Sweeney On-the-Fringe

by Dave Robinson

Owen Kivlin, the narrator of Dave Robinson's novel Sweeney On-the-Fringe, sidles up to the reader as unassumingly as Ishmael and announces that he's got a tale to tell. And what a tale it is. The elusive, eponymous Sweeney is a man on a quest. Told through letters, dramatic narrative, interviews, and poems, SOTF is a wild, lyrical ride of a book, rich with mythic alllusion, off-beat characters and a roll-your-own New England vernacular that is dead on. Will Sweeney find what he truth, self, adventure, romance and the perfect wave? You'll have to read to find out. Recommended. --David Daniel, author of Goofy Foot and Reunion

165 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published November 10, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Patrick Keeffe]

Sweeney on The Fringe is a bizarre experience. As someone from New England, I was confused that I had never heard of this town, only to find out it was completely fictional. Dave Robinson crafts a world full of individuals so real, it's disorienting to find out they don't exist.

[Jeffrey Engel]

Wonderful book that uses Lowell and environs as a basis for a make-believe place which includes a renowned golf course near a coast famous for its surfing. The great thing about this story is that the main character, "Yardbird" Sweeney, is only described in terms of interviews with characters who knew him, and the occasional poems he sent to people from various locations in the world. The result is a character who remains a bit of a mystery... and through it all we can admire him for the things we still wonder about. I actually think it would be cool to see a followup of some kind. Doesn't have to be the same format. I just want more Sweeney, that's all.

[Martha Rzepala]

Experience a small city, Lowell, + coastal beach town, Seabrook, and add a disappearing friend and you have Sweeney on the Fringe. Great read.