Kinmount

by Rod Carley

Rod Carley has concocted another hilarious romp behind the theatre curtain – a showdown between artistic freedom and censorship in rural Ontario. Kinmount is the last place down-and-out director Dave Middleton wants to revisit yet there he is directing an amateur production of Romeo and Juliet for an eccentric producer in farm country. And there his quixotic troubles begin. From cults to karaoke, anything that can go wrong does. In one hilarious chapter after another, Dave becomes the reluctant emissary of truth in a comic battle between artistic integrity and censorship. Add in a pesky ghost and a precocious parrot and the stage is set for a summer Kinmount won’t soon forget.

Genres: Humor

314 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2020

About the author

Grin Reaping is award-winning author Rod Carley’s highly-anticipated third book. His second novel, KINMOUNT, won the Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction from the 2021 Independent Publishers Book Awards and was one of ten books longlisted for the 2021 Leacock Medal for Humour. His first novel, A Matter of Will, was a finalist for the Northern Lit Award for Fiction. His short stories and creative non-fiction have appeared in Cloud Lake Literary, Blank Spaces Magazine, Broadview Magazine, the anthology 150 Years Up North and More, the Carter V. Cooper 2022 Short Fiction Anthology, and HighGrader Magazine. Rod was short-listed for 2021 Exile Quarterly’s Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction Prize. He is an alumnus of the Humber School for Writers and resides in North Bay, ON. www.rodcarley.ca.

Reviews

[Robert Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Within these pages there's a separate essay on the staging and history of Romeo and Juliet which was fascinating. It was the most interesting part of the book. Trouble was that the essay tended to bog down the forward motion of the plot, not that the plot had much forward motion to begin with.
I'm not a fan of really broad humour so perhaps this just wasn't for me. Read the first page. If you pee yourself laughing then perhaps this is the book for you. Or you have a bladder infection.

[Brooke Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinmount was a hoot. To give “full disclosure” as they say, I am a Canadian actor, living in Ontario, (and a hockey fan). I realized early on that my cheeks were aching from smiling as I read. The humour is sometimes delightfully silly, in a playful pun kind of way, but there’s a good deal of wry and self-deprecating humour, often specific to Canadian culture as well. I laughed out loud at the woes of the protagonist’s step-father, who “had lost everything betting against the Leafs in ’67.”
There’s crackling energy on every page, and the book is packed with insights into Shakespeare’s texts and life, with always fascinating and often juicy tidbits from other corners of history—from kooky Dionysian rituals to hints of highly possible pub conversations between Shakespeare and Cervantes, to Elizabeth I’s dancercise routine. I didn’t expect to learn so many crazy fun details, while reading this. Coming across one of these nuggets was like finding a chocolate in my Christmas stocking.
Fitting for our present time of Covid 19, there are rich references to the fact that Romeo & Juliet was “the first play to be produced in London, after the Black Death of 1592 to 1594 wiped out close to a third of the population”; that “all the Theatres were shut down for three years.” Phew. It’s astonishing to realize how we can now truly relate to this fact (luckily minus the scabs and boils…). (Rod Carley’s historical-cultural curiosity and often arcane knowledge makes me think he’d be fantastic at digging further into the plague theme, and make an adaptation of The Decameron. In his hands it would be great fun and easily readable for our modern sensibilities… and insensiblilities…).
Kinmount is essentially about a small town theatre production with local amateurs and a couple of theatre school graduates brought up from the city. As a Theatre person, I’ve known these characters in the flesh, and worked with most of them, and I recognize (and yearn for) the sweaty sense of doom and deep regret that can come before the various hitherto unfathomable, fragile elements are coaxed, or wrestled, into a vital, ephemeral creation that unfolds in front of an audience.
As our own Theatres have been closed for about nine months so far (with no re-opening in sight) it is a great joy to be in the company of fellow theatre-folk again…these misfits, vagabonds, Artists, who—despite physical threats, censorship, small-mindedness and intrigue—breathe dangerous, raunchy, blood-filled life into their small-Ontario-town ‘Romeo & Juliet’, (Three Shows Only!) almost 450 years after the play was first performed.
This book was great fun.

[Heidi Palleske · Rating 5 out of 5]

To open the covers of Kinmount, is to enter a world of theatre, mayhem, magic and small-town hijinks. Rod Carley’s masterful novel moves at a page-turning turbo-speed, fueled by razor-sharp wit, unexpected twists and turns, and a cast of characters that leap right off the page. In Carley’s capable hands we discover Shakespeare all over again, in a personal and profound way, while we experience the humanity shared within a close community. It’s an inside look at the passion of theatre, even as it is brought to a small-town; its players and audience all citizens of KInmout. Through his lead character, Dave Middleton, a theatre director who seemed to have looked over Jordan but never made it to the Promised Land, we get to balance the sublime with the mundane, the ludicrous with the poignant and the great sense of love of the theatre even as we feel the loss that the show must ultimately end. That same loss I felt as I came to the last page of this brilliantly crafted novel. Carley uses theatre as a metaphor for life in all its beauty and ephemeral being. Through humour, snappy dialogue and insight, Carley gives takes us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is entertaining. Kinmount is a perfect CANLIT novel… but fasten your seatbelts because this work is a wild ride from start to finish.

Thanks you Latitude 46 Publishing for giving ma an advance copy for a fair and honest review.

[Rod Carley]

Drew Hayden Taylor

If you work in theatre, you'll love this book. If you've spent any serious time in small town Ontario, you'll get this book. If you simply like fun writing that makes you smirk and quite possibly snort out loud, this is definitely your book. Carley's view of all these things is truly a delight to witness. I've driven through Kinmount twice but next time, I'm tempted to stop and see if the town is actually as interesting as it seems in the book. Shadflies, Shakespeare, and megalomaniac community censors don't seem as terrifying as I remember. All I can say is it's a tale of sound and fury signifying a delightful homage to community theatre.

[Hume Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rod Carley’s new novel Kinmount is a romp; it also partakes of elements of the picaresque, although its protagonist, director Dave Middleton, is not a ‘rogue’ except in his roguish and dogged determination to get his work onstage against all the odds, and, although the book is set almost entirely in the small Ontario town of Kinmount, its range is considerable. Carley considers ancient Greek theatre, the Furies, Elizabethan England, Shakespeare’s life and work, and life in small town Ontario, travelling with alacrity from place to place and time to time.
The book begins when Dave is asked by Lola Whale, ‘aging Renaissance woman’ to direct a community production of Romeo & Juliet at a summer festival in Kinmount. Against his better judgement, he ends up agreeing to do it. Much of the comedy in the book (and there is plenty) comes from Carley’s sharply-observed depiction of the foibles of the amateur company (with two professionals hired to play the title characters) he assembles, and the distance between the intentions of the actors and their results. Another attractive feature of the novel is that Carley lets us in on Dave’s thoughts about the play and his plans for the production, and shows him executing them in rehearsal with the company. I found these elements among the most compelling, because Dave is smart and his thoughts on theatre are informative and interesting.
True to novels about theatre productions, Dave’s show arouses various kinds of local opposition and the body of the novel is concerned with his heroic, fly by night, teeth-gritting efforts to meet every obstacle as it comes up and overcome it. I don’t want to do any plot-spoilers here, but one character emerges as the necessary villain, and she is a formidable opponent. This battle with the local forces of censorship and misunderstanding affords Carley a chance to examine theatre art, and Dave articulates the book’s defense and celebration of the form.
Carley has a real gift for creating character: there is a really enjoyable group of oddballs in the book, and his eye for the telling detail brings even the smaller characters to immediate life. Dave is a somewhat hapless, self-deprecating and charming protagonist and the novel’s interspersing of elements of theory and theatre history with the plot is skillfully done.
I like books about the theatre, and Kinmount is a good one, a really fun, easy read, and at 316 pages, just the right length. It has lots of hijinks, philosophy, art, and even a hint of the supernatural. In this time of theatres being closed, it is a reminder that theatre endures, adapts, is cunning, and triumphs in the end.

[Jennifer M. Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Rod Carley’s new book, eccentric community theatre producer, Lola Whale, envisions “Shakespeare for families” to be performed for a summer festival in the small town of Kinmount and invites an out-of-towner, reluctant realist Dave Middleton, to direct Romeo and Juliet.

Dave’s curmudgeonly attitude is evident in his acerbic criticism of small town Ontario. But when shadfly season in his hometown of Birch Lake makes a stint in Kinmount the lesser of two evils, he agrees to Lola’s proposition and takes the job.

With a host of misfit characters cast in the production, author Rod Carley tells a humorous story that both entertains and enlightens: while Dave the weary pessimist negotiates zany small-town politics, modern-day “Furies” and his own gut instinct (Listen! it often demands), he carefully exercises his craft, subtly exposing the directorial process of interpreting Shakespeare’s work.

When the play is considered too bawdy for family-friendly theatre, Dave is plunged into controversy. Changes to the script are demanded and Dave is forced to take a stand. Will modern-day political correctness censor Shakespeare? Or will original intent and artistic integrity win out?

Thrust into a position of defending his passion – theatre and artistic expression – Dave’s character shines when he stands up for what he believes in declaring, “All I have in my life is my artistic integrity, it’s the one thing I like about myself.”

I enjoyed Rod Carley’s way with a play and his many a masterly play on words.

With a long career in theatre himself, perhaps it’s not surprising that Rod is a master at writing dialogue. Creating witty banter among a sizeable cast of characters, he impressively distinguishes his cast, each with their own tone of voice, and carries the story in a large part by dialogue alone.

Rod cannily crafts parallel storylines – that of the play and the characters in Kinmount. Just as the play is not what it seems (Romeo & Juliet is not a love story Dave insists), the eccentric Lola is not what she seems either. The protagonist’s character develops alongside Romeo. While the pressure to "be a man" got to Romeo, so too does the pressure get to Dave, as he rushes to defend his play and his artistic integrity from the forces that seek to destroy it.

You’ll learn much about Romeo & Juliet that you never knew and much about the Bard himself.

Kinmount is sure to delight anyone who appreciates live theatre, great dialogue and a sharp sense of wit.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

This was a nice quirky little comedy, not quite the laugh riot suggested by the blurb but worth a few smiles. The author knows a LOT about Shakespeare and the classics in general. Some may object to the amount of information divulged to the reader but I found it interesting. Still, if you object to information dumps you'd be better reading something else. There are a number of generic cultural references tucked away inside so I was left wondering if the author took the name Lola, the apparent villain, from the movie/play Damn Yankees. That will remain a mystery.

I listened to the audio version but I think print might have been better for this one. The readers were good. It's just with the number of characters and the amount of dialog I think I'd have preferred to create the voices in my imagination.

I'm not certain who the target audience is for this book. Initially I thought it was for Gen Z but then the characters from that generation came across as decidedly unimpressive. Initially the author, through the main character, adopts the young urban manner of sneering at small town life but once the author arrives in Kinmount the author backs off.

The central conflict revolves around the issue of censorship by those who are politically correct, specifically of Shakespeare's works. I don't remember anyone ever criticizing Romeo and Juliet so it seemed a bit of a stretch to have Lola convinced it was going to harm the children. Had he selected The Merchant of Venice he would have had a book which had been censored quite a bit in recent years.

The author is so enthusiastic about Shakespeare I think I might listen to the audio recordings of a few plays. I'm pretty sure I've read most of them but he makes a point of suggesting real appreciation can only come from hearing the words.

In general I liked the book. The ending was a little rushed it seemed and there was a very late plot twist which, while interesting, wasn't really developed sufficiently. Nevertheless, I think most people can find the book enjoyable.

[Chris Gibson]

“KINMOUNT, Rod Carley's new novel, is in truth, a gloriously offbeat vacation disguised as a book.
Its collection of oddball characters endeared themselves to me in a big way.

Foremost amongst these is Dave Middleton, a man trying hard to refuse a directing job in Kinmount, Ontario. There's some prior history there, but as life would have it, “Romeo and Juliet” and the town of Kinmount are the only way forward for Dave's star-crossed career. With resignation, he submits to whatever force seems to be pushing him in that direction.

Unfortunately, things continue to deteriorate once he arrives. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong it seems to Dave's growing disgruntlement and our total delight. Anyone involved in show business knows this to be a recurrent real-life theme. Remember the ever optimistic theatre impresario from "Shakespeare in Love," whose constant pronouncement was, "It'll all turn out alright." Will that also be Dave's fate in Kinmount? Part of the fun is not knowing.

Dave's trials and tribulations are a comic goldmine and Carley skillfully mines them. At the same time we feel compassion for his characters' dilemmas. During the hilarity we also encounter penetrating and thought-provoking messages concerning censorship, artistic and moral integrity, mental illness, Shakespeare's first folio and the enormous blessings that art in general and theatre specifically, provide for our society. Carley draws us effortlessly into this small community of eccentrics, and we are ultimately charmed by even its most outlandish individuals and their outrageous antics. All of this is deftly accomplished while the witty dialogue and brisk timing carry us toward the final curtain.

I confess that when the time came for Dave to finally depart Kinmount, I realized that I wanted to stay on for awhile longer and perhaps even settle down there.”

[Michelle St-Onge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this novel a week ago, opened it and carried it around with me for two days. I was so taken in with it I did not want to put it down. I would have been finished sooner, but my dog had to have surgery and I forgot it at home in the tumult to get him in the car. Dating back no doubt to the fact that his sister went to the vet’s last year and never came back into the van…

Rod has always been a specialist in aiming just the right metaphor at every occasion…not unlike a gunslinger with a Gatling gun in each holster… I was prepared for that. What I wasn’t prepared for was how close to home these metaphors were for me. Also how events in the novel were running parallel to events I experienced. This is the magic and empathy Rod has with his audience. He connects with us through his characters in very personal ways, by shared experiences whether physical or dare I say spiritual.

His characters are richly portrayed with just the right amount of vulnerability to make us lean forward and pulled into their drama. They are familiar to us. We interact with these types in our lives and share or try to avoid them as the occasion arises.
What I particularly loved was that he did not give us explanations as to why certain of his characters where the way they were…of note Lola. I love that there is still mystery surrounding her and what makes her tick. I would have been so disappointed if he would have explained her behaviour as dependant on the midichlorian count she possesses. Pick this novel up, grab a glass of wine, put your feet up and be prepared to laugh out loud,to be enthralled by the people of Kinmount(an unfortunate name..lol) for a great read.

[Dave Carley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should begin this review by stating that although the author and I share a surname, we are not related. Rod is apparently the descendant of sheep-stealers. My predecessors had a more loving relationship with even-toed ungulates.

My non-cousin has written one hugely funny book. If you are in theatre - either as spectator or (foolishly) more deeply involved; if you have ever lived in or driven through an Ontario small town; if you have made love to someone north of Highway 7 and come to understand the intrusive curiosity of shadflies... 'Kinmount' is going to make you howl with laughter.

A down-on-his-luck director named Dave (again, no relation) is invited to elevate a small town with a summertime production of 'Romeo and Juliet'. Against his better judgement, he goes - and casts his play with a range of local characters. Rehearsals progress fairly smoothly until the Producer turns on Dave and tries to sabotage the production. What follows is a warm-hearted, hot-headed account of what happens when Art is confronted by Philistines.

Rod Carley is a well-known director and he generously shares his love and knowledge of Shakespeare in this romp. I learned a lot, even as I laughed my way through 'Kinmount'.

