What do you think?
The Descent of Man
One night Jim, a quiet wine steward, wakes to find two men trying to steal his car. Against the petitions of his wife, he goes outside to get the plate number of the thieves' truck. Instead, something comes over him and he drives away in their truck until he recovers his wits and realizes what he's done. When Jim learns that the two would-be thieves are brothers with a history of violence, he soon finds himself over his head in a mire of sinister events and must risk everything to regain what he can of his life before that night.
"There are books that you can't put down, and there are books that won't go away even after you put them down, the force of their moral conundrums haunting the stories of our own lives. The Descent of Man is a spectacular showcase for both literary virtues the riveting tale of a modest but perfect life under assault, and a resonating challenge to our own self-knowledge, the authenticity of that knowledge, which can only be confirmed through crisis.
Who are we when push comes to shove? What are we capable of? Do we have the fortitude to save ourselves from the bad things in the world, and the backbone the strength of mind and spirit to protect those we love from harm? Kevin Desinger confronts us with these questions in the steady, quiet voice of Everyman, a decent guy sitting in a parlor chair, calmly narrating a firestorm that's consuming his house and family. He has written a novel that is flawless, masterful, unforgettable, and chilling in its dramatization of the way we live in fragile grace each day in America, our blessings balanced on the edge of violence and loss." Bob Shacochis
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 8, 2011
The plot seems clunky at times, but tightens up as the
story unfolds, with flashbacks setting the stage in
unexpected ways. Realistically inconsistent main
character in this first novel by Desinger. I'd want to
take a look at his second, if he writes one.
story unfolds, with flashbacks setting the stage in
unexpected ways. Realistically inconsistent main
character in this first novel by Desinger. I'd want to
take a look at his second, if he writes one.
December 28, 2010
This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/20...
When Jim and his wife Marla wake to find two men attempting to steal their car, while Marla waits inside and calls the police, Jim tiptoes out to the scene. Seeing the door of the thieves' truck open, and no clear path to keeping his own car, he hops into the truck and hightails it out of there. Sort of a "Hah! NOW what are you two going to do?" kind of moment ... until he realizes that what he just did makes no real sense, and he dumps the truck in a vacant field and leaves it (not before vandalizing it, though).
The thieves? Two brothers with a long history of criminal activity and violence - one with a chemical imbalance that makes him dangerous. When Jim doesn't admit his act to Sgt. Rainey, the investigating officer, he begins his descent and traps himself in a spiral where events become more and more threatening and dangerous.
This is a rather introspective novel interlaced with action, with Marla and Jim's marriage sharing center stage with the encounters and events that spring from the attempted car theft and Jim's reaction to it. A wine steward going from mild to wild? Could happen; we all have it in us to resort to vengeance or thoughtless actions when provoked. But, although the beginning chapters felt likely, as events become more and more out of control, I felt that it may have been taken too far for believability. Click on the book cover to see it better; see the monkey at the end and what he has in his hand? That's somewhat of a clue. I found it interesting, with a good writing style, but never became invested in any of the characters.
QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy):
But this is a male quandary: If we just stand there and watch we feel like idiots; but (depending of course on what we do) we can also feel like idiots for having acted.
Book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
When Jim and his wife Marla wake to find two men attempting to steal their car, while Marla waits inside and calls the police, Jim tiptoes out to the scene. Seeing the door of the thieves' truck open, and no clear path to keeping his own car, he hops into the truck and hightails it out of there. Sort of a "Hah! NOW what are you two going to do?" kind of moment ... until he realizes that what he just did makes no real sense, and he dumps the truck in a vacant field and leaves it (not before vandalizing it, though).
The thieves? Two brothers with a long history of criminal activity and violence - one with a chemical imbalance that makes him dangerous. When Jim doesn't admit his act to Sgt. Rainey, the investigating officer, he begins his descent and traps himself in a spiral where events become more and more threatening and dangerous.
