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Mr. Hooks
What an odyssey! A man who believes he caused his wife’s three miscarriages learns to love himself again. --Start with a lawyer drowning himself in the river --Add a film critic catfish who rescues said lawyer and nudges him back to sanity by discussing auteur theory and dissing Deniro --Throw in the lawyer’s sign-wearing crusade to squash sex (thus eliminating the possibility of anyone having another miscarriage) --And don’t neglect the three meth makers from the uncharted woods who assault the lawyer’s nicotine-addicted wife --Resulting in a child --Whom the wife’s billionaire, cattle-raising father would destroy like a calf with three eyes. --End with an enigmatic quote from the Book of Job about “angels” --And you have a novel with a strong, twisting plot. And if you recall from your pompous Teaching Assistant with the scraggly beard and nicotine-stained fingers in stories with strong, twisting plots are usually genre fiction i.e. trash. Read this one and see. If you like Terry Pratchett mixed with your Garcia Marquez, you’ll enjoy this novel by three-time Pushcart nominee Lance Levens.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2017
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 25, 2018
This is a crazy book! In Macon, Georgia, a local prosecutor (Potter Weeks) and his wife have suffered through three miscarriages. Rational or not, Weeks bears a lot of guilt. He tries to kill himself by drowning. Instead, he meets a catfish who shares Weeks' passion for the classic era of Hollywood. The catfish tries to steer Weeks back to sanity. Along the way we also meet Weeks' brutish father-in-law, some truly vicious meth heads, his wife's shallow high school sweetheart and a few other memorable characters.
I must admit that I disliked most of the parts about the meth heads. Their characters were completely devoid of redeeming characteristics. Their violence was repulsive. But I loved all of the old movie references in the exchanges between Weeks and Hooks. I also loved the references to the Episcopal Church's classic 1928 Book of Common Prayer (the REAL Book of Common Prayer, in my view). Finally, as a former resident of Macon, I enjoyed the references to places that I once knew so well.
Full Disclosure - Lance is a friend of mine. We play music together at Wednesday evening acoustic jam sessions. The man has many talents!
I must admit that I disliked most of the parts about the meth heads. Their characters were completely devoid of redeeming characteristics. Their violence was repulsive. But I loved all of the old movie references in the exchanges between Weeks and Hooks. I also loved the references to the Episcopal Church's classic 1928 Book of Common Prayer (the REAL Book of Common Prayer, in my view). Finally, as a former resident of Macon, I enjoyed the references to places that I once knew so well.
Full Disclosure - Lance is a friend of mine. We play music together at Wednesday evening acoustic jam sessions. The man has many talents!
January 28, 2020
A Maestro
Lance Levens weaves words and story together like a maestro.
Mr. Hooks swept me into a symphony of finely tuned chords resonating with each turn and twist of its one-of-a-kind plot.
Potter Weeks, a southern attorney, whose wife suffers three miscarriages, blames himself. He seeks solace in the solitude of his tent in the back country woods by the Okmulgie River. During an attempt to drown himself, he meets Mr. Hooks, a giant talking catfish with a row of hooks dangling from his lower lip, a testament to a legendary status among the backwoods locals.
To a family of dangerous meth-heads living in a dilapidated trailer, he’s their catfish, and they don’t take kindly to Potter’s intrusion.
Mr. Hook’s lively discussions with Potter about Hollywood greats set the stage for some no-nonsense advice that helps bring Potter back to sanity.
The story reaches a climax when the meth-heads seek vengeance by attacking Potter’s wife. What happens next? It’s so surprising and moving, you must see for yourself.
Lance Levens weaves words and story together like a maestro.
Mr. Hooks swept me into a symphony of finely tuned chords resonating with each turn and twist of its one-of-a-kind plot.
Potter Weeks, a southern attorney, whose wife suffers three miscarriages, blames himself. He seeks solace in the solitude of his tent in the back country woods by the Okmulgie River. During an attempt to drown himself, he meets Mr. Hooks, a giant talking catfish with a row of hooks dangling from his lower lip, a testament to a legendary status among the backwoods locals.
To a family of dangerous meth-heads living in a dilapidated trailer, he’s their catfish, and they don’t take kindly to Potter’s intrusion.
Mr. Hook’s lively discussions with Potter about Hollywood greats set the stage for some no-nonsense advice that helps bring Potter back to sanity.
The story reaches a climax when the meth-heads seek vengeance by attacking Potter’s wife. What happens next? It’s so surprising and moving, you must see for yourself.
December 19, 2017
In Mr. Hooks, his third novel, Mr. Levens has stepped away from a YA novel and into new,uncharted territory. He presents to us Potter Weeks, an assistant district attorney who has lost hope in his marriage and in of himself. Weeks' failed attempt at suicide leads to his encounter with the elusive Mr. Hooks, a talking catfish whose enormous size is equal to his personality. Hooks soon becomes Potter's friend and confidant as their mutual love for cinema leads to interesting dialogue. Hooks helps Potter deal with his struggles.
Those unfamiliar with the Golden Age of Hollywood might not appreciate this novel; however, it provides a nice list of movies to watch or re-watch.
Is Hooks' voice real or imagined? Does it matter?
As a fisherman doesn't hang up his rod until he has caught his fish, the reader should not return Mr. Hooks to the bookcase (or cloud) until every last word has crossed the eye, for it is a truly satisfying read!
Those unfamiliar with the Golden Age of Hollywood might not appreciate this novel; however, it provides a nice list of movies to watch or re-watch.
Is Hooks' voice real or imagined? Does it matter?
As a fisherman doesn't hang up his rod until he has caught his fish, the reader should not return Mr. Hooks to the bookcase (or cloud) until every last word has crossed the eye, for it is a truly satisfying read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews