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Shattered
When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.
-Eckhart Tolle
Mikey Haskell thought he figured it out. After six months on the road, realization that his best friend, Alaine, was his soul mate. But memories of the painful breakup with his ex-fiancée, Karen, fractured his heart. To escape the emotional conflict, he borrows the mantra of hecklers and slowly transforms his stage persona, and eventually his private life, to an animal existence. A caveman that threatens to shatter his very world into turmoil.
Will he realize what is happening to him? Can he pull himself out of the desperate delusion before it is too late? Is the relationship between him and Alaine destroyed forever?
Follow the lonely, overweight giant as he fights for his standup comedic career and travels from the edge of sanity to the unknown.
SHATTERED - A true journey from the edge of sanityFrom the imagination of Thomas Cannon comes an adventure truly unique - a look into the back room of the entertainment industry of Stand Up Comedians.
-Eckhart Tolle
Mikey Haskell thought he figured it out. After six months on the road, realization that his best friend, Alaine, was his soul mate. But memories of the painful breakup with his ex-fiancée, Karen, fractured his heart. To escape the emotional conflict, he borrows the mantra of hecklers and slowly transforms his stage persona, and eventually his private life, to an animal existence. A caveman that threatens to shatter his very world into turmoil.
Will he realize what is happening to him? Can he pull himself out of the desperate delusion before it is too late? Is the relationship between him and Alaine destroyed forever?
Follow the lonely, overweight giant as he fights for his standup comedic career and travels from the edge of sanity to the unknown.
SHATTERED - A true journey from the edge of sanityFrom the imagination of Thomas Cannon comes an adventure truly unique - a look into the back room of the entertainment industry of Stand Up Comedians.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2021
7 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Cannon
3 books37 followersIn August 2021, Thomas Cannon was selected as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Oshkosh, WI. He is the author of the books The Tao of Apathy and Shattered. With his essay “Part of the Gift,” Cannon was the lead contributor to Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children With Autism. His poems and short stories have been published in various journals such as Midwestern Gothic and Corvus Review. Thomas is active in the Oshkosh writing community, having helped establish the Lakefly Writers Conference. He and his wife have three children and two grandkids.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2021
Mikey Haskell starts out as a likable 'everyman' character, but events in his life cause him to change into an unrecognizable being. This was an engrossing read that kept me up late. I found the settings, characters, and dialogue believable, and it was interesting to see how events can affect one's reality as well as their very identity.
December 9, 2021
Shattered is one of the most powerful novels I’ve read in years.
It’s the story of Mikey Haskell, an oversized man in the vein of Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces or Quoyle in Annie Proux's Shipping News.
All Mikey has ever wanted is to be a comedian, but nobody starts out as a Vegas headliner—you start out playing for pennies in dive bars and strip clubs, you live on cigarettes and fast food, and you get heckled by drunks. One night a drunk calls the 6’6, overweight Mikey “Bigfoot.” It’s a turning point for Mikey, who has always been ashamed of his size. Still seething over the insult, Mikey turns into an animal on stage— growling, prowling, and destroying props. This impulsive act becomes the catalyst for the fame he’s been seeking; suddenly he’s being booked as “The Animal” and playing to cheering crowds. What started out as depression in the wake of a failed relationship spins into full blown psychosis. Mikey is drinking and smoking too much, driving his friends away, and suffering hallucinations. Carried away in his onstage role, he humiliates the woman he loves; as a result she takes out a restraining order against him.
Mikey is a sympathetic character, but during his breakdown, as he stalks the women in his life, I found my heart pounding and feared for the women’s safety as well as for Mikey’s own sanity. This well-written story is one of the most intense descriptions of the delusional thinking associated with a mental breakdown I’ve ever encountered—it totally engrossed me. The dialog is sharp; the characters are offbeat and interesting, and the plot kept me guessing.
It’s the story of Mikey Haskell, an oversized man in the vein of Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces or Quoyle in Annie Proux's Shipping News.
All Mikey has ever wanted is to be a comedian, but nobody starts out as a Vegas headliner—you start out playing for pennies in dive bars and strip clubs, you live on cigarettes and fast food, and you get heckled by drunks. One night a drunk calls the 6’6, overweight Mikey “Bigfoot.” It’s a turning point for Mikey, who has always been ashamed of his size. Still seething over the insult, Mikey turns into an animal on stage— growling, prowling, and destroying props. This impulsive act becomes the catalyst for the fame he’s been seeking; suddenly he’s being booked as “The Animal” and playing to cheering crowds. What started out as depression in the wake of a failed relationship spins into full blown psychosis. Mikey is drinking and smoking too much, driving his friends away, and suffering hallucinations. Carried away in his onstage role, he humiliates the woman he loves; as a result she takes out a restraining order against him.
