Shaving with Occam

by Jacob M. Appel

The first nineteen years of Henrietta Brigander’s life were distinguished by matchless luxury: summers at Newport and Saratoga, outings on her father’s yacht, cotillions on the dance cards of Kennedys and Vanderbilts. Then a schizophrenic break followed by a series of devastating financial setbacks left her destitute on the streets of New York City. Yet Henrietta never looks back, carving out a niche for herself as “Granny Flamingo, aka The Mad Bird Lady of East 14th Street.” But when she suspects one of her fellow psychiatric patients has been murdered, Henrietta is forced into yet another role—that of relentless detective.

270 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2022

About the author

**Please note: A limited number of complimentary electronic copies of several of my books are available for review. Please email me directly if you are interested**

Jacob M. Appel's first novel, The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up, won the Dundee International Book Award in 2012. His short story collection, Scouting for the Reaper, won the 2012 Hudson Prize. He has published short fiction in more than two hundred literary journals including Agni, Conjunctions, Gettysburg Review, Southwest Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, and West Branch. His work has been short listed for the O. Henry Award (2001), Best American Short Stories (2007, 2008), Best American Essays (2011, 2012), and received "special mention" for the Pushcart Prize in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013.

Jacob holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Brown University, an M.A. and an M.Phil. from Columbia University, an M.S. in bioethics from the Alden March Bioethics Institute of Albany Medical College, an M.D. from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, an M.F.A. in creative writing from New York University, an M.F.A. in playwriting from Queens College, an M.P.H. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He currently practices psychiatry in New York City.

Reviews

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great novel by Jacob M. Appel! A unique character-driven detective story with intelligent, thoughtful and compelling writing. The mystery is a background story to the main character "Granny Flamingo" and her past, present and future and it was very well done!

[Karen Heuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a voice-driven, character-driven detective story--luckily for us, that voice belongs to Granny Flamingo. Yes, she's in and out of mental institutions (mostly when she chooses), but she's sharp and persistent and opinionated, and when a potential lover gets killed, nothing will stop her from finding out who did it. I might go out and buy a flamingo hat. This would make a great movie.a

[anakdenesor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book kinda heavy reading. You really need to focus on the story. I love the main character. Henrietta, carving out a niche for herself as "Granny Flamingo. She have a sharp eyes. Someone that really observed for everything and with the mission to the justice. No body believe whatever she said because she’s often to be in and out in mental institution. Would you believe a person from mental institution?

[Jameson Gregg, Georgia Author of the Year · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t had this much fun reading a novel since I read John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comic novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, about 40 years ago. This murder mystery is a delightful romp through the streets and parks of New York City through the eyes of one Granny Flamingo, a homeless schizophrenic.

Precious few writers possess the intellect and ability to craft such deep, beautiful, and rich prose.

I don’t believe Ms. Flamingo is your average hobo in that Appel imbues her with uncanny intelligence. Bits and bobs of Appel’s nine post-graduate degrees are seemingly sprinkled on every page through the eyes and mind of Ms. Flamingo. Appel, a hospital emergency psychiatric physician, is in a unique position to narrate the thoughts and plight of a schizophrenic, though I believe Ms. Flamingo is a sane lady who fell on hard times. (“Feigning madness is easy enough once you get the hang of it,” she says.)

Just as the setting of New Orleans played a major role for Toole in Confederacy, New York City plays such a role for Appel in Shaving with Occam.

Rarely do I underline passages in novels (“Books are our friends,” stated one of my law school professors, “and we don’t write on our friends.”), but I couldn’t resist with this book. Every page contains underlined sentences that are smart and classic.

I highly recommend this gem of a novel.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beats me why Jacob M Appel is not better known. He certainly should be, in my opinion. All his writerly skills are in evidence in this original, unusual and extremely well-written novel. I found it a real pleasure to read from beginning to end, a gem of a novel – pitch-perfect in voice and tone, cleverly paced and expertly crafted. It’s the story of Granny Flamingo, the most unexpected amateur detective you are ever likely to come across. Granny Flamingo, or Henrietta Brigander as she was once known, scion of a once wealthy family, now reduced to living on the streets when not incarcerated in mental institutions. On one of her stays a fellow patient is murdered and Granny Flamingo is more than a tad suspicious about the circumstances. She determines to uncover the truth and we accompany her on her quest. Sharp, witty, observant and above all astute in regards to mental illness and the so-called experts who sit in judgement on sufferers, this is a book that amuses whilst it provokes thought. We root for Granny Flamingo throughout, and if superficially the book is funny and entertaining, there are nevertheless serious issues addressed here, subtly and with nuance, and it’s a book and an author I wholeheartedly recommend.