novels delight in being weird but the best Bizarro novels always have one foot in reality and do not go overboard just for the sake of weirdness. Using that criteria, this may be the best Bizarro novel I've yet to read and certainly one of the strangest horror novels I've read. I'm making room for more Andersen Prunty novels.
This bizarre but delightful horror novel has a "down the rabbit hole" sense of wonder. The main character sounds fairly average in every way but his job (packing dirt?) and his biggest problem is how to propose to his girl friend. He then get a call from someone who has his girl and sounds like he has a perpetual grin (shades of the Cheshire Cat?). Our hero has 24 hours to find her (You're late. You're Late" says the white rabbit)...
Am I overdoing the Alice in Wonderland comparisons? Probably, but this does feel to me like An Alice in Wonderland for the perverse. Lewis Carroll meets David Lynch in a collaboration of Slaughter of The Lambs. Bizarro novels delight in being weird but the best Bizarro novels always have one foot in reality and do not go overboard just for the sake of weirdness. Using that criteria, this may be the best Bizarro novel I've yet to read and certainly one of the strangest horror novels I've read. I'm making room for more Andersen Prunty novels.
December 11, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Bizarro
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of mystery/thrillers with paranormal twist, bizarro
Trigger Warnings: Violence against women, including sexual assault
Disclosure: I picked up this book from Amazon on a free promotion. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Jack Orange is a twenty-something guy who works at a place called The Tent packing dirt in boxes and shipping them off to exotic, unheard-of locales. He thinks about his girlfriend, Gina Black, and the ring he hopes to surprise her with. But when he returns home one day, Gina isn’t there. He receives a strange call from a man who sounds like he is smiling—Mr. Grin. He says he has Gina. He gives Jack twenty- four hours to find her.
What follows is Jack’s bizarre journey through an increasingly warped and surreal landscape where an otherworldy force burns brands into those he comes in contact with, trains appear out of thin air, rooms turn themselves inside out and computers are powered by birds. And if he does find Gina, how will he ever survive a grueling battle to the death with Mr. Grin?
My Thoughts: By the time I picked up this e-book on Amazon under a KDP promotion, I was just grabbing anything by this author I could find, since I found I quite enjoyed his work.
This one is quite different from the previous books I’ve read. Whereas the previous books I read tended toward horror or urban fantasy, this one is more along the lines of a thriller, albeit with supernatural aspects.
One thing I have found that I really appreciate about Andersen Prunty is his gift of describing things so perfectly. Take this description of a blandly “corporate” America:
The reason I’ve rated this four stars is not due to any deficiency in the writing, but I rate based upon my enjoyment and I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as I did the last two – I think it’s because this just didn’t have the same level of dark humor as Satanic Summer and My Fake War. However, it is a well-written and entertaining book, and I think fans of bizarro literature, as well as those who enjoy mystery/thrillers with a paranormal bent will enjoy this book.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of mystery/thrillers with paranormal twist, bizarro
Trigger Warnings: Violence against women, including sexual assault
Disclosure: I picked up this book from Amazon on a free promotion. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Jack Orange is a twenty-something guy who works at a place called The Tent packing dirt in boxes and shipping them off to exotic, unheard-of locales. He thinks about his girlfriend, Gina Black, and the ring he hopes to surprise her with. But when he returns home one day, Gina isn’t there. He receives a strange call from a man who sounds like he is smiling—Mr. Grin. He says he has Gina. He gives Jack twenty- four hours to find her.
What follows is Jack’s bizarre journey through an increasingly warped and surreal landscape where an otherworldy force burns brands into those he comes in contact with, trains appear out of thin air, rooms turn themselves inside out and computers are powered by birds. And if he does find Gina, how will he ever survive a grueling battle to the death with Mr. Grin?
My Thoughts: By the time I picked up this e-book on Amazon under a KDP promotion, I was just grabbing anything by this author I could find, since I found I quite enjoyed his work.
This one is quite different from the previous books I’ve read. Whereas the previous books I read tended toward horror or urban fantasy, this one is more along the lines of a thriller, albeit with supernatural aspects.
One thing I have found that I really appreciate about Andersen Prunty is his gift of describing things so perfectly. Take this description of a blandly “corporate” America:
“It looked like every highway exit area on every interstate in America, lined with chain hotels, chain restaurants and chain gas stations. Like the developers had dropped their pants and shat out what every mid-size city in America had.”
The reason I’ve rated this four stars is not due to any deficiency in the writing, but I rate based upon my enjoyment and I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as I did the last two – I think it’s because this just didn’t have the same level of dark humor as Satanic Summer and My Fake War. However, it is a well-written and entertaining book, and I think fans of bizarro literature, as well as those who enjoy mystery/thrillers with a paranormal bent will enjoy this book.
August 8, 2009
I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. I like when non-superhero, garden-variety Joe Schmo characters face extraordinary situations. That's what Jack is and does.
I related to Jack, who has a job he's not necessarily turning cartwheels over but puts in his hours so he can get his fulfillment through his personal life. This is working out fine until his beloved girlfriend Gina is kidnapped. Let me just say that as a woman, I appreciate the positive aspect of Jack and Gina's relationship. Jack isn't afraid to show or express just how important his girlfriend is to his life, yet he doesn't smother her.
Sam, Gina's brother, supplied some much needed comic relief. I kept picturing The Simpson's ponytailed Comic Book Guy whenever Sam was in the picture, only much seedier and smellier.
The ending takes us on a tour through a strange, deserted motel on the edge of town. I really enjoyed the ride. I find myself looking forward to Andersen Prunty's next book. I was thinking of donating my copy of Mr. Grin to the library, but I think I'll keep it for my permanent collection, which I rarely ever do.
I related to Jack, who has a job he's not necessarily turning cartwheels over but puts in his hours so he can get his fulfillment through his personal life. This is working out fine until his beloved girlfriend Gina is kidnapped. Let me just say that as a woman, I appreciate the positive aspect of Jack and Gina's relationship. Jack isn't afraid to show or express just how important his girlfriend is to his life, yet he doesn't smother her.
Sam, Gina's brother, supplied some much needed comic relief. I kept picturing The Simpson's ponytailed Comic Book Guy whenever Sam was in the picture, only much seedier and smellier.
The ending takes us on a tour through a strange, deserted motel on the edge of town. I really enjoyed the ride. I find myself looking forward to Andersen Prunty's next book. I was thinking of donating my copy of Mr. Grin to the library, but I think I'll keep it for my permanent collection, which I rarely ever do.
November 25, 2009
A great book for people who aren't acquainted with the bizarro genre, and for ones who are. It's has the integrity that a mainstream novel strives for with it's characters and yet still brings the mind fuck aesthetics that fans of bizarro have come to expect.
Despite the fact that the author is gorgeous, he is also very talented.
Despite the fact that the author is gorgeous, he is also very talented.
January 23, 2009
Andersen Prunty is a new name to the horror fiction scene. He has had many short stories published and one collection of flash fiction ("The Overwhelming Urge"). With his first novel, "Jack & Mr. Grin," Prunty shows that he is a new voice that all dedicated fans of horror fiction should take note of.
Jack Orange has been living with his girlfriend Gina for a few years and now he feels ready to take their relationship to the next level. He goes to get the ring and comes back home to propose, Gina is gone. The phone rings and on the other end is a man who sounds like he is smiling, Mr. Grin.
Mr. Grin has taken Gina hostage and Jack has twenty-four hours to find them or else he will lose Gina forever. Their "game" (as Mr. Grin calls it) has one rule, no one may notify the police or Gina will die. With these circumstances in place, Jack begins a race against time to rescue the love of his life. Along the way he will encounter forces and knowledge that causes him to question everything in his reality.
The plot is a simple set-up and has been done many times before, but Prunty writes with such a fierce drive that no reader will care. Jack's journey to find Gina is plagued with tortures as Mr. Grin tortures him both emotionally and physically. The torments are extremely disturbing as Prunty seems to already have mastered the art of suggestion. The book is not that graphic in terms of "on-page" violence, however he hints at acts that will stay will the reader long after the book finishes. This is the hard-core of emotional horror.
Eraserhead Press has signed an extremely talented writer in Andersen Prunty. The "game" Jack is forced to play is frightening and will haunt you long after you close the covers. Here is hoping that Prunty will be able to give us more of this high-quality horror (we will find out, when "Zerostrata" is published later this year). If you do not read "Jack & Mr. Grin", you lose.
Jack Orange has been living with his girlfriend Gina for a few years and now he feels ready to take their relationship to the next level. He goes to get the ring and comes back home to propose, Gina is gone. The phone rings and on the other end is a man who sounds like he is smiling, Mr. Grin.
Mr. Grin has taken Gina hostage and Jack has twenty-four hours to find them or else he will lose Gina forever. Their "game" (as Mr. Grin calls it) has one rule, no one may notify the police or Gina will die. With these circumstances in place, Jack begins a race against time to rescue the love of his life. Along the way he will encounter forces and knowledge that causes him to question everything in his reality.
The plot is a simple set-up and has been done many times before, but Prunty writes with such a fierce drive that no reader will care. Jack's journey to find Gina is plagued with tortures as Mr. Grin tortures him both emotionally and physically. The torments are extremely disturbing as Prunty seems to already have mastered the art of suggestion. The book is not that graphic in terms of "on-page" violence, however he hints at acts that will stay will the reader long after the book finishes. This is the hard-core of emotional horror.
Eraserhead Press has signed an extremely talented writer in Andersen Prunty. The "game" Jack is forced to play is frightening and will haunt you long after you close the covers. Here is hoping that Prunty will be able to give us more of this high-quality horror (we will find out, when "Zerostrata" is published later this year). If you do not read "Jack & Mr. Grin", you lose.
November 4, 2011
My first experience with Andersen Prunty was his book The Sorrow King, which I thought was a fantastic read. After finishing it I immediately wanted to read more of his work. I was a little concerned that since I started out with his newest work that maybe I wouldn’t enjoy his previous work as much, but that was just dumb, apparently all his books are great.
Jack and Mr. Grin isn’t straight forward Bizarro, it has some Bizarro elements to it, but really it’s more of a Bizarro thriller. One lazy Sunday Jack goes out to get his girlfriend and himself some breakfast. When he returns he finds his girlfriend is not there. After a quick search of the house he gets a strange phone call from the man who has Gina, a man who sounds like he’s grinning. Jack has twenty four hours to find Gina and battle Mr. Grin to the death.
Andersen Prunty does a great job with his characters, keeping them real and making you care about them. Jack goes through a lot of emotional turmoil during his quest, mainly due to the psychological torture that Mr. Grin puts him through.
This was for me another excellent read from Mr. Prunty, and I will look forward to more.
Jack and Mr. Grin isn’t straight forward Bizarro, it has some Bizarro elements to it, but really it’s more of a Bizarro thriller. One lazy Sunday Jack goes out to get his girlfriend and himself some breakfast. When he returns he finds his girlfriend is not there. After a quick search of the house he gets a strange phone call from the man who has Gina, a man who sounds like he’s grinning. Jack has twenty four hours to find Gina and battle Mr. Grin to the death.
Andersen Prunty does a great job with his characters, keeping them real and making you care about them. Jack goes through a lot of emotional turmoil during his quest, mainly due to the psychological torture that Mr. Grin puts him through.
This was for me another excellent read from Mr. Prunty, and I will look forward to more.
November 5, 2012
Kinda reminded me of Twin Peaks a little. Seemingly normal characters who aren't like that at all, and then the Hotel Eternity (Black Lodge, anyone?). Well, since I love Lynch, this was a good thing for me. And I read the book in 1,5 sessions, which I didn't do with any book in a long time - so that's good, too.
It's the best bizarro fiction I've read so far. Which is primarily because it's weird but it still makes sense - and it's not too difficult to follow the plot (which in bizzaro can be really fucking hard sometimes). Also, there's a lot if mystery, which I like.
Read this, it's short and good.
It's the best bizarro fiction I've read so far. Which is primarily because it's weird but it still makes sense - and it's not too difficult to follow the plot (which in bizzaro can be really fucking hard sometimes). Also, there's a lot if mystery, which I like.
Read this, it's short and good.
August 21, 2014
What a joke and utter waste of time. I know I coulda, shoulda quit while I was still ahead but hey, I'm not a quitter or rather am a glutton for punishment. I think this was written in a cut and paste fashion with the author either reading or viewing childrens programming... No, that wouldn't be fair to childrens programming. Either that or he was on a good one. I can't believe it's published work nor that anyone would find this worthy reading material, summer or otherwise.
