Official Review: Mister Big by Harvey Havel

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Ashley Simon
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Official Review: Mister Big by Harvey Havel

Post by Ashley Simon »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mister Big" by Harvey Havel.]
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1 out of 4 stars
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At six-foot-five and 300 pounds, the protagonist of Harvey Havel’s latest novel Mister Big lives up to his titular nickname. But DeShawn Biggs' physical appearance does not match his personality. He’s painfully shy. Meanwhile, DeShawn’s parents, Didi and Crosby, are torn over how to handle their giant of a son. Thanks to low-paying jobs, they can’t afford to feed this growing boy forever. And while shipping him off to college would almost certainly mean the beginning of DeShawn’s NFL career, it will also mean saying goodbye to their baby.

Eventually, DeShawn goes off to prep school and then to college. Readers follow DeShawn as he wrestles with his attraction to white women, despite the fact that his own skin is black. Away from the protective shelter of his parents, he must battle questions of morality, come face-to-face with a racist world, and most importantly, decide what kind of man he will be in the midst of it all.

The novel is split in three books: Book 1 contains the prologue and first three chapters, Book 2 contains two chapters, and Book 3 contains the final three chapters along with an epilogue. At 887 pages, Mister Big is a hefty read, and unfortunately, I found the long chapters difficult to wade through. The novel introduces many interesting and relevant themes, such as race, gender, family dynamics, and the culture of American sports. However, the characters were undeveloped, and the dialogue fell flat. Here’s an example of an exchange between DeShawn and two teachers shortly after he arrives at school:
“DeShawn - how’s your mind doing?” asked Mr. Lamb.
“Virgin territory,” said Coach Cal.
“It’s fine, sir. I am ready to learn Math.” (Havel 74)
I found it difficult to connect with DeShawn. Despite being the protagonist, he remained static throughout much of the book. In the beginning, his naivety and self-consciousness were winsome, and I hoped that Havel would expand on his emotional development. But DeShawn's naivety drags on throughout the novel, even as he gets caught up in mature schemes, and constant references to his oversized physical stature grew tiresome.

I was also disappointed by the conversation on race relations that is pervasive throughout the novel. DeShawn faces frequent racism, and constantly grapples with the racism that exists in himself. Again, I hoped that the novel would explore this further, but because the storyline wasn't anchored to any dynamic characters, commentary on race relations read more like an essay.

Frequent grammatical errors—particularly a misuse of the word “you’re”—distracted me during this reading. I was also left confused by several plot holes. For example, one of the central cruxes of the story is the fact that DeShawn’s parents cannot contact him after they drop him off at the prep school. However, we never learn why they can’t reach out. We’re told that they don’t have the money to support DeShawn anymore, but I’m not quite sure why they can’t see him on holidays or give him a phone call.

Due to these factors, I’m giving Mister Big a 1 out of 4 rating. I enjoyed the way Havel started the novel from Crosby and Didi’s perspectives. Although they were not significant characters in the rest of the novel, I found this dialogue the most relatable. I really wanted to connect with DeShawn as a character, as his backstory and personality were inviting, but frequent exposition and flat dialogue kept me from connecting with this story. Still, Mister Big contains an interesting premise, and I’d be interested to read it again after a more thorough edit.

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Mister Big
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Post by Alicnim »

I enjoyed reading your review. You tore apart the specifics well. I would not read this given your rating.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Hi, Ashley Simon. This is an engaging review. The story seemed promising; it's a shame that the author wasn't able to deliver it well.
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds quite disappointing. I'm sorry it wasn't what you thought. I don't think I will be looking at this one. Thanks.
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Ashley Simon
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Post by Ashley Simon »

Thanks for stopping by, Alicnim, Miriam Molina, and kandscreeley! I was disappointed, too, but glad you found this review helpful.
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Post by geoffrey ngoima »

A little disappointed, it had the potential and the premise, like you put it, to skyrocket. Thanks for honest review.
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Post by Mercelle »

With better editing, the book would be a really refreshing read.
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Ashley Simon
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Post by Ashley Simon »

Mercy- I agree, I believe it has a lot of potential!
Geoffrey - thanks for stopping by!
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Post by kislany »

What a pity that the book was only worth such a low rating, but I understand why it had to be this way. Great review, Ashley Simon.
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Ashley Simon
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Post by Ashley Simon »

Thanks Kislany!
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Post by meteku4 »

Thanks for the honest review. It refreshing to know your justification for the low rating of the book.

-- 16 Oct 2017, 09:13 --

Thanks for the honest review. It refreshing to know your justification for the low rating of the book.
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Post by Job Njoroge »

Great review although it doesn't seem like I will be saying the same of the book. I think all authors should be able to understand that the reader connecting with the story and the characters is very important
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Ashley Simon
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Post by Ashley Simon »

Thanks meteku4! Job Njoroge I agree. Thanks for stopping by!
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Post by Quinto »

Feels like it's one book that can use a little input of ideas from the editor in terms of tying down the loose ends. Thanks for a nice review.
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Post by Gingerbo0ks »

It sounds like this had potential, which is a shame. I'll pass on reading this one then.
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