Mikey is a sympathetic character, but during his breakdown, as he stalks the women in his life, I found my heart pounding and feared for the women’s safety as well as for Mikey’s own sanity. This well-written story is one of the most intense descriptions of the delusional thinking associated with a mental breakdown I’ve ever encountered—it totally engrossed me. The dialog is sharp; the characters are offbeat and interesting, and the plot kept me guessing.
March 26, 2022
“Shattered” by Thomas Cannon was a great read and a wonderful surprise. The book chronicles the life of Mikey Haskell, a struggling comedian whose life is quickly falling apart. Cannon skillfully shows us how each layer unravels. The author exposes a frightening synergy of problems haunting Mikey‘s world, vividly illustrating his deteriorating relationships. The story is set in the mid to late 1990s in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The author shows us the hellish night clubs and dives a beginning comic has to suffer through to make it big. One can almost smell the stale smoke and the mustiness of these places.
Mikey suffers an identity crisis which is really a crisis of meaning in his life. He’s desperately trying to build his career as a comedian. It’s a story about a broken, deteriorating man slowly realizing that the path that he’s chosen is not a wise one. I found myself cheering for Mikey even though he seemed on the edge of collapse most of the time.
Cannon is a great writer who paints a picture so very well. He made me feel like I was living the life of Mikey Haskell. Coincidentally, when I was in my late 20s I lived in the Twin Cities (in the late 80’s and early 90s) and could relate to many of the landmarks that Cannon mentions in the novel. It made me think of the rough start that I had in life, making me even more empathetic to Mikey’s struggle.
I highly recommend this very good book. Bravo Thomas Cannon!
Mikey suffers an identity crisis which is really a crisis of meaning in his life. He’s desperately trying to build his career as a comedian. It’s a story about a broken, deteriorating man slowly realizing that the path that he’s chosen is not a wise one. I found myself cheering for Mikey even though he seemed on the edge of collapse most of the time.
Cannon is a great writer who paints a picture so very well. He made me feel like I was living the life of Mikey Haskell. Coincidentally, when I was in my late 20s I lived in the Twin Cities (in the late 80’s and early 90s) and could relate to many of the landmarks that Cannon mentions in the novel. It made me think of the rough start that I had in life, making me even more empathetic to Mikey’s struggle.
I highly recommend this very good book. Bravo Thomas Cannon!
December 6, 2021
Shattered takes you into the life of a man broken by love; love of self, romantic love and the love of a good friend. The definition of each of these means different things to everyone, and if taken out of context can drive a person to the brink of madness, as it does in this book. Cannon exposes the hardships of a midwestern stand-up comic's life on the road while dealing with the inner struggles of self-worth, the voice of the inner critic and a deep longing for acceptance and stability. A tragic story of despair, redemption and ultimately, hope.
December 17, 2021
The beauty of this novel is that on top of the fabulous characterization, simple, eloquent and evocative writing— the sad elements are balanced brilliantly with a quick-witted humor and a fast-moving pace. The novel cleverly uses Mikey’s (the protagonist) return home as a way to seamlessly reveal more about the characters and Mikey himself. He isn’t explicitly sentimental, but he does carry feelings of nostalgia as he drives with his little sister around the neighborhood, recalling painful high school memories, his yearnings for escape and even his initial meetings with Alaine’s parents. Who doesn’t love a good blast from the past? Yet the thing that adds to the story’s profundity is how we see in these memories how he is continually misjudged. Looked down upon and made fun of. His weight plays a big factor in this novel. It bites at him and the imagery to describe is saddening and hilarious— often simultaneously.
“The same mind that tells me gas station fruit pies are still fruit tells me to jog, but I don’t want someone to laugh at the sight of me and make me their joke.”
I read this novel in one sitting, where my surroundings completely fell away. Just me and Mikey. A character deeply wounded by the world, motivated by a steadfast will that wants to prove people wrong. His quest to win Alaine, his best friend’s heart evokes both pity and awe. The voices of his inner-demons that drive the self-doubt and insecurities of his weight, his career, his loneliness is expressed with such moving integrity— you feel as though you’re there with him, in his mind. The theme of loneliness permeates throughout the novel and a light, but poignant picture is painted of a man who sees himself against the world. The fact that he’s a stand-up comedian speaks greatly to this idea. The idea of masking the pain that’s been inflicted on you with clever pick-ups and jests when actually you’re laughing at where when they leave the stage it’s real and not a joke anymore.
“There are sad things in this world, and I am one of them. Even the beautiful things, such as the red-faced girl who is now swinging around a light pole, are in danger of being swallowed up. My throat tightens as she runs to the steps of her house.”
It makes you question your own behavior towards people and to respect the demons that live in people’s heads. This book is must-read.
“The same mind that tells me gas station fruit pies are still fruit tells me to jog, but I don’t want someone to laugh at the sight of me and make me their joke.”
I read this novel in one sitting, where my surroundings completely fell away. Just me and Mikey. A character deeply wounded by the world, motivated by a steadfast will that wants to prove people wrong. His quest to win Alaine, his best friend’s heart evokes both pity and awe. The voices of his inner-demons that drive the self-doubt and insecurities of his weight, his career, his loneliness is expressed with such moving integrity— you feel as though you’re there with him, in his mind. The theme of loneliness permeates throughout the novel and a light, but poignant picture is painted of a man who sees himself against the world. The fact that he’s a stand-up comedian speaks greatly to this idea. The idea of masking the pain that’s been inflicted on you with clever pick-ups and jests when actually you’re laughing at where when they leave the stage it’s real and not a joke anymore.
“There are sad things in this world, and I am one of them. Even the beautiful things, such as the red-faced girl who is now swinging around a light pole, are in danger of being swallowed up. My throat tightens as she runs to the steps of her house.”
It makes you question your own behavior towards people and to respect the demons that live in people’s heads. This book is must-read.
December 25, 2021
Cannon's newest work, Shattered, depicts a stand up comedian's struggle to cope with his relationships with women in his life, particularly his best friend and his ex-fiance.
Main character Mikey struggles with body image issues and a strained relationship with the notion of God. While dealing with these issues (and more), Mikey eventually embraces the idea of devolving into an animal after being repeatedly heckled for his beast-like appearance (especially after he stops shaving, etc.). This leads to success in his stand-up, being billed almost as performance art, but it pushes Mikey to mistreat all women in his life.
Cannon's portrayal of Mikey successfully illustrates the struggle and failure of a character to accept personal rejection. The portrayal also illustrates the ways in which audiences consume performance and performer as commodity, and such performance may lead a self-obsessed, neurotic (limited) understanding of others, as Mikey experiences throughout. As a character, Mikey never fully adopts the forgiving new testament version of God. Instead, he seeks revenge and this drives much of the novel, often reminding me of a more socially acceptable (and less repulsive) version of McCarthy's Child of God.
Cannon's best work so far, in my opinion, particularly in his ability to use foil characters to reveal Mikey and his needs for growth and improvement. Mikey struggles and we are there right with him.
Main character Mikey struggles with body image issues and a strained relationship with the notion of God. While dealing with these issues (and more), Mikey eventually embraces the idea of devolving into an animal after being repeatedly heckled for his beast-like appearance (especially after he stops shaving, etc.). This leads to success in his stand-up, being billed almost as performance art, but it pushes Mikey to mistreat all women in his life.
Cannon's portrayal of Mikey successfully illustrates the struggle and failure of a character to accept personal rejection. The portrayal also illustrates the ways in which audiences consume performance and performer as commodity, and such performance may lead a self-obsessed, neurotic (limited) understanding of others, as Mikey experiences throughout. As a character, Mikey never fully adopts the forgiving new testament version of God. Instead, he seeks revenge and this drives much of the novel, often reminding me of a more socially acceptable (and less repulsive) version of McCarthy's Child of God.
Cannon's best work so far, in my opinion, particularly in his ability to use foil characters to reveal Mikey and his needs for growth and improvement. Mikey struggles and we are there right with him.
January 6, 2022
The Humpty Dumpty of comedy, Mikey Haskell, takes a great fall and lies in pieces at the bottom of his psychic wall in Thomas Cannon’s new book, Shattered. Mikey is a mediocre comedian who makes a living making disparaging remarks about his obesity and his former girlfriend. His humor has always hidden the self-loathing, anti-social animal that lies just beneath the surface. When his animal self begins to appear during his sets, Mikey claims to feel ‘real’ for the first time in his life. He rejects friends and family who try to help him put the pieces back together again to no avail. Eventually, abandoned, unkempt, and hopeless, he allows the ‘beast’ to reign unchecked, pledging revenge on all who have wronged him.
Author Thomas Cannon takes us to a place few have gone, into the heart and soul of a man going through a psychotic episode. His descriptions of events, all seen through the haze of Mikey’s fever, are poignant, insightful, and frightening – a first-person narrative of what insanity feels like to the person embracing it. And embrace it Mikey does.
This book is a must-read for all who would try to understand how mental illness can overtake a person’s goodwill and social mores until he lies crumpled at the foot of the wall, shattered into a million pieces.
Author Thomas Cannon takes us to a place few have gone, into the heart and soul of a man going through a psychotic episode. His descriptions of events, all seen through the haze of Mikey’s fever, are poignant, insightful, and frightening – a first-person narrative of what insanity feels like to the person embracing it. And embrace it Mikey does.
This book is a must-read for all who would try to understand how mental illness can overtake a person’s goodwill and social mores until he lies crumpled at the foot of the wall, shattered into a million pieces.
January 2, 2022
Shattered by Thomas Cannon takes place in the Twin Cities during the 1990s. It follows oversized standup comic, Mikey Haskell, as he struggles to come to grips with his fiancée walking out on him. His heart aches for closure but he finds no relief.
When he performs for an audience, Mikey makes himself the butt of many jokes because of his size, but he feels no joy, no happiness in his performance. He merely goes through the motions. Inside, he’s lost, alone, and vulnerable.
During one of his routines, a heckler starts referring to the comic as “Bigfoot” and Mikey starts to take on the persona of a caveman. His actions become more bizarre and outrageous, and he develops a savagery and animal-like personality. Although he pushes people away—including his best friend—with his words and his actions, inside his heart is breaking.
This downward spiral causes the reader to wonder if Mikey can ever recover and be whole again. Shattered is the perfect title for this emotional rollercoaster of a read. The author has created a work that will stay with you much longer than the length of the book.
When he performs for an audience, Mikey makes himself the butt of many jokes because of his size, but he feels no joy, no happiness in his performance. He merely goes through the motions. Inside, he’s lost, alone, and vulnerable.
During one of his routines, a heckler starts referring to the comic as “Bigfoot” and Mikey starts to take on the persona of a caveman. His actions become more bizarre and outrageous, and he develops a savagery and animal-like personality. Although he pushes people away—including his best friend—with his words and his actions, inside his heart is breaking.
This downward spiral causes the reader to wonder if Mikey can ever recover and be whole again. Shattered is the perfect title for this emotional rollercoaster of a read. The author has created a work that will stay with you much longer than the length of the book.
February 8, 2022
Brutal and frank story of a gifted young man's spiral into despair. Set in the mid-1990s, standup comic Mikey has it all: an agent who books him the biggest gigs, friends, minor fame, and a family who supports him. All Mikey can focus on when he returns home to Minnesota from a lengthy road trip are the things he's lost. When he attempts to replace those losses with deranged and damaging behavior, he must face and deal with the cruelest enemy--the past.
Told in increasing self-damaging episodes of the present interspersed with events of the near past, the reader is drawn helplessly into the rip tide of Mikey's life. Well-done and occasionally mesmerizing, Shattered is told in first person through Mikey's eyes. He is often confused and outraged, and the author never lets up or loses reference as he deftly plants clues to the past until everything makes sense. Love Mikey or hate him, he's not a pitiful character by any means; just lost and feeling the great hurt of one of the most tragic events humans can experience. Sure to spark meaningful conversations, mature audiences of contemporary dramatic fiction will have a hard time putting this one down. Graphic sex and violence.
Told in increasing self-damaging episodes of the present interspersed with events of the near past, the reader is drawn helplessly into the rip tide of Mikey's life. Well-done and occasionally mesmerizing, Shattered is told in first person through Mikey's eyes. He is often confused and outraged, and the author never lets up or loses reference as he deftly plants clues to the past until everything makes sense. Love Mikey or hate him, he's not a pitiful character by any means; just lost and feeling the great hurt of one of the most tragic events humans can experience. Sure to spark meaningful conversations, mature audiences of contemporary dramatic fiction will have a hard time putting this one down. Graphic sex and violence.
January 8, 2026
This book surprised me with how raw and personal it feels. Shattered isn’t just about comedy or relationships it’s about identity, self-destruction, and what happens when you stop listening to yourself and start hiding behind a version of who you think you need to be.
Mikey is a deeply flawed, vulnerable character, and that’s what makes his journey compelling. His emotional confusion, unresolved pain, and slow unraveling feel uncomfortably real at times. The way his stage persona bleeds into his real life and starts to take over was especially well done. It’s unsettling without being over the top, and it captures how easy it is to lose yourself when you’re avoiding pain instead of facing it.
I really appreciated the behind the scenes look at the stand up comedy world. It adds authenticity and depth, showing both the pressure and the loneliness that can come with chasing that kind of career. The emotional stakes feel high, not because of big dramatic twists, but because of what Mikey stands to lose if he can’t pull himself back.
Overall, this is a thoughtful, character driven story about mental health, identity, and connection. It’s introspective, sometimes uncomfortable, and ultimately very human. If you enjoy stories that focus on inner struggle and personal transformation, this one is worth reading.
dracycoates@gmail.com
Mikey is a deeply flawed, vulnerable character, and that’s what makes his journey compelling. His emotional confusion, unresolved pain, and slow unraveling feel uncomfortably real at times. The way his stage persona bleeds into his real life and starts to take over was especially well done. It’s unsettling without being over the top, and it captures how easy it is to lose yourself when you’re avoiding pain instead of facing it.
I really appreciated the behind the scenes look at the stand up comedy world. It adds authenticity and depth, showing both the pressure and the loneliness that can come with chasing that kind of career. The emotional stakes feel high, not because of big dramatic twists, but because of what Mikey stands to lose if he can’t pull himself back.
Overall, this is a thoughtful, character driven story about mental health, identity, and connection. It’s introspective, sometimes uncomfortable, and ultimately very human. If you enjoy stories that focus on inner struggle and personal transformation, this one is worth reading.
dracycoates@gmail.com
January 2, 2022
I said, “Wow,” when I closed this book and kept saying it days after. This story blew me away.
What sets this story apart is the deep dive into the main character, Mikey. An average guy struggling with successes and failures, he sweeps us along, pulling us into his roller-coaster life as he struggles with becoming the man he desires to be.
I was so taken with Mikey and the twists and turns of his ever-changing situation that I was glued to the page trying to figure out what he would do next. Author Cannon builds rich, vivid settings and supporting characters that spring to life. He has a way of drawing out every nuance of Mikey and his evolving mindset, yet, I was continually surprised with Mikey’s reactions as he grappled with his reality. Gripping and suspenseful this story doesn’t stop. I thoroughly enjoyed journeying with Mikey through reality, elsewhere, and the knock-out ending. How close are we all to tipping over the edge? And what would happen if we gave into those random notions within?
Bonus: The level of humor in this story is very engaging. Even the stand-up is funny.
What sets this story apart is the deep dive into the main character, Mikey. An average guy struggling with successes and failures, he sweeps us along, pulling us into his roller-coaster life as he struggles with becoming the man he desires to be.
I was so taken with Mikey and the twists and turns of his ever-changing situation that I was glued to the page trying to figure out what he would do next. Author Cannon builds rich, vivid settings and supporting characters that spring to life. He has a way of drawing out every nuance of Mikey and his evolving mindset, yet, I was continually surprised with Mikey’s reactions as he grappled with his reality. Gripping and suspenseful this story doesn’t stop. I thoroughly enjoyed journeying with Mikey through reality, elsewhere, and the knock-out ending. How close are we all to tipping over the edge? And what would happen if we gave into those random notions within?
Bonus: The level of humor in this story is very engaging. Even the stand-up is funny.
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April 28, 2024SHATTERED shows a man confused about love and unwilling to move on from heartbreak spirals out of control into self destruction. He is a comedian and needs to make the crowd laugh at his ever wilder antics, but he has a soft shell and as the laughs become hurtful he strikes out at his audience. They laugh at his self revelatory jokes as they try to pretend they aren't the butt. His comedy becomes self-flagellation that turns against others in a destructive antisocial spectacle. He alienates friends and turns on lovers to embrace his primal rage at the disappointments in his life. Most of all he hates Mickey, the person he once was, the ‘nice guy’ out of touch with his dangerous animal side, which he veers deeper into as his new Id persona onstage and off. Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde.
Will he recover or destroy himself? Will those who befriended him and tried to love him help reel him in, or? You will have to read and find out.
Will he recover or destroy himself? Will those who befriended him and tried to love him help reel him in, or? You will have to read and find out.
February 11, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which I came across on Twitter. It’s a truly absorbing and entertaining read - dark at times because of some of the themes, but Cannon pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. Brooding and compelling, the story takes us into Mikey’s mind - his life, career and existential angst; his struggles with loneliness, meaning and relationships. Some wonderful mid-conversation micro-reflections throughout. All in all, an engaging and original book that I would highly recommend.
December 12, 2021
This is a compelling book that delves into a man's personal deconstruction, even as his professional success builds. Mikey is a stand-up comedian whose act changes and evolves as his life unravels. Cannon crafts complex, engaging characters who will stay with the reader long after the last page. His unique writing style and the way he writes interpersonal relationships is novel and thought-provoking. Very enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews