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The Hermit of Carmel
Overwhelmed by personal loss, Robert Das abandons his home and career, and embarks on a personal journey to escape his grief. Das travels to a place he knew in happier times - the theatrically beautiful Monterey Peninsula. A chance turn finds him deep in the Del Monte Forest, where one night’s sleep in his car turns into an improvised plan to live illegally and covertly – a voluntary hermit – squatting within the forest fringes of an enclave comprised of expensive homes and some of the finest golf courses in California.
Eventually, boredom motivates Robert to explore the exclusive links that encircle the woods, and he elusively steals play-time — gaining him notoriety as the hermit-golfer. He attracts the attention of the local police, golf course security and residents of Carmel, some of whom regard him with disdain and suspicion. While dodging notice and stealing materials to craft his makeshift home, Robert re-discovers his passion for golf, and life.
Eventually, boredom motivates Robert to explore the exclusive links that encircle the woods, and he elusively steals play-time — gaining him notoriety as the hermit-golfer. He attracts the attention of the local police, golf course security and residents of Carmel, some of whom regard him with disdain and suspicion. While dodging notice and stealing materials to craft his makeshift home, Robert re-discovers his passion for golf, and life.
260 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2019
3 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Phipps
1 book5 followersPhipps has been a writer for a long time - since he learned to write, in fact. There's some debate about when that was. After a few drinks, he's been known to swear it was age five, but I suspect he's embellishing. But Phipps has genuinely agonized over many an essay; authored a few short stories; penned some credible entrepreneurship & finance-related blogs; been published in several business periodicals; crafted compelling ad copy; transcribed more love letters than he'd care to admit; banged out long-winded emails; drafted a strongly-worded complaint letter or two to Apple; and, even a scripted a couple of pretty entertaining screenplays.
For the last twenty years, he's have been an entrepreneur and venture capitalist of minor repute and (very) limited monetary success. But writing has always taken a back seat to a role that paid the bills. He's made the decision to exit his investment career and spend the rest of his days pursuing his passion for telling a good story - the best way he knows how.
Every writer must find their style, their genre, and their audience. Phipps likes to write about place, as much as develop compelling characters, plot and story arc. Though well-travelled, he calls Canada his home. After a 27 year residence in Nova Scotia, Phipps has recently moved back to Ontario, (a secret location outside Toronto), and made a home with his wife Lyndsey and their sheepadoodle - Pippi.
For the last twenty years, he's have been an entrepreneur and venture capitalist of minor repute and (very) limited monetary success. But writing has always taken a back seat to a role that paid the bills. He's made the decision to exit his investment career and spend the rest of his days pursuing his passion for telling a good story - the best way he knows how.
Every writer must find their style, their genre, and their audience. Phipps likes to write about place, as much as develop compelling characters, plot and story arc. Though well-travelled, he calls Canada his home. After a 27 year residence in Nova Scotia, Phipps has recently moved back to Ontario, (a secret location outside Toronto), and made a home with his wife Lyndsey and their sheepadoodle - Pippi.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 26, 2019
This story has an interesting premise. A man loses his wife and seeks comfort in chosen homelessness in Carmel, CA. Unfortunately, numerous typos and a scattered narrative made for clunky reading. I’ve sent the errors to the publisher and hope they are able to make the changes prior to publication.
There were very enjoyable parts to the book. The part when Robert meets Jules got an audible giggle from me. I enjoyed reading about when he constructs his house, how he survives, and meeting Kate. But there were also some very long and not so enjoyable parts. Long descriptions of a beautiful space can be wonderful to read, but when using pretty basic vernacular, pages and pages describing golf courses were harder to get through.
It was told mostly through the point of view of a narrator watching Robert Das. There was one chapter that randomly switched to another character’s point of view, which was a bit jarring to read as it wasn’t clear until a ways down the page.
Overall, I think with some fine-toothed editing this book could be a decent read. Creative plot, but not perfectly executed yet.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
There were very enjoyable parts to the book. The part when Robert meets Jules got an audible giggle from me. I enjoyed reading about when he constructs his house, how he survives, and meeting Kate. But there were also some very long and not so enjoyable parts. Long descriptions of a beautiful space can be wonderful to read, but when using pretty basic vernacular, pages and pages describing golf courses were harder to get through.
It was told mostly through the point of view of a narrator watching Robert Das. There was one chapter that randomly switched to another character’s point of view, which was a bit jarring to read as it wasn’t clear until a ways down the page.
Overall, I think with some fine-toothed editing this book could be a decent read. Creative plot, but not perfectly executed yet.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
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June 3, 2019The first few chapters had me wondering if I'd complete this novel. Too much description about the region, and too little about the characters. That quickly changed, and I'm so glad I continued with this story.
Gregory Phipps captured so much in this novel about a man, his loss and his unconventional self-treatment. Rob's grief after the death of his wife is so believable, and how he deals with it is unique. Choosing to live a semi-hermit life with the fringe benefits of a love of golf - what a twist. It's easy to picture this bearded character wearing a bucket hat and toting groceries as Carmel residents give his the side-eye!
The author makes Rob's choices understandable and relatable, thanks to vivid descriptions of Del Monte forest, red golf pants and a Rolex watch. Each has a role to play in the protagonist's search for peace, relief and a new normal.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion.
Gregory Phipps captured so much in this novel about a man, his loss and his unconventional self-treatment. Rob's grief after the death of his wife is so believable, and how he deals with it is unique. Choosing to live a semi-hermit life with the fringe benefits of a love of golf - what a twist. It's easy to picture this bearded character wearing a bucket hat and toting groceries as Carmel residents give his the side-eye!
The author makes Rob's choices understandable and relatable, thanks to vivid descriptions of Del Monte forest, red golf pants and a Rolex watch. Each has a role to play in the protagonist's search for peace, relief and a new normal.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion.
March 26, 2019
I got this as a e book for my i pad from Net Galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
January 18, 2019
This was not the book I expected from the p u publisher's description. It's VERY heavy on minutia-level details about the setting (Monterey/Carmel), to the point I just had to jump ahead. The cover should have been a clue that it'd be heavy on golf too. Sadly, I have up after about sixty pages. Not the book for me.
March 4, 2019
Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.
April 21, 2019
The Hermit of Carmel
Book Review | 📚📚 2/5
Gregory Phipps (writer) | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
The Hermit of Carmel is one part published author with a past; one part backstory to author’s recently published work; one part travelogue of the Monterey Peninsula.
Why I was interested in this book:
Having lived on the Monterey Peninsula for a number of years, I was intrigued to read this book. Not sure what to expect, I relied on the title to lead the way.
My assessment:
This book falls into the category of “Books I Did Not Finish”. I actually gave it more of a chance than most books that I place in this category. Five chapters should be more than enough to make an assessment.
I admit that I liked reading about whenever location was brought up or described. That was probably what I liked most about the book. A little more on that later.
The first five chapters I read were all different. That’s not a bad thing, in and of itself. For me, it seemed disjointed. I think I understand the author’s intent with the chapter order, but it seemed jumpy. The book begins with the author (in the story) and his manager back in Carmel for a book reading. The book jumps to an attorney, possibly in a dream, but not quite right either way, in a courtroom. An entire chapter is spent on describing the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel, Del Monte Forest, Point Lobos, etc. It seemed awkward to put so much detail about location into an entire chapter with almost no context to the story, itself. Next, the book jumps to golfers, where the title character is encountered. Then a jump in time when a man and a woman first met on a boardwalk. The flow was all too confusing for me to follow.
The story kept my attention enough to read more chapters than I would have based on the syntax. The story’s flow wasn’t the only part that was challenging. The flow of the structure and the writing confused me to a point that I was more focused on syntax than content.
Stories of the human condition:
I will admit that I did not get into the book enough to discover any deep elements of human condition. I had a very difficult time empathizing with any of the characters, almost from page one. The first chapter really didn’t offer a way to see humanity in the author or the publisher. Nor did the other characters really have relatable characters.
Note: I fully disclose that I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
TAGS:
#TheHermitOfCarmel #review-book #book review #MontereyPeninsula #IBPA #IndependentBookPublishersAssociation #GregoryPhipps #NetGalley #TuggleGrassBlues #Tuggle Grass Reviews #TuggleGrassReviews #BooksIDidNotFinish
Book Review | 📚📚 2/5
Gregory Phipps (writer) | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
The Hermit of Carmel is one part published author with a past; one part backstory to author’s recently published work; one part travelogue of the Monterey Peninsula.
Why I was interested in this book:
Having lived on the Monterey Peninsula for a number of years, I was intrigued to read this book. Not sure what to expect, I relied on the title to lead the way.
My assessment:
This book falls into the category of “Books I Did Not Finish”. I actually gave it more of a chance than most books that I place in this category. Five chapters should be more than enough to make an assessment.
I admit that I liked reading about whenever location was brought up or described. That was probably what I liked most about the book. A little more on that later.
The first five chapters I read were all different. That’s not a bad thing, in and of itself. For me, it seemed disjointed. I think I understand the author’s intent with the chapter order, but it seemed jumpy. The book begins with the author (in the story) and his manager back in Carmel for a book reading. The book jumps to an attorney, possibly in a dream, but not quite right either way, in a courtroom. An entire chapter is spent on describing the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel, Del Monte Forest, Point Lobos, etc. It seemed awkward to put so much detail about location into an entire chapter with almost no context to the story, itself. Next, the book jumps to golfers, where the title character is encountered. Then a jump in time when a man and a woman first met on a boardwalk. The flow was all too confusing for me to follow.
The story kept my attention enough to read more chapters than I would have based on the syntax. The story’s flow wasn’t the only part that was challenging. The flow of the structure and the writing confused me to a point that I was more focused on syntax than content.
Stories of the human condition:
I will admit that I did not get into the book enough to discover any deep elements of human condition. I had a very difficult time empathizing with any of the characters, almost from page one. The first chapter really didn’t offer a way to see humanity in the author or the publisher. Nor did the other characters really have relatable characters.
Note: I fully disclose that I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
TAGS:
#TheHermitOfCarmel #review-book #book review #MontereyPeninsula #IBPA #IndependentBookPublishersAssociation #GregoryPhipps #NetGalley #TuggleGrassBlues #Tuggle Grass Reviews #TuggleGrassReviews #BooksIDidNotFinish
May 27, 2019
Wow! I wasn’t expecting this when I chose to read this book. It slowly reels you in and then takes you down a path you weren’t expecting but are glad you went.
All said and done it is part “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” , part romance novel, part travelogue, and part reminder not to wear fuchsia in the woods. I am thankful I was allowed to read this for review purposes. I am better for it.
All said and done it is part “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” , part romance novel, part travelogue, and part reminder not to wear fuchsia in the woods. I am thankful I was allowed to read this for review purposes. I am better for it.
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May 30, 2019This was such a interesting and fun book to read ! As one who has been in the Carmel area for decades I enjoyed reading of our area and of the author's love for the area. Its hard not to love this area even amid his extensive grief. I enjoyed the chapter dedicated to the area and to Point Lobos. The author has a great love for our spectacular environment and it shows in his writing.
This is a story of the human condition of grief and how it changes our lives. The author writes of taking a sabbatical from society and living in a abandon cabin in the Monterey Forest near Carmel's most exclusive homes and golf courses. He helps himself to each course and attracts attention of locals and those he golfs with. Along his path of solitude he finds himself again and finds Carmel heals him as does the game of golf.
I wonderful read. I thank the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity. I will be reading further works by this author in the future. I love the symmetry of the writing with Thoreau's journeys,.
This is a story of the human condition of grief and how it changes our lives. The author writes of taking a sabbatical from society and living in a abandon cabin in the Monterey Forest near Carmel's most exclusive homes and golf courses. He helps himself to each course and attracts attention of locals and those he golfs with. Along his path of solitude he finds himself again and finds Carmel heals him as does the game of golf.
I wonderful read. I thank the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity. I will be reading further works by this author in the future. I love the symmetry of the writing with Thoreau's journeys,.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews