Dissolution

by Bradley Lewis

In three different loosely-related vignettes, Bradley Lewis uses a fictional narrative to present a glaring view of lives gone sour. Dissolution takes you to the darkest place in the lives of three different couples; two are married, and one young couple struggling with the idea of permanency. This tour de force will grab you from the first page and lead you down a path of circumstances that have gone horribly wrong. These addicting stories will send chills down the spine of anyone who has ever been married or in a relationship. What happens when your spouse becomes controlling and dangerous? Is abduction a reasonable out? What do you do when you suspect that your friend is sleeping with your wife? Does violence solve anything? What if your girlfriend has lied to you, not just about her motivations, but about everything? But hasn’t deception always been part of the game? Wealthy Lauren and Louie live in Beverly Hills, where life on the rocks is a familiar, sad story, but never quite like this. Karen and Nicky end up prospering in SoHo with their popular coffee shop, only to find that the Rockwellian existence they dreamed of could be destroyed by an interloper from Hollywood. Young Sherry and Ben struggle in the world of modern love, where logic and lessons from history are easily misplaced and replaced. Dissolution is an insider’s fictional presentation, based on years of real oral history; the stark realism will leave you breathless. Despite its dark view of relationships, the crisp dialogue and offbeat characters guarantee that you will enjoy the ride.

284 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2013

About the author

Brad Lewis is a writer whose focus has ranged from the bizarre world of celebrity doctors to detailed histories of Jewish-American development, with particular interest to the entertainment industry. He co-wrote the bestselling biography of Milton Berle, My Father, Uncle Miltie, with the fabled comedian's son, a candid look at the irreplaceable American television icon. His Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster, The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen is the only biography of the charismatic and dangerous mobster whose life was a paradigm for the intermingling of Washington, Las Vegas, the entertainment business and the mob. Lewis' novel Great White Doctor is a scalpel thriller centered on the sordid lives and weird sexual habits of "celebrity doctors", exposing the seamy side of high profile specialists who perform unnecessary surgery on their female patients. The Bloomingdale Code is a well-researched page-turner about secret religious tenets, ancient medical ritual, conspiracies, and modern-day international politics. God's Helix is a fast-paced sequel to The Bloomingdale Code. God's Helix explores the dangers of DNA typing. Lewis has written often about the Hollywood scene, and is no stranger to celebrities and celebrity doctors. Anonymous underworld "businessmen," often sent their lady friends for treatment in his offices. That experience with known mobsters contributed to Lewis' interest in how gangsters, Hollywood, and Washington somehow connect in the American landscape. As an actor, Lewis appeared on TV in As the World Turns, Love of Life, The Guiding Light, and trained at the prestigious H. B. Studios in Manhattan, with its founder Herbert Berghof and fabled acting teacher William Hickey. He appeared in many off and off-off Broadway productions. Lewis has advanced degrees from CUNY (Psychology) and New York University; a fellowship at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital. He is retired from clinical practice and has fought for the elimination of formaldehyde from pediatric medicaments. His research has been quoted in hundreds of professional journals. A popular talk show guest, he has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. Lewis is a native New Yorker.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rank the stories individually as three stars for Karen and Nicky, three and 1/2 stars for Lauren and Louie and four stars for Sherry and Ben. This brings the average to three and 1/2 stars. Since goodreads doesn't support half stars I rounded down. I enjoyed each of the stories in this book in a different way and liked the way that they were loosely tied together through common characters. The author had a very good way of describing each of the settings (Long Island, Beverly Hills, New York City) and their effects on the characters. If you live, or have lived, in any of these areas I am sure that you will feel a connection to the places he describes. The writing got stronger as the book went on.

I didn't completely buy into characters and plot of the Karen and Nicky. However, Lewis did a good job of describing the neighborhoods of Long Island, the families that populated them and how they evolved over time. I thought the "dissolution" in this story was somewhat forced.

Lauren and Louie was primarily dialogue which is notoriously hard to write. The back and forth between the couple was believable if somewhat repetitive. The character's stayed true to form throughout and the collapse of their marriage and its aftermath were described in great detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sherry and Ben. It was the best written of the three as the pain inflected felt the most genuine. I truly felt for the wounded character and could see how a belief system of love and trust was shattered.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.