This is a rather introspective novel interlaced with action, with Marla and Jim's marriage sharing center stage with the encounters and events that spring from the attempted car theft and Jim's reaction to it. A wine steward going from mild to wild? Could happen; we all have it in us to resort to vengeance or thoughtless actions when provoked. But, although the beginning chapters felt likely, as events become more and more out of control, I felt that it may have been taken too far for believability. Click on the book cover to see it better; see the monkey at the end and what he has in his hand? That's somewhat of a clue. I found it interesting, with a good writing style, but never became invested in any of the characters.
QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy):
But this is a male quandary: If we just stand there and watch we feel like idiots; but (depending of course on what we do) we can also feel like idiots for having acted.
Book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
February 28, 2011
Sometimes I read about someone taking some kind of bold vigilante action and I think, "Good for them!" Other times I think, "Are you an idiot?" An interesting guy with a quiet life and a fulfilling marriage, Jim Sandusky finds himself the victim of a common crime, but as he reacts, moment by moment, he finds himself doing things he would not have imagined himself capable of. He examines these reactions, and in a parallel narrative, revisits the past to examine his response to the disappointment of his wife's miscarriage. Both situations trigger Jim's introspection about what it means to be a man and a husband. and his uncertainty about how good a job he is doing in either role.
Some have called the book implausible, but I disagree. How many of us have found ourselves making a single impulsive choice that has then led down a road we wouldn't have anticipated? I must admit that there is one choice that Jim makes near the end of the book that seemed incredibly abrupt. I felt that the motivation had not fully developed to lead to the choice. The story broke down a bit for me at that point, becoming more shallow as the other characters responded to Jim's choice in a way that felt inauthentic. Still, the suspense of what would happen next made the book a page-turner.
Some have called the book implausible, but I disagree. How many of us have found ourselves making a single impulsive choice that has then led down a road we wouldn't have anticipated? I must admit that there is one choice that Jim makes near the end of the book that seemed incredibly abrupt. I felt that the motivation had not fully developed to lead to the choice. The story broke down a bit for me at that point, becoming more shallow as the other characters responded to Jim's choice in a way that felt inauthentic. Still, the suspense of what would happen next made the book a page-turner.
August 11, 2011
Trust me, if you're a man and you've been the victim of a crime, it's not hard to see yourself following the descent of Jim Sandusky. Maybe not all the way to killing someone, but that's not how Jim started out, either.
At this level, Kevin Desinger's novel works quite well. As you witness Jim's descent, you know it is going to turn out badly, just not for whom.
A second thread, involving his wife's past miscarriage, seemed overwrought and not quite believable for a detached husband. But on reflection, I think the author intended Jim's obsessive response to the miscarriage to signify Jim's desire to regain emotional connection as he sensed himself slipping deeper into primitive responses.
I'd say at least 85% of novels deliver resolutions that are too pat, so I can't call out THE DESCENT OF MAN for any special criticism on this score.
Overall, this book kept me reading at a summer-novel pace, and up just a little past bedtime. I saw some of my old self in Jim, and if your husband is going out alone after a burglary, you might recognize some of him in THE DESCENT OF MAN.
At this level, Kevin Desinger's novel works quite well. As you witness Jim's descent, you know it is going to turn out badly, just not for whom.
A second thread, involving his wife's past miscarriage, seemed overwrought and not quite believable for a detached husband. But on reflection, I think the author intended Jim's obsessive response to the miscarriage to signify Jim's desire to regain emotional connection as he sensed himself slipping deeper into primitive responses.
I'd say at least 85% of novels deliver resolutions that are too pat, so I can't call out THE DESCENT OF MAN for any special criticism on this score.
Overall, this book kept me reading at a summer-novel pace, and up just a little past bedtime. I saw some of my old self in Jim, and if your husband is going out alone after a burglary, you might recognize some of him in THE DESCENT OF MAN.
February 18, 2011
This book is a great read, a real page-turner, though it's also thoughtful and has depths that will reward a re-read. The main point of the book is how one impulsive action can lead to the graceful inevitability of the utterly implausible, and the efforts of this one man to recover from that. One bad move can turn your world upside down (to quote a favorite tune from Lyle Lovett), and suddenly he's dealing with consequences on a whole different level.
