Background Noise

by Peter DeMarco

Troubled young suburbanite Henry Walker is on a one-man mission to clean up his town, protect his property, and chase after fantasies of a better life ahead. From an alienated adolescent to a frustrated young adult, Henry encounters one disappointment after another. While suffering the loss of close family members and friends, desperately seeking companionship in the form of unconventional friendships, and becoming a victim of extreme bullying and violence, Henry ultimately becomes an outcast in the only town he knows. As Henry immerses himself in his past, memories become guilt, guilt becomes regret, and regret becomes obsession—until violence seems to be the only logical response.Written as a collection of interwoven short stories, told in sparse, piercing prose, this haunting novel examines Henry Walker’s transformation from the misfit and the victim— to vengeful retaliator. But does the justice he metes out make him a popular hero or an enemy of the people? In razor-sharp prose reminiscent of Haruki Murakami, Peter DeMarco startles the mind while touching the heart.

Genres: Fiction

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Leonard Tillerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered whatever happened to that kid you went to school with way back when?  You know- the one who always sat in the back with his head down.  Not one of the "in crowd" -but not altogether ostracized either.  Just sort of... there.  Taking up space and air.  Occasionally your mind begins to wander and you cannot help but wonder what became of him.  In Background Noise by author Peter DeMarco, we are introduced to just such an individual.  Readers who enjoy emotional tales which are steeped in nostalgia, may just find what they are looking for in this book.  

Essentially, this novella is a compilation of short stories which follow the life of the main character, Henry.  The book is divided up into ten chapters with each being a story almost all unto their own.  The collection is the progression of Henry's life from hopeful child to frustrated adult.  From innocent child and victim... to social outcast and avenger.  Will this series of interconnected stories hold any hope for Henry in the end?  Or is he simply another example of a life gone wrong.  Opportunities missed and left with nothing but a bitter taste in his mouth.

Make no mistake, this book is not for the faint of heart.  There are some pretty explicit scenes and the overall tone of the work is dark and disturbing.  Be that as it may, the theme is cleverly supported by easy to read prose which flows as if the reader is in the middle of an everyday conversation.  Through the author's unique technique and style, we are able to see how easily an individual can fall through the cracks in our modern day society.  A wrong turn here or ill-advised adventure there.  The vignettes did jump around quite a bit however,  which tends to throw off the cohesiveness of the overall story.  I can see how this could potentially turn off some readers.

In regards to character development, Henry is really the only player who is developed in much depth.  There are a number of other minor characters in the work, but they are never really explored or allowed to grow.  Unfortunately for Henry, his development is a downward spiral.  He gets to the point where he has taken enough of life's knocks and decides to hit back.  While it is a sad turn of events, I find it to be entirely believable and authentic.  People can really only take so much before they strike back.  That is the reality of life.  Henry is really not a character that I am going to forget about anytime soon.  He could easily be that man we pass walking down the street who is caught up in his own thoughts and misfortunes.  In essence, Henry is all around us.

Overall, I found this novella had many things going for it.  The writing is crisp and has the ability to ignite emotions in the reader.  It really makes us think.  The somewhat disjointed nature of the stories however does deter from the natural flow.  

3 out of 5 Forlorn Stars for this one!   ***

[Mellymel27 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well-written work of fiction, organized as individual short stories all connected and incorporated into one main theme. Peter DeMarco does an excellent job of describing his main characters and developing a plot that is exciting, suspenseful, emotional, disturbing, and entertaining. I would recommend this novel to adults who are looking for a fast-paced book, and who enjoy, or can handle some of the darker, less conventional aspects of fiction.

[Melissa T · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I'm trying to figure out what intrigued me so much that I agreed to review this. I'm not sure. All I can say now is that it's a lot of short, rambling vignettes, that didn't really seem to have a point. The first story is full of references to sex and masturbation, which, as subjects on their own, don't make me uncomfortable, but in regards to hearing about them from the perspective of a 13 year old boy made me feel a little creeped out.

These 'short stories' as they're supposed to be just feel like a rambling linear progression through a very lonely person's life. I didn't feel any emotional connection to this story at all, just felt that it was all trying too hard to be hip or cool, and failing miserably. I kept reading to see if there would be some sort of redemption, or that Henry would wake up and it would be some sort of crazy dream, but that didn't happen.


Instead I was left feeling let down, and unsettled.

The one thing I give this book credit for is the title. The whole rambling feeling of this book feels like the background noise that I imagine goes on in the mind of someone who is mentally ill. And maybe Henry was, with the strange and unusual things he does, and the way (or lack thereof) with which he handles situations.

[Danielle Robertson]

I was asked by Peter DeMarco to read his recently published (November 2012) novella, Background Noise, in exchange for an honest review on my blog, The Reader's Commute.

I recently loaded Background Noise on my Kindle for my internship commute. The Kindle edition is 126 pages, and I finished it by the end of the workday.

DeMarco's stories are, in my opinion, are concise and "sparse" prose-wise, as discussed in the synopsis. Despite this sparseness, they really elicited an emotional response in me. It was not always a happy feeling, as the tribulations of Henry's early life are startling - but any emotional response is a good one, right?

I was drawn to the weirdness of Henry's personality - he's a strange child who grows up to be a strange man, with an often-complimented head of white-blonde hair. His thoughts are vulgar, which I dismissed when he was a young boy; these same vulgar thoughts unnerved me as the adult Henry came into the scene.

The voice and tone of the stories of Henry's youth are especially convincing. I really did feel like I was in the head of a young, troubled boy. The imagery in these stories is very striking - a father's blue shirt, a house painted in the colors of the rainbow - these are the colors and sights that stick with me.

As the novella progressed, I began questioning which of Henry's adventures were real and which were a figment of his imagination. His actions become more bizarre as he ages, and I was forced into a dizzying, excited state of confusion.

It's a lot to handle in two hours worth of train rides, but it was certainly an experience that I won't forget. Henry's thoughts and actions will stick with me for a while, I think.

I want to thank Peter DeMarco (a Pushcart Prize nominee - kudos!) for giving me the opportunity to read and review Background Noise. If you're looking for something unique, frightening, and thought-provoking to read - do yourself a favor and pick up this novella.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally there are books that manage to worm their way into your head and leave you pondering, sometimes even expanding your understanding of issues that are common in the real world. Peter DeMarco manages to do just that with this book, in a series of vignettes that trace the life of Henry. In a style that is very reminiscent of the southern stortyteller, and invoking a spare and often decidedly masculine voice, this glimpse into a life that is slowly sliding from ‘odd and alienated’ to unreservedly mentally ill and prone to violence.

While the vignettes are separate and distinct, there is an underlying commonness to the stories – a lack of solid caretakers or real interest all lead him to avoid ramifications for bad behaviours, while somewhere it comes to the reader that he knows he’s just incidental to the lives that seem to be so ‘perfect’. When his limited self-control finally slips, the violence almost feels surreal, no one who knew him was believing him capable. Isn’t that all too typical after the multitude of catastrophic shootings we have seen in the past several years?

This is not a light and fluffy read, although it is gripping and beautifully crafted. In a smoothly conversational style, DeMarco manages to lead you to make your own conclusions while guiding readers through a series of events, each capable of being the straw that broke the camel’s back. Disturbing in that it brings mental health and the unpredictability of a person’s capacity to withstand traumatic events into the forefront, it is a read that will leave you thinking and wanting to know more.

I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for the Indie Authors Rock promotion at I am, Indeed. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[LeighAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of short stories from the main character Henry's life. Henry is a strange child and grows up to be a just as strange man. His parent's are both dead and he still lived in their home. He kind of just wanders through life alone and is sort of an outcast in his tow.

In the beginning of the book Henry is a child and I was a little uncomfortable with all of the writing about masturbation and sex. It felt like I was reading something I shouldn't be. Henry was a very unusual person. I don't think this book was for me but a lot of people are saying good things about it so I'm kind of stumped. Maybe I missed something but I felt like the chapters were jumping all over the place. I didn't really take anything from this book and I also feel that I could have known more about Henry even though the book was all about him. This is one that I can either take it or leave it.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might just live next to a guy like DeMarco's Henry, a kid-turned-man who still lives in the house that his dead parents left him. The institutions that might have offered guidance—the church, his family—have deserted him, and he sort of pokes his way along through life. The story, as you might guess from its structure as stories, is episodic. A priest—who might not be the most trustworthy person in the world—comes to Henry's house to swim in the pool, which he used to do when Henry's parents were still alive. If he has ugly ulterior motives, we will never know because they're snuffed out when the priest dies of an apparent heart attack in the pool. Henry horrifies another priest with a made up story about running over a kid on Halloween, and then steals his shirt—which just happens to be one of Henry's father's shirts that Henry donated to the church for the poor.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book that I wouldn't normally read. It contains both YA and adults aspects. I found it was a little awkward for me when the main character Henry starts talking about masterbation when he is only 13 years old. And the scenes where there is sex kind of talk weirded me out. I think it was because it was coming from the mind of this male character and not sugar- coated like most books. I liked that the book was made up of short stories about Henry, but at the same time it was confusing because they jumped all over the place and didn't really have meaning. When I finished the book I didn't fell like I had gained anything from it. It's kind of a book about nothing. I still feel like even though the book was about Henry I still don't know anything about him,

[Hosho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having always been a sucker for stories about struggling, down-and-out types, DeMarco’s Background Noise had a lot of good things going for it. The subject matter of small stories, everyday struggles, and the want and woe of sex were moving even if the stories come at a smash-cut pace. The dialogue is done well, and the overall feel of the book is conversational -- prose that reads like stories you'd overhear at a bar -- an approach I enjoy.

What kept the book from reading better for me was the fact that it felt more like a fleshed out treatment of a book than finished prose. To be more effective, I would’ve liked to see the bigger, emotional scenes really delved into. As it reads now, it seems like there's too much story, and not enough time to tell it. Being more deliberate in a few spots will help bring all the other good things DeMarco is doing to the surface.

[Kelly Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing novella for anyone who likes to delve into the psychological. DeMarco manages to make Henry mentally disturbing while also giving the reader some ways to feel sympathetic for him. Full review at: http://www.thewellreadredhead.com/201... (link goes live 1/31/13)