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Inbred! : Welcome to Woolen. Population 2500 inbreds
Tom Paxton is the archetypal troubled hero. Outwardly he is a success but inwardly the demons are raging and he is hell-bent on a path of destruction. Outwardly he is the star salesman with S&T and he is asked by his manager, Hugh Stein, to take the lovely Lucy Walker on a sales trip to help her win a sales competition. Tom knew Lucy spelt trouble but he could not refuse Hugh Stein and so, against his better judgment, Tom agreed to the trip.
In its own way the trip was a success. Lucy won her trip to Hawaii, Hugh Stein was thrilled but Tom was a mess. Some delicate balance had been disturbed. Lucy went on to New York to pursue her career and Tom was left behind to pick up the pieces…something he was not good at doing.
Tom went on a rampage, destroying everything in his path, including himself. Almost. The only thing that saved him was to hole up in a Buddhist Monastery where he practiced meditation. But unfortunately the Monastery was situated right next to the city of Woolen, known for its population of inbreds, who in turn were known for their dislike of Buddhist monks.
The question is, can meditation save Tom Paxton from another round of destruction by going up against a town of inbreds?
In its own way the trip was a success. Lucy won her trip to Hawaii, Hugh Stein was thrilled but Tom was a mess. Some delicate balance had been disturbed. Lucy went on to New York to pursue her career and Tom was left behind to pick up the pieces…something he was not good at doing.
Tom went on a rampage, destroying everything in his path, including himself. Almost. The only thing that saved him was to hole up in a Buddhist Monastery where he practiced meditation. But unfortunately the Monastery was situated right next to the city of Woolen, known for its population of inbreds, who in turn were known for their dislike of Buddhist monks.
The question is, can meditation save Tom Paxton from another round of destruction by going up against a town of inbreds?
Unknown Binding
About the author
Andrew Toth
42 books2 followersIn a word, I messed up.
Had a great start, won a Commonwealth Scholarship to University, did great in sports, represented my school in swimming, represented the University in Judo, in short I was just the sort of guy who would succeed.
So what went wrong?
I ended up taxi-driving, picking fruit, doing cleaning jobs, delivery jobs, was a driving instructor once and so on. Got fired from most of my jobs, bummed around for awhile, for a long while, actually, etc, etc. Got into trouble with the law, etc, etc.
Perfect life for an author, but not recommended otherwise...
Had a great start, won a Commonwealth Scholarship to University, did great in sports, represented my school in swimming, represented the University in Judo, in short I was just the sort of guy who would succeed.
So what went wrong?
I ended up taxi-driving, picking fruit, doing cleaning jobs, delivery jobs, was a driving instructor once and so on. Got fired from most of my jobs, bummed around for awhile, for a long while, actually, etc, etc. Got into trouble with the law, etc, etc.
Perfect life for an author, but not recommended otherwise...
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June 1, 2022
Author Andrew Toth’s Inbred! is a meandering tale about a salesman who is trying to figure out his path. While the locals make only a few brief appearances in the novel, most of the story explores Tom Paxton’s dive into Buddhism and his general unhappiness with his life.
As a failed farmer and husband, Tom wanders through the local “inbred” town of Woolen, getting into drunken bar fights. Finally, he leaves that life to become a traveling salesman, who’s apparently good at his job while exhibiting few redeeming qualities. Unhappy, he turns to Buddhism and joins a temple on the outskirts of the same “inbred” town from his farming days. Tension builds as he trains himself for the inevitable confrontation between the monks and the locals.
Toth has a smooth and easy-to-read style. Most of the story takes place from the point of view of Tom. Depending on the circumstances, the main character’s tone shifts from worldly to over-confident to self-loathing. Side characters earn his respect or contempt depending upon their mood. We see him struggle. We see him succeed. We also see him as a mentor in sales and a student of Buddhism. The problem is that Tom isn’t very likable. He doesn’t even seem to like himself through much of the story.
Inbred!, at times, is reminiscent of action movies of the 80s and 90s. The action scenes harken back to old country fighting movies like Road House or Walking Tall. The story maintains orbit around a sales competition and the events at the temple. Where Toth shines is in his attention to detail. His narrative picks up on the smallest details, so readers have a strong visual of the situation in front of them. His ability to bring dialog to life in a manner that is realistic and believable.
INBRED!: Welcome to Woolen. Population 2500 inbreds is a story about a man trying to find his way in life, working with a mediocre hand that fate has dealt him, and the author makes readers want to hear this profound story. Readers will find the unexpected in this suspenseful character-driven novel.
As a failed farmer and husband, Tom wanders through the local “inbred” town of Woolen, getting into drunken bar fights. Finally, he leaves that life to become a traveling salesman, who’s apparently good at his job while exhibiting few redeeming qualities. Unhappy, he turns to Buddhism and joins a temple on the outskirts of the same “inbred” town from his farming days. Tension builds as he trains himself for the inevitable confrontation between the monks and the locals.
Toth has a smooth and easy-to-read style. Most of the story takes place from the point of view of Tom. Depending on the circumstances, the main character’s tone shifts from worldly to over-confident to self-loathing. Side characters earn his respect or contempt depending upon their mood. We see him struggle. We see him succeed. We also see him as a mentor in sales and a student of Buddhism. The problem is that Tom isn’t very likable. He doesn’t even seem to like himself through much of the story.
Inbred!, at times, is reminiscent of action movies of the 80s and 90s. The action scenes harken back to old country fighting movies like Road House or Walking Tall. The story maintains orbit around a sales competition and the events at the temple. Where Toth shines is in his attention to detail. His narrative picks up on the smallest details, so readers have a strong visual of the situation in front of them. His ability to bring dialog to life in a manner that is realistic and believable.
INBRED!: Welcome to Woolen. Population 2500 inbreds is a story about a man trying to find his way in life, working with a mediocre hand that fate has dealt him, and the author makes readers want to hear this profound story. Readers will find the unexpected in this suspenseful character-driven novel.
Displaying 1 of 1 review