What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
Deadeye Dick
SOLVED: Adult Fiction
>
SOLVED. Book about an accidental killing [s]
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Lobstergirl wrote: "Fiction or nonfiction?"Wife says "definitely fiction".
Other details she recalls....
She thinks it was early 20th century setting, like 1900-1930. She also wants to emphasize that the house was very unique and believes it had a very big door, like a barn door on one side.
When did she read it? How big was the book? Was it an adult novel or YA?
Kelly wrote: "When did she read it? How big was the book? Was it an adult novel or YA?"She's not sure when she read it, within the last few years, but not sure on the publication date.
It was an adult novel.
Unsure on how big the book was, she thinks she read it on the kindle.
From a review:"At age 12 young Rudy, schoolboy, fires off an unaimed round from a rifle belonging to his father's gun collection and accidentally kills a pregnant woman named Eloise Metzger, who's vacuuming her living room several blocks away when hit. Jailed for the deed, both Rudy and his eccentric father are viciously beaten by the police. Lawsuits from the bereaved Mr. Metzger ruin the Waltz family financially (Rudy's father is heir to a drugstore chain fortune), and Midland Cityites bestow a mocking nickname on Rudy - the nickname that gives this work its title."
That's gotta be it. She's recently re-read some other Vonnegut books and I bet they stirred some memories. I'm checking with her now. Thank you! edit:
Confirmed that's it.
I'm glad I was able to help!I read this book ages ago and looking over the reviews, it looks like there is a lot more to it than just the shooting and the aftermath, but I only remembered the same parts that your wife did. Everything else just flew out the window.
This is a pretty broad summary, but it's about all she can come up with. Possible spoilers below.
A boy gets the key to his dad's gun closet. Shoots the gun from a high room in his strange house and the bullet randomly kills a girl (possibly pregnant girl).
I think his family used to be wealthy. But was now poor. The mother never cooked or took care of herself. But had servants do it. She vaguely remembers two other characters, possibly brothers (and wealthy) that we're prominent in the town. Carpenters or builders of some sort.
She thinks the father took the blame for the shooting, which drove the mother a crazy.