In this masterful debut, Martin Clark proves to be the heir apparent of great Southern raconteurs and the envy of more seasoned novelists as he tak...
read full description
reviews
May 03, 2011
Judy
rated it: 
I ordered this book from Amazon.com for 80 cents. It has arrived with a battered and torn cover. They promised "like new" but what do I want for 80 cents?
This book immediately engaged me. I'm hooked on this author now. If I had designed this book, however, I would have made the text at least a half point larger and a slight increase in the leading. That would have increased the pleasure of reading it.
So far the most shocking thing is that a wealthy judge smokes More...
This book immediately engaged me. I'm hooked on this author now. If I had designed this book, however, I would have made the text at least a half point larger and a slight increase in the leading. That would have increased the pleasure of reading it.
So far the most shocking thing is that a wealthy judge smokes More...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 20, 2011
Justin
rated it: 
As an expert on the many aspects of mobile home living, I thought this book would be right up my alley. And while it sadly neglects the many aspects of singlewide living, focusing on its more urbane brother, the doublewide, I was not disappointed.
Not at first, mind you. I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. Of course, it was my first true foray into Southern Gothic and I never got into Faulkner, but I read Cormac McCarthy and listen to Chris Knight; I should be able to ge More...
Not at first, mind you. I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. Of course, it was my first true foray into Southern Gothic and I never got into Faulkner, but I read Cormac McCarthy and listen to Chris Knight; I should be able to ge More...
May 03, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Martin Clark has created a cast of characters who come alive and are oddly believable in their actions during the course of this novel. The inhabitants of this story generally don't conform to the standard ideas of behavior and tend to do what is necessary to enjoy the moment and disregard the future.
Judge Evers Wheeling, a pot smoker from Norton, North Carolina, is on his way to work when he's approached by a well dressed, attractive woman who asks for a moment of his time.
More...
Judge Evers Wheeling, a pot smoker from Norton, North Carolina, is on his way to work when he's approached by a well dressed, attractive woman who asks for a moment of his time.
More...
Dec 11, 2009
Scottie
rated it:
A delightful read.
After reading that Barbara Kingsolver's next book will be "The Lacuna", I was interested to see that Clark used the term in this book; ".....as if god had built the ground first, the sky second, and then, dissatisfied with the lacuna between top and bottom, joined the two together by wedging in the Appalachian Range." page 73
Another quote I like is "Most things are discriminatory in some sense, Judge Wheeling. Dumb kids don't g More...
After reading that Barbara Kingsolver's next book will be "The Lacuna", I was interested to see that Clark used the term in this book; ".....as if god had built the ground first, the sky second, and then, dissatisfied with the lacuna between top and bottom, joined the two together by wedging in the Appalachian Range." page 73
Another quote I like is "Most things are discriminatory in some sense, Judge Wheeling. Dumb kids don't g More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 08, 2011
Alena
rated it: 
Because it had gotten good reviews, I struggled through the first third or so of this book. Eventually I decided that since I had no interest in or attachment to any of the characters -- and in fact wouldn't really care if they all got flattened by an 18-wheeler -- it wasn't worth putting any more time into.
The writing itself isn't bad, though it's hyper-descriptive and not my usual style. There is a mystery to be solved, and the premise might work if the story were populated by di More...
The writing itself isn't bad, though it's hyper-descriptive and not my usual style. There is a mystery to be solved, and the premise might work if the story were populated by di More...
Jun 12, 2011
Kathleen
rated it:
Even in the South, it's hard to imagine an alcoholic, dope-smoking circuit court judge in what is basically a wild-ass buddy book, on a quest with his drop-out brother, his even more inebriated friends and a woman who may be the devil or an angel. It's even harder to wrap my brain around the idea that this was written by a circuit court judge who, according to his picture on the brief author biography, looks like he's barely out of law school (And if the book is autobiographical, how he got the
More...
Sep 07, 2008
Laura
rated it:
At some point in this book, maybe midway through, I had pretty much decided I didn’t like it all that much. Mostly, that’s because with one exception I just couldn’t like, respect, or cheer for the characters. Main character Judge Evers Wheeling is a screwed-up whiner. His brother, Pascal -- who lives in the mobile home referenced in the title -- is a lazy guy with no ambition beyond his next drink or marijuana hit. These guys, and most of the other characters, as harmless as they may be -- or m
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 12, 2008
Brian
rated it:
I thoroughly enjoyed Clark's Plain Heathen Mischief, so I was really looking forward to reading this book.
Many Aspects... uses many of the same devices as Plain Heathen Mischief, including a likable but deeply flawed protagonist, unlikely pairings of mismatched characters, and a journey that ends up far different than one intended. Clark's style juxtaposes lines of stark prose with strings of adjectives - it keeps the tone of the novel light, and definitely works with the story.
More...
Many Aspects... uses many of the same devices as Plain Heathen Mischief, including a likable but deeply flawed protagonist, unlikely pairings of mismatched characters, and a journey that ends up far different than one intended. Clark's style juxtaposes lines of stark prose with strings of adjectives - it keeps the tone of the novel light, and definitely works with the story.
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 22, 2009
Ruth
rated it:
I bought the book because of the cover - different than the one posted here. And the price was right ~ I think $1. Read it on a road trip. Very interesting. A Southern judge, his brother and his friends hook up with some strange characters and travel to Salt Lake City to recover some stolen funds and it just gets stranger and more strange but I couldn't stop reading. I liked it. I think.
Oct 16, 2011
Keith
rated it: 
Clark's first novel is indeed biting, sardonic and quite funny, but others have mastered the genre far better - thinking of Tom Robbins, Spalding Gray, Vonnegut's early work. I kept reading because frankly I wanted to know what those damn alabaster tears were all about, but really in the end I was just left wanting. Character development is pretty weak, not much in the way of prose, but if you like something that smacks like John Grisham on LSD, then this novel might be for you. If you're loo
More...
Nov 07, 2011
Rob
rated it:
What I liked best about this book is that it works on two levels. On the first level, it’s an enjoyable read; quirky, funny characters, good description, intriguing story. On the second level, it’s a spiritual novel that makes us think about the chain of events in our lives and how often things seem to happen for some cosmic reason. I highly recommend this one.
Apr 24, 2010
Alan
rated it:
I liked this book. Part of me finds romance in spending my later years sitting on an old sofa outside a double wide manufactured home in rural Carolina (one of them, it doesn't matter which), in a marijuana addled haze waxing philosophical. Maybe that was what made the book and its characters so likable. The book was funny and clever, and the author who is a judge in one of those Carolinas is a good legal fiction writer, but not to the point where I'm telling anybody, "You ought to read
More...
Aug 09, 2011
Tom
rated it:
The New York Times called Martin Clark "the thinking man's John Grisham." That's a pretty good description. I'm not normally a big fan of legal fiction. This book has a couple courtroom scenes, but it's not really a "legal novel." It's funny, well written, and a good story. I'm looking forward to reading more from Clark.
May 03, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I almost quit this book about 4 times. It took about 50%+ of the way through to finally 'get into' it. I liked the characters although I didn't think they 'blended' well with each other. The title of this book didn't fit - I expected something a little more realistic. It was sort of a raunchy 'my name is earl' story.
Dec 23, 2008
Kathy
rated it:
My stepfather recommended this book to me as he knows Mr. Clark on a personal level. Mr. Clark used his experiences from his courtroom in rural southwestern VA to come up with the storyline. The writing was fabulous and the story so odd I just couldn't put it down!
Jun 22, 2010
Borax
rated it: 
This is a great book. Inappropriate for school. I laughed out loud a few times. It's basically "The Dude" from the Big Lebowski as a lawyer. There's a murder mystery...there's supernatural intrigue. There are wishes. There is a lot of pot too.
Jun 13, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
This was signed by the author to me as a gift from Candy who I assume met him at a librarian-y event. It was good for its type- and I can't help but wonder about the author, since (like him) the main character is also a judge, but a substance-abusing, divorced one who hangs around with a bunch of similarly marginal pals. The plot was not so realistic but who cares.
Aug 08, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
A good read with elements of John Grisham and Hunter S. Thompson--funny, brazen, thought-provoking, mysterious. The ending got a little slow, but I do appreciate that a complex story was NOT wrapped up in a tidy two pages.
Nov 14, 2008
L
rated it:
What a delicious book this is! The cover quotes the NYT Magazine to the effect that this is a legal thriller; I'm not so sure about that, though there is a big of legal wrangling and a bit of a mystery. It also says the book is hilliarious; I'll give them that one. In addition to character you've got love of all sorts and its opposite. There's solid finacial succes and, well, mobile home living. You've got characters who are lost find themselves. And, oh, yes, just a bit of magic.
Yo More...
Yo More...
Oct 03, 2010
Melanie
rated it:
I frequently lose interest in novels half-way through. But this one pulled me in and kept me, either in spite of, or maybe because of its odd and not always likable characters.
Jan 04, 2012
Mary
rated it:
The details are described excruciatingly well. The book held allure for me since some of it occurs in my home town of Winston-Salem, but the plot moves too slowly for my taste.
Dec 23, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
Okay, I live in a mobile home ("manufactured house", as realtors prefer). It is TRUE that there are unusual collection of people living in these parks!
Aug 10, 2011
Hank
rated it:
This is my favorite book. I laughed all the way through. From the title to the end. I have read it many times and each time it just gets better.
Apr 16, 2011
Sharon
rated it:
I never could decide if I loved it or hated it, but I did write about it on my blog -- http://www.writerlyhaphazardry.net/?p=14...
Nov 20, 2008
Marfita
rated it:
Didn't like it the first time, barely liked it the second. Just a matter of taste. More of a guy book, I think.
Mar 17, 2011
Sandy
rated it:
not as good as I had hoped- I am so partial to southern writers but this one just didn't live up to my expectations
Dec 31, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
Not what I would expect from the title. Turned out to be a good novel with great character development.
Jul 17, 2007
Cloudhidden
rated it:
This is a pretty good book. Reading it, I could tell the author would be a pretty cool guy to hang out with. If he continues to write, I will probably read him again.
A young lawyer gets left by his bitch of a wife so he starts hanging out in the front yard of his brother's trailer smoking weed and drinking. The plot moves along and the brothers react accordingly. And that is all I will say.
I won't tell you much more, but it was a fun read. Though unbelievable at times, More...
A young lawyer gets left by his bitch of a wife so he starts hanging out in the front yard of his brother's trailer smoking weed and drinking. The plot moves along and the brothers react accordingly. And that is all I will say.
I won't tell you much more, but it was a fun read. Though unbelievable at times, More...
