Hook Man Speaks

by Matt Clark

The infamous Hook Man, the terror of romantic teens parked on Lovers' Lanes across the country, speaks out for himself as he describes his own life, fears, and dreams, in a novel that brings to life a popular urban legend. Original.

Genres: Fiction, Humor

197 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Gods meets Grendel in this darkly comic account of the life and times of the Hook Man of urban legend as he deals with an obsessed folklore professor, his relationship with the real Kentucky Fried Rat Lady, and those annoying perfume samples stapled into all of his magazine subscriptions. Boldly asks the question: what if Hook Man was one of us?

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This certainly isn't the best book I've ever read, but it is one of my favorites. Partly for sentimental reasons and partly because I am a big fan of urban legends. This was the only novel Matt Clark wrote before his death, and I'm not entirely convinced that he was 100% finished with it. Be that as it may, this is still a very good book with lots of heart. If you want to see a true display of this writer's talent, dig up a story of his called "The West Texas Sprouting of Loman Happenstance". It may be hard to track down, but it's one of the most creative and wonderful things I've ever read. This writer changed my life.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How sad that Matt Clark did not live to write more novels. This book would probably not be for everyone, but I found it well-written, humorous, and thought-provoking and I read it in three days. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having read some of my friends' reviews of "Hook Man Speaks", I'm wondering if I've missed something. It's received rave reviews on Goodreads, but I didn't find myself enjoying it all that much. Although Clark's writing is fairly good, it was the story itself that I found off-putting. The idea of a man with a hook replacing one of his lower arms wandering around terrorizing teenage lovers was a little disturbing to me. But then again, I'm the kind of person who retains images and ideas that frighten her for much too long, and then has nightmares about them for years.

That being said, I do think it was a terrible thing for the writing world when Matt Clark died so young, only 31, from cancer. I wonder what other books he might have produced and whether I might have enjoyed them more. And I'd have enjoyed seeing how his style evolved and improved with time.

Final assessment: For those of you who like frightening books or merely quirky ones, enjoy this one. For those of you who do not, don't waste your time. Look for books you enjoy instead.

[Jarrod Scarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. A very short, quirky little book, written in an offbeat style. The book is written in the point of view of the Hook Man, the actual man behind the urban legend. He has decided it is time to tell his story and to stop doing what he does. Join Hook Man as he encounters other legends like the Kentucky Fried Rat lady, Bigfoot, The Ax Man, and the Vanishing Hitchhiker, all while spending time confessing to an obsessed professor and researcher hellbent on tracking down the sources to all urban legends.

The story has a bittersweet element in that it was published posthumously and was the only book of this author's published. He died of cancer at the age of 31. It would have been nice to see what else he could have dreamed up. I am glad this story was shared with the world, it was enjoyable!

[Laura Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. At first I was a little unsure about the style in which it was written but soon enough I found it to be charming. Really lovely read when your looking for a brain break with something sweet.

[Lindsay]

started this one but never finished it completely...

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was plain but in a good way. It didn't have too many flowery words. It was straight to the point and the plot was unexpected and funny. It's not my usual novel but I really enjoyed it.