[Ilana Waldston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Rod Carley's hilarious second novel, "Kinmount", hard to put down. It was both entertaining and quite educational, laying bare the secrets behind Shakespearean theatre production while telling a very character-driven personal tale. The story centers on a "down-and-out" director, Dave Middleton, who has been hired by a rather eccentric producer to mount an amateur production of "Romeo and Juliet" in her rural Ontario town. With two seasoned actors imported from the city to play the lead roles, the rest of the cast is made up of townfolk, from a respected judge to a couple of stoners and everything in between.

Anything that can possibly go wrong in the process does, threatening not only the production, but some lives as well. Dave has to do battle with the forces of censorship, budget limitations, extreme weather, his own demons and even a little supernatural interference. Mr. Carley's writing is clever, with some creative descriptions that waver between very informative high-minded passages and total comic farce with a little wicked punning along the way. The combination of interesting characters, suspense and humour makes the novel memorable and would make an excellent movie.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I’m not sure where to begin. It starts off with hilarious quips and oh so innocently...you know, just a novel about Dave, a middle aged down-on-his-luck director, in some small Ontario town putting on Romeo & Juliet in the hot summer. And then it turns. In the most wonderful of ways. Relationships deepen and the conflict...well, it goes off the small town rails. All in a fun way. And by then you're along for the ride, and you’re not sure if it can end well for Dave and his group of misfit performers.

One chapter reads like a romantic Salt Water Moon scene (the ‘roof’ chapter, my favourite of the bunch)...and the next like Fargo Season 2, when the town is not as innocent as it seemed. I mean - there was that arson that may have been murder a few years ago.

And in between all the beauty and mystical conflict, are one-liners and witty observations that will bring a smile to your face. And I also loved that all throughout Dave is teaching about Shakespeare’s first folio and Greek theater origins - dare I say, you may learn something here folks!

Rod has weaved a fun and special tale. I highly recommend it. To live is to laugh, think, and feel. While reading KINMOUNT, you’ll be living for sure.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this is another wild ride of a novel brought to us by the prodigious talent of Rod Carley and his intimate relationship with all things Shakespeare and the world of small town summer theatre. Anyone who has ever been involved with theatre in any way will find lots to relate to and, considering the current Covid world, pine nostalgically for here. Our hero, Dave Middleton, works valiantly to produce a production of Romeo and Juliet with the local Kinmount players and contrary to the wishes of the original producer who decides early on that Dave’s vision of the play using the First Folio is too vulgar and violent. You won’t believe the sometimes hysterical, sometimes terrifying lengths this producer goes in order to sabotage Dave’s production. There is a rich panoply of hilarious and finely-drawn characters here, most of whom valiantly assist Dave in trying to save the show. Like his first book, Carley fills this novel with a series of bright surprises and I found myself entirely seduced by our hero, Dave, and his ragged band of thespians and assorted townsfolk. This warm, funny book about the many adventures involved in creating live theatre has never been needed more than now. Read on!

[Lucinda Tooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author and theatre director Rod Carley knows his First Folio Shakespeare, and he incorporates a lot of his knowledge into his new novel, Kinmount. His protagonist, Dave, heads to the small northern Ontario town of Kinmount to direct an amateur production of "Romeo and Juliet" with only a few misgivings. His rehearsal plans are hilariously upset, as the weather and a (possibly) certifiable producer hamper his efforts at every step. Each actor has, um, "baggage" that makes their particular interpretation of their character unique, and Dave helps each one find the motivation and rhythm of their speech. As the novel unfolds, readers learn more about Dave and his previous theatre experiences, which he is forced to unearth and re-examine if he wishes to triumph. Start the novel because you are a theatre fan, but finish it because you want to know if BJ can carry on without his parrot puppet, Chickpea. Full disclosure: Rod and I performed together in a high school production of Leonard Bernstein's "Wonderful Town". He was Frank Lippincott to my Eileen.

[Kaily Schell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a theatre nerd, I adored this book. If you’re a lit nerd who lacks theatre exposure, the plot structure may throw you off. Action really picks up after Act 1, and it’s well worth the read, so hang in there. In Carley’s zany Kinmount, creative integrity battles society’s ever growing propensity for moral censorship. This book looks at rural culture, Romeo & Juliet, and the downstream impacts of the modern, algorithmic echo chamber of online censorship. It was very thought provoking. I would have loved deeper character development from the possibly too-large (though proportional to theatre) ensemble cast.

After seeing Rod Carley in a hometown production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” when I was a teenager, this practically sang to me from the library shelf. As someone who studied theatre in London and had the opportunity to tour The Globe it was a match made in heaven. I’m super geeked out on this one.

[Carrie Schiffler]

Carley makes Shakespeare fun!
Throughout theatre school I didn't have the interest or patience to decode the bards old fashioned speak. Much like the rag tag cast of wannabe actors in Kinmount, I too was a hard core bard-o-phobe.
What a relief to finally understand something with Shakespearian content! Throughout the pages of this hilarious romp, Carley flexes his teaching muscles and layers in fascinating historical and literary facts. Because of this I have a new found appreciation for the 'classics.'
Don't get me wrong, Kinmount, in no way reads like a textbook. It is a laugh out loud comedy with enough bizarre and even some paranormal twists to keep you breathlessly turning the pages.
My only beef is that he didn't credit Burks Falls for sporting the town logo, 'Where Everybody is a Somebody.'
That was our motto for years, Carley!!!

[Andrew Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rod Carley's KINMOUNT is a fictional tell-tale expose of a directors life in Northern Ontario. David Middleton is asked by a small town producer to direct Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, in the local park. He begrudgingly accepts the task and faces a ménage of never-ending and often hilarious challenges, that fall into the realm of the absurd. Dave's mad attempt to explore art and meaning, in a rural and seemingly dead end town, force him to question his own sanity. His mind dances with anecdotes and insights from Shakespeare's life and works, amid the hell of bugs, goose droppings, eccentrics, ghosts, small town minds and an array of motely characters. The story is both entertaining and enlightening for anyone with a love of the classics, Shakespeare or simply a desire for madcap adventure. A wonderful read!!!

[Andrew Dolha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pick up a copy of Rod Carley’s newest book ‘Kinmount’. You won’t be disappointed as you are drawn into the hilarious world of an amateur production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ directed by Dave Middleton in the small town of Kinmount. Middleton,a passionate, well educated but frustrated director, who, despite the compromises he is forced to take, pushes his deep insight and love of Shakespeare into the minds and souls of his rag-tag cast. The narrative clips apace, inhabited by believable and comically flawed characters that you cannot help but like. The novel is peppered with wry observations about life in a small Canadian town, complete with erratic shadflies and the inherent highs and lows of creating theatre when the odds of success are not in your favour. An enjoyable read from start to finish.

[Derrick Chua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting with director Dave Middleton reluctantly agreeing to direct an amateur production of Romeo and Juliet in rural Ontario with a local cast from the town (except for the leads - "So you bring in a couple of theatre school grads who'll jump at the opportunity..."), I had a great time reading this flashing back to summer stock stories and experiences, reflecting on battles between artistic integrity and censorship, while enjoying the story of a summer of theatre in Kinmount, Ontario. This was such an entertaining read, but also with its thoughtful and thought-provoking moments. Feels ideal for anyone who has any experience with summer stock or community theatre and Shakespeare, but suspect most people who have enjoyed any kind of theatre experience would get a kick out of this one.

[Eric McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is nonstop funny from front to back! If you have ever been involved in any kind of theatre production this will absolutely resonate as you recognize many of the personalities from the community (a little large than life in this version). If you have never been involved in theatre this will peel back the curtain and give you a look at the psychological acrobatics required to put on that polished show you see when the curtain rises. On top of the wonderfully enjoyable read, Rod Carley manages to provide the reader with an understanding of Shakespeare, his time and his plays in the most entertaining way. Grab a copy and lose yourself, it's tough to put down!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a witty, warm hearted jaunt that had me smiling and often laughing out loud. Rod Carley's pace and language kept me engaged and connected to the many jovial and wacky, small town characters he depicts with humour and humanity. He gives us a glimpse into "the full catastrophe", to quote Zorba the Greek, of human nature, creativity and interaction. If you appreciate live theatre (professional or otherwise!), humour, Shakespeare, nature and the ebb and flow of rural life, then I bet you will enjoy the story and characters that Carley has created. Definitely a book to buy for yourself and or as a gift.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really good time with this book, not just because it reminded me of some of the interesting nuances of small towns in Ontario (which I'm intimately familiar with), but also because of the way the story interweaves contextual elements from both the theatrical world and the world of Shakespeare.

Carly not only shared a fresh and humorous story that I enjoyed, but he did it in a way that brought back fond personal memories of days spent both on stage and behind the scenes, as well as insights about the life and works of Shakespeare.

Reading this makes me want to go back and read his previous work.

[Miles Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rod Carley's romp through the world of small town theatrical life will be a delight for anyone interested in theatre, small towns, eccentric characters, laughing or finding a way to painlessly gain an insight into Shakespeare and the people who attempt him, keeping in mind the adage that 'we all fail Shakespeare'. Also, in case anyone cares, this novel hits awfully close to home for those of us who have attempted to navigate the treacherous waters of small town theatre. Rod Carley knows of which he speaks.

[Blair Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rod Carley has written a ripping, romantic, ribald and revelatory romp - a hilarious and twisted take on the eternal tale of a misfit "company of players" finding their place in the world, overcoming both practical and other-wordly adversity, and forging that most ephemeral of things - the collective conspiracy that makes a memorable, even triumphant theatrical production. If you have ever put your shoulder to the wheel of creation against all odds, you will share my joy in reading Kinmount.

[Ted Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinmount is smart and fun!

I quite enjoyed Rod's first novel, "A Matter of Will"-- which was funny and insightful. It had elements of fantasy and heist, packaged with great humour and human warmth. But Rod's really hit his stride with "Kinmount." His word craft is sophisticated and smooth, his wit is punchy and original. The narrative is warm and engaging-- a real page-turner!

"A Matter of Will" was up for a Northern Lit Award-- "Kinmount" will take awards, I have no doubt.

[Ted Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased Kinmount a few weeks ago. It was a wonderful read, with great writing, abundant laugh-out-loud moments, a terrific cast of characters, and a more-than-timely story in these days when the arts, and live performance in particular, are under siege. Rod Carley's love and knowledge of Shakespeare are evident throughout. I often felt I was taking a theatre course as well as reading a novel, and I mean that in a good way! I learned a lot. Highly recommended!

[Joanne Bernier · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his second novel, Rod Carley follows the adventures of David Middleton, a small-town theatre director, who encounters one crazy roadblock after another, as he attempts to direct "Romeo and Juliet," Rod weaves his extensive knowledge of the classics and Shakespeare into the hilarious antics which ensue.

Let's hope David Middleton will continue to keep us entertained with many more of his hilarious stories

[M. Ta · Rating 5 out of 5]

KINMOUNT is a blast to read. It's fast-paced, engaging, and laugh out loud of funny. If you're not a theatre person, be prepared to enter the crazy world of small town drama in all it's hilarious glory. And if you ARE a theatre person, beware: you'll be wincing (and cheering on) a lot of familiar faces. Get thee to a bookstore and order!

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the lively, humorous style of Tom Sharpe, Rod Carley's story of a professional theatre director's struggle to produce a community Shakespeare production in small town Ontario hit the mark for me. Funny, engaging - and as someone who used to run an outdoor Shakespeare festival in a small town, there were many similarities to my own experiences! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Joan]

Congratulations, Rod, I finished your terrific book this morning....what a wild romp through Shakespeare, professional theatre and community theatre. The rapier wit and turns of phrases balanced by characters we've all known in one way or shape kept me swooning with laughter. Well done and I wish you tons of well deserved success.