The characterizations here are rich and the writing rewarding; it possesses those distilled moments of clarity that I look for in favorite books.
And yes, the cover art is inspired, and funny. (And the synopsis
writer ought to be spanked - naughty! Try to avoid reading it,
nothing but spoilers that disrupt the mystery and don't capture the
charm of the book.)
The characterizations here are rich and the writing rewarding; it possesses those distilled moments of clarity that I look for in favorite books.
And yes, the cover art is inspired, and funny. (And the synopsis
writer ought to be spanked - naughty! Try to avoid reading it,
nothing but spoilers that disrupt the mystery and don't capture the
charm of the book.)
July 3, 2011
You never know what will happen to you if you give in to an impulse - Jim Sandusky sees two men trying to steal his car in the middle of the night and leaves the house to investigate. What happens next is a nightmare for him and his wife and the two thieves. In between the action, Jim muses about love, loss, heaven and hell. I agree with him completely when he says that hell is believing that how you feel with never change, that it is the loss of hope. Jim doesn't lose hope but he does seem to lose control over his actions and one thing leads to another. He escaped retribution and even finds a sort of redemption in the end. This is an interesting book and I look forward to more books by this author!
July 22, 2011
This book held my interest for the most part, but I did have some problemswith it. First, there was just too much extraneous filler that did nothing to advance the story - specifically the whole miscarriage flashback, the "how we met" flashback, the book of Eastern philosophy from his boss.... The other problem was the believability factor for me. How does Joe-wine-steward go from steal their ride 'cause they're trying to steal my ride to cold-blooded murder? And how does it make sense that the guy sits in his car in the seedy part of town to deal with his issues - or to not deal with them. I get the whole "descent" theme, but there are just too many holes here.
June 1, 2011
Wine steward Jim Sandusky becomes embroiled in a dark mystery when he attempts to prevent two hoods from stealing his car from his driveway late one night. His reaction takes a violent turn, complicated by his already somewhat fragile emotional state. The sparsely populated story encompasses not only his plunge into darkness, but the beginnings of his climb back out, with the help of a likeable supportive cast and, surprisingly, poetry. Desinger's tale is involving, believable, and suspensefully detailed.
May 25, 2011
This book was spellbinding! I made the mistake of beginning the final third of the book shortly before bedtime. Not only was it so creepy that I kept glancing around my darkened room as I read, but it was so riveting that I had to keep reading and reading and reading until the wee hours of the morning. So definitely buy this book. But don’t start the later chapters anywhere near your bedtime—unless you, too, want to be reading at 3 A.M.
August 14, 2011
I read it based on Poornimas' review:
http://bookreview.mostlyfiction.com/2...
and agree with her on her assessment, "...it exudes an honest empathy that makes The Descent of Man an extremely fun and fast read."
It's a different kind of problem for the an author to propose and solve in a credible way, which I think he does. I also liked learning a bit about the wine business.
http://bookreview.mostlyfiction.com/2...
and agree with her on her assessment, "...it exudes an honest empathy that makes The Descent of Man an extremely fun and fast read."
It's a different kind of problem for the an author to propose and solve in a credible way, which I think he does. I also liked learning a bit about the wine business.
April 30, 2011
4.5/5
Brillant. My full review may be read on my book review blog Rundpinne.
Brillant. My full review may be read on my book review blog Rundpinne.
April 24, 2011
This book showed early promise, but it was best when it stuck to the inner workings of the mind. It got too confusing by trying to do too much, thriller, love story, etc.
May 5, 2011
An interesting introspective novel. I reviewed it on my blog here: http://www.thelitwitch.com/?p=3598
May 13, 2011
I have not had a book flip me out in the first 10 pages as much as this one did!! AMAZING read---gives you a lot to think about in terms of "what would I be capable of??"
June 16, 2012
I can't get through it. I want to like it, but the man is so completely mind-blowing idiotic. I really don't want to read his point of view.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews