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Flat Earth
I don’t know which was worse. Declan Dumais attempting to hijack an airplane to prove the earth is flat or that he rejected his wife to accomplish his mission.
From the night they first met at the Thirsty Moose in New Hampshire to Declan’s trek to the tip of South America, my young friends went to war with one another, only to find that the battles they cannot win are the demons that haunt them.
I’ll stop here and introduce myself. I’m Jack, and in the telling of this story, it’s going to feel like I’m going backwards to get to where I’m going, but in reality, I’m only building a case that the paths my friends walked mandated the outcome of their lives.
So here we go.
From the night they first met at the Thirsty Moose in New Hampshire to Declan’s trek to the tip of South America, my young friends went to war with one another, only to find that the battles they cannot win are the demons that haunt them.
I’ll stop here and introduce myself. I’m Jack, and in the telling of this story, it’s going to feel like I’m going backwards to get to where I’m going, but in reality, I’m only building a case that the paths my friends walked mandated the outcome of their lives.
So here we go.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2020
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 18, 2020
Not typically a book reader
I don't normally read fictional books and couldn't put this one down. I'm really hoping it's a series! This really drew me in and wanted to spend time finishing it. Now I'm sorry it's over!
I don't normally read fictional books and couldn't put this one down. I'm really hoping it's a series! This really drew me in and wanted to spend time finishing it. Now I'm sorry it's over!
December 1, 2023
Knowing abusive and controlling men, I had a struggle getting through this, knowing what they did mentally and physically to their wives and children. This book gave me nightmares about what the solution is.
Well, great ending.
Well, great ending.
April 22, 2020
A powerful look at the impact of pride and egotism in humans. Holman has created a main character who is thoroughly icky and yet I found myself pitying him by the end. A great first novel!
February 17, 2021
This book flows easily enough. It's easy to read, and quick to get through. It's written pretty well. But the content is another story. There isn't one likeable or relatable character in this book. The main character, Declan, is beyond the scope of normal and realistic mental illness. So much so, that the author felt the need to tell the reader that he is a narcissist. It's generally not a good sign (or technique) if the author feeds this info to the reader. You should assume your readers are intelligent!
Of course, Declan's wife is labeled a codependent. Yes, you are told this too.
But because these characters are so extreme in their flaws, there wasn't a need for the author to tell us this.
As someone who has worked with and dealt with mental illness, including my own, I find this not only unrealistic, but lacking compassion. Given a little research, it's widely known that mental illness, including NPD, exists on a spectrum. It's not likely you'd meet someone like Declan in real life. Which means, the author portrayed him this way for another reason. The question is, why? By the end of the book, this question isn't answered. It's as if there's no point, other than to hate on Declan. But, why?
Declan is very egocentric, follows after a wild delusion, (bet you can't guess from the title), at the expense of his wife and kids. Let's throw some sexual immortality in there as well to make the guy really despicable.
The poor, helpless on her own, wife of Declan is in need of rescue. But who will save the day? None other than Pastor Jack and his very wise wife. But, Declan is beyond hope. Pastor Jack has had enough of trying to help this loser. You can almost feel the contempt for Declan come off the pages when he continues to try and talk some sense into him.
As Pastor Jack says, people never change, so why would Declan? (By the way, it's a really good thing for all of us that Jesus did not believe this)
It's a foil couple, get it? Pastor and his wife are exactly what Declan and his wife are not. And yes, the reader is lead to compare these couples. Just what we all need to feel goodwill and empathy, right?
No characters in the book are fully developed. They are shallow. You don't get to know them besides the labels and their very stereotypical, albeit very far on the spectrum behavior...Or outside of this wacky tale that leads to demise. Everything the main character does is to get you to despise him more. There isn't one good thing about this guy, and you can't feel pity, because the author doesn't give him any humanistic, relatable qualities. He is only a narcissist. And that's supposed to be sad. It isn't. It makes people struggling with real mental illness angry.
wait, let's talk about The Pastor...he has an addiction to soda which is compared to someone with a real addiction. I'm serious. There's a rant in there about an addicted person and all the crappy stuff he does, due to this addiction, and it's followed up by the Pastor talking about his addiction to soda and socializing. Some people never change talk too. (I'm sorry to those suffering addiction that read this.)
By the end, the wife of Declan is safe because of Pastor Jack and his wife (mostly his wife)...Declan, well...wasn't redeemable.