Full of contradictions, idiotic why's, wherefore's, and maybe's. Totally lame. Shame on you Mr. Prunty. I'll give you this much, you laid it on thick, really thick.
Full of contradictions, idiotic why's, wherefore's, and maybe's. Totally lame. Shame on you Mr. Prunty. I'll give you this much, you laid it on thick, really thick.
September 27, 2014
Jack Orange returns home and his girlfriend Gina Black is missing. A phone call reveals a thought of a man with a huge "Grin" on his face. Now the real game begins.
Jack goes on a journey to find his girlfriend, a couple twists brings us to a utility shed with what he lease expected.
A bloody horror read for Halloween (or anytime of the year) of what a man will go through to bring his lovers soul back to him.
Jack goes on a journey to find his girlfriend, a couple twists brings us to a utility shed with what he lease expected.
A bloody horror read for Halloween (or anytime of the year) of what a man will go through to bring his lovers soul back to him.
September 13, 2009
Jack Orange was a normal guy, albeit a normal guy with a strange job. He packed dirt into small boxes for shipping to places unknown. One Sunday, his only day off, Jack went out for breakfast. When he came back his girlfriend, Gina, was nowhere to be found. He received a disturbing phone call from a man claiming to have Gina. He was given a deadline of 24 hours to find Gina, with the condition that he would have to kill her captor or else be killed by him.
Jack & Mr. Grin was my first bizarro fiction book. This book is the August group read for the Horror Aficionados group over at Good Reads. I have to admit I was not sure what I had gotten myself into when I first decided to order this book. It arrived fairly quickly, especially considering this is a print on demand title. It is a rather small book, only 195 pages. There are several pages of advertisement at the end for other bizarro books.
The first thing that really caught my attention was the quality of the writing. I think I had convinced myself that the writing would be very cheesy and not technically accurate due to the "weird" factor surrounding the book. But I was completely wrong in thinking that. Andersen Prunty is a very capable writer, his style very easy to read yet compelling.
I enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the interaction between Jack and Gina's brother Sam. The chemistry there was just right. In one scene, Sam is duct taping feminine pads to Jack's bleeding wounds. This bit of comedy amidst the trauma was great.
One thing that took away from the book, at least for me, was the lack of "weird" throughout most of the story. Being that this book is classified as bizarro, I expected the whole story to be really out there. The first two thirds of the book could easily have been from a popular mystery or detective novel. There is nothing wrong with that, I love mystery novels. I just expected the story to be more strange. There is strange or bizarro towards the end and I realize that the parts of the story preceding that helped set the stage.
At the end of the day, this was a good book. I will check out some more bizarro titles as well as keep an eye out for more works from Andersen Prunty.
Jack & Mr. Grin was my first bizarro fiction book. This book is the August group read for the Horror Aficionados group over at Good Reads. I have to admit I was not sure what I had gotten myself into when I first decided to order this book. It arrived fairly quickly, especially considering this is a print on demand title. It is a rather small book, only 195 pages. There are several pages of advertisement at the end for other bizarro books.
The first thing that really caught my attention was the quality of the writing. I think I had convinced myself that the writing would be very cheesy and not technically accurate due to the "weird" factor surrounding the book. But I was completely wrong in thinking that. Andersen Prunty is a very capable writer, his style very easy to read yet compelling.
I enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the interaction between Jack and Gina's brother Sam. The chemistry there was just right. In one scene, Sam is duct taping feminine pads to Jack's bleeding wounds. This bit of comedy amidst the trauma was great.
One thing that took away from the book, at least for me, was the lack of "weird" throughout most of the story. Being that this book is classified as bizarro, I expected the whole story to be really out there. The first two thirds of the book could easily have been from a popular mystery or detective novel. There is nothing wrong with that, I love mystery novels. I just expected the story to be more strange. There is strange or bizarro towards the end and I realize that the parts of the story preceding that helped set the stage.
At the end of the day, this was a good book. I will check out some more bizarro titles as well as keep an eye out for more works from Andersen Prunty.
April 5, 2011
Before I continue with my mindless prattling, I want to say that I spent literal weeks hyping myself for this book. Was it great? Yes. Jack & Mr. Grin was a wonderful, fast read. However, while I loved it - I also created the expectation for it to be god-tier.
The story itself is interesting - but by far the best part of the entire story was the way Mr. Grin speaks. As the quick blurb in the listing on Bizarro Central suggests, you can literally feel the creeper grin in Mr. Grin's words. I also didn't feel like anything was forced when reading this; the story progressed naturally, the story captivated me... but it just wasn't what I hoped.
This is, of course, no fault of Andersen Prunty OR the book - and I ask that anyone who does consider my opinion worth anything (if there is anyone besides me) - please read this one for yourself and THEN decide.
The story itself is interesting - but by far the best part of the entire story was the way Mr. Grin speaks. As the quick blurb in the listing on Bizarro Central suggests, you can literally feel the creeper grin in Mr. Grin's words. I also didn't feel like anything was forced when reading this; the story progressed naturally, the story captivated me... but it just wasn't what I hoped.
This is, of course, no fault of Andersen Prunty OR the book - and I ask that anyone who does consider my opinion worth anything (if there is anyone besides me) - please read this one for yourself and THEN decide.
September 15, 2010
Jack returns home to find his girlfriend Gina, missing. His confusion turns quickly to terror, with a ring of his cellphone. The voice on the other end sounds like he is grinning as he informs Jack that he has 24 hours to find Gina, or Jack will never see her again.
This book is a thriller, that amps up the tension with every turn of the page, as Jack tries to rescue his love from the twisted Mr. Grin. The story is more of a waking nightmare, than Bizarro, but still very entertaining. With a smooth writing style that made the book flow, simply letting the reader know what was happening and not getting lost in over flowery prose.
JACK & MR. GRIN was an engrossing read that I found hard to put down.
This book is a thriller, that amps up the tension with every turn of the page, as Jack tries to rescue his love from the twisted Mr. Grin. The story is more of a waking nightmare, than Bizarro, but still very entertaining. With a smooth writing style that made the book flow, simply letting the reader know what was happening and not getting lost in over flowery prose.
JACK & MR. GRIN was an engrossing read that I found hard to put down.
April 19, 2019
Great storyline
I really enjoyed this book. It watch captivating from the very beginning and you couldn't wait to find what was going to happen next. Usually you can tell how the the story is going to go, imagine endings etc. So when you can't and you are surprised if I'd refreshing and exciting. A whole different kind of story too which makes it even better. Definitely would recommend and am looking forward to reading A few more from this author of this book is anything to go by.
I really enjoyed this book. It watch captivating from the very beginning and you couldn't wait to find what was going to happen next. Usually you can tell how the the story is going to go, imagine endings etc. So when you can't and you are surprised if I'd refreshing and exciting. A whole different kind of story too which makes it even better. Definitely would recommend and am looking forward to reading A few more from this author of this book is anything to go by.
November 10, 2015
Prunty is a master...I loved this from beginning to end. Jack's quest to find Gina, the vague nature and location of Mr. Grin never ceased to pull me along for the ride. This may not have had the overt shock factor of some of the other material I have read, but was so strong that I have nothing but good things to say. Andersen confirms himself as one of my favorites.....
August 3, 2009
This is my first reading of bizarro and it won't be the last. Prunty takes a commonly written plot line and makes it his own with interesting plot twists and situations. I will definitely seek out more of his work.
April 26, 2014
The first 3'quarters of the book rolled along nicely and then...wham! Flipped upside down and as crazy as the loony down the street off his meds. Liked it. Nice change of pace and not a typical read for me. 3.5 stars
September 16, 2020
I read this a few weeks ago and typically with Prunty, I needed time to digest it. This is another bizarre but chilling read from Prunty that follow Jack Orange as he sets out to find his kidnapped girlfriend. A simple thing you would think, but no. This kidnapping has a very Prunty twist with an undercurrent of 'something else' going on that makes Jack's task all the more difficult and all the more disturbing. Even the ending is somewhat twisted and leaves you wondering whether it is a good or a bad thing. While I didn't love it as much as I did the Sorrow King, it was still a really good read.
April 17, 2020
Prunty always makes me feel like I’m in a mental patient’s horrific fever dream, disassociated from reality and hating it. But he’s also a generally engaging writer. I don’t like thrillers or suspense or horror or body horror or really any of his chosen genres. But I keep reading his books and it’s awful.
This one’s ~okay. He sets a powerful tone early, some suspenseful evocation followed by intense injustice and helplessness and loneliness, but the ending feels a bit lazy, like he got bored with writing it or just couldn’t decide where he wanted to go and moved on to another project.
This one’s ~okay. He sets a powerful tone early, some suspenseful evocation followed by intense injustice and helplessness and loneliness, but the ending feels a bit lazy, like he got bored with writing it or just couldn’t decide where he wanted to go and moved on to another project.
November 7, 2019
In order to get his girlfriend back jack must play mr grins game
This was like taken for bizarro horror fans
Well narrated by the man himself highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
This was like taken for bizarro horror fans
Well narrated by the man himself highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
May 9, 2012
I found this actually a bit disappointing, it being suggested by someone whose taste I trust very much. They made their suggestion knowing that my own writing had clarified into something close to bizarro, a genre that I hadn't yet read. The closest I had come were books like Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth" or Bulgakov's "Heart of a Dog."
My biggest complaint is that, though was written by one of the masters of bizarro, it's sloppily written and filled with annoying "author patches," errors the author seems to have caught in his first draft that, instead of correcting with more complete rewrites, he has the character addres the implausibility in his inner thoughts. As if having the character also see the logic problem, that somehow makes it not a problem. The lead character hangs upside-down in order to pass into an alternate reality. All his stuff falls out of his pants -- change, paper and...a cocked pistol. What's your first thought. Yeah...mine too. AND the lead's, too, after the author or one of his critique partners points it out. I would think the better solution would be for him to have the lead uncock the pistol prior to hanging upside-down. Who cares. Just lose the part about the change falling out. Avoid the problem with the gun. But not -- I've gotten to ranting now, haven't I? -- he just has the character think how lucky he was that the gun didn't go off. A fix of sorts but pretty transparent. That sort of thing only happens 100 times during the story.
I am assured that this is NOT the case with other of his works. I'll definitely give another, better reviewed of his titles a read.
My biggest complaint is that, though was written by one of the masters of bizarro, it's sloppily written and filled with annoying "author patches," errors the author seems to have caught in his first draft that, instead of correcting with more complete rewrites, he has the character addres the implausibility in his inner thoughts. As if having the character also see the logic problem, that somehow makes it not a problem. The lead character hangs upside-down in order to pass into an alternate reality. All his stuff falls out of his pants -- change, paper and...a cocked pistol. What's your first thought. Yeah...mine too. AND the lead's, too, after the author or one of his critique partners points it out. I would think the better solution would be for him to have the lead uncock the pistol prior to hanging upside-down. Who cares. Just lose the part about the change falling out. Avoid the problem with the gun. But not -- I've gotten to ranting now, haven't I? -- he just has the character think how lucky he was that the gun didn't go off. A fix of sorts but pretty transparent. That sort of thing only happens 100 times during the story.
I am assured that this is NOT the case with other of his works. I'll definitely give another, better reviewed of his titles a read.
February 1, 2013
lazy writing, predictable plot, no character depth. maybe it being a novella worked against all this, maybe it's lazy writing, predictable plot, and no character depth. there are interesting other-dimension elements in the architecture...but, there is no real Mood: despite the blood, sweat, semen, and screaming, everything feels very sanitised. sterile. more late-night SyFy channel than Twin Peaks. i'd skip this, and watch The Lost Room, instead.
August 31, 2018
I was really into the first three fourths of this, but then it seemed to lose steam quietly in the home stretch. What's more, I hate it when the 'final battle' includes cartoonishly exaggerated levels of mutilation, dismemberment and bloodshed, only for there to be some magical panacea that reverses all of the physical damage. It just seemed like this story began a lot more grounded, but then took too many metaphysical shortcuts leading up to its 'denouement.'
August 12, 2013
Indie presses and self-published books (one or t'other, not sure which) are getting better and better these days. This isn't a perfect book by any means, but it's creative and fun and gets from A to B in ways I wasn't expecting.
This is the 1st book I've read by this guy and I kind of want to find numbers 2 and 3. So, that says something.
This is the 1st book I've read by this guy and I kind of want to find numbers 2 and 3. So, that says something.
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