I get that the author was trying to express the dangers of extreme self centeredness, but this just isn't believable in any way. It isn't supposed to be, which actually makes this whole thing worse.
I don't think most people know anyone as extreme as these characters. Maybe it should have been a horror novel?
But that's not the worst part of it. Books, especially in this genre, I'd think, cause us to feel things, and remind us of our common humanity. This doesn't do that. These characters don't have the ability to do that. One set is too busy rescuing, and the other is lost in madness. No one wins in this book, least of all the reader. The human element and compassion aren't present.
It's as if the author is writing a story he wants to remove himself from. He doesn't even want to write it. In keeping distance with the characters, and between them, in making them unreachable and unlikable, he doesn't have to see them beyond the labels he gives them. And I suspect, he doesn't want the reader to either.
it's about a narcissist and his codependent wife, who escapes the relationship because of the intervention of the pastor and his wife, who are wise and have laughable flaws. And we're to believe that it's Declan who's the narcissist?
Aside from the flow of language, this book is a big thumbs down for me.
Of course, Declan's wife is labeled a codependent. Yes, you are told this too.
But because these characters are so extreme in their flaws, there wasn't a need for the author to tell us this.
As someone who has worked with and dealt with mental illness, including my own, I find this not only unrealistic, but lacking compassion. Given a little research, it's widely known that mental illness, including NPD, exists on a spectrum. It's not likely you'd meet someone like Declan in real life. Which means, the author portrayed him this way for another reason. The question is, why? By the end of the book, this question isn't answered. It's as if there's no point, other than to hate on Declan. But, why?
Declan is very egocentric, follows after a wild delusion, (bet you can't guess from the title), at the expense of his wife and kids. Let's throw some sexual immortality in there as well to make the guy really despicable.
The poor, helpless on her own, wife of Declan is in need of rescue. But who will save the day? None other than Pastor Jack and his very wise wife. But, Declan is beyond hope. Pastor Jack has had enough of trying to help this loser. You can almost feel the contempt for Declan come off the pages when he continues to try and talk some sense into him.
As Pastor Jack says, people never change, so why would Declan? (By the way, it's a really good thing for all of us that Jesus did not believe this)
It's a foil couple, get it? Pastor and his wife are exactly what Declan and his wife are not. And yes, the reader is lead to compare these couples. Just what we all need to feel goodwill and empathy, right?
No characters in the book are fully developed. They are shallow. You don't get to know them besides the labels and their very stereotypical, albeit very far on the spectrum behavior...Or outside of this wacky tale that leads to demise. Everything the main character does is to get you to despise him more. There isn't one good thing about this guy, and you can't feel pity, because the author doesn't give him any humanistic, relatable qualities. He is only a narcissist. And that's supposed to be sad. It isn't. It makes people struggling with real mental illness angry.
wait, let's talk about The Pastor...he has an addiction to soda which is compared to someone with a real addiction. I'm serious. There's a rant in there about an addicted person and all the crappy stuff he does, due to this addiction, and it's followed up by the Pastor talking about his addiction to soda and socializing. Some people never change talk too. (I'm sorry to those suffering addiction that read this.)
By the end, the wife of Declan is safe because of Pastor Jack and his wife (mostly his wife)...Declan, well...wasn't redeemable.
I get that the author was trying to express the dangers of extreme self centeredness, but this just isn't believable in any way. It isn't supposed to be, which actually makes this whole thing worse.
I don't think most people know anyone as extreme as these characters. Maybe it should have been a horror novel?
But that's not the worst part of it. Books, especially in this genre, I'd think, cause us to feel things, and remind us of our common humanity. This doesn't do that. These characters don't have the ability to do that. One set is too busy rescuing, and the other is lost in madness. No one wins in this book, least of all the reader. The human element and compassion aren't present.
It's as if the author is writing a story he wants to remove himself from. He doesn't even want to write it. In keeping distance with the characters, and between them, in making them unreachable and unlikable, he doesn't have to see them beyond the labels he gives them. And I suspect, he doesn't want the reader to either.
it's about a narcissist and his codependent wife, who escapes the relationship because of the intervention of the pastor and his wife, who are wise and have laughable flaws. And we're to believe that it's Declan who's the narcissist?
Aside from the flow of language, this book is a big thumbs down for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2020
Excellent read, quite different from what I normally choose. Added pride in reading from an author I know personally and respect beyond words.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews