4 out of 4 stars
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We are coming live from NBC studios.
Good Evening, Folks!
At first, I harbored a different impression towards this read, but I was so wrong to judge without reading it. It's about an extraordinary meeting between two people that lead to their lifelong learning and friendship. In our today's segment, folks, we have Gary Robinson and his book, The Sword Swallower and A Chico Kid. Gary, it's my pleasure to have you on our show. I have read your book, and your story is a fascinating one; so tell us more about your book.
Hello Everyone! Inspired by my friendship with an old, circus sideshow, sword swallower named Duke Reynolds (Captain Don Leslie), I decided to write my story. It's a fictional account on the events that took place in our lives. The background details provided by Duke about his friend's tattoo shop, Ink Johnson’s tattoo parlor, is actually about Mr. G of Triangle Tattoo & Museum in Fort Bragg, California.
The layout of my book has a preface, a prologue and 32 chapters, divided into 3 parts. Part 1, The Sword Swallower's Journey, concentrates on my friend, Duke Reynolds, a carefree, bad boy known for his tattoos and sword swallowing skills. He was a man who tried to reach the impossible, but everything changed after his Tv show performance. Part 2, The Destructive Path of a Chico Kid, concentrates on me, Gary Robinson, a self-accomplished university student, yet emotionally challenged. I partied all night, had a string of one-night stands, drugs, and moreover, wrong sort of friends. After graduating, I left my friends and moved to Chico. I lost my job on many occasions due to my addiction, but everything changed after I met Duke. Part 3, An Eccentric Friendship and Unconventional Mentoring, concentrates on the lessons that Duke taught me about life. He gave me a reason to become a man with a purpose. Through him, I found my lost happiness. Thanks to him, I found my passion for writing, and here I'm, a successful author. So what do you think about my work?
Well! It's fascinating to be a part of Gary's character development at every step. Gary's struggles reflect upon the hope for a second chance in anyone's life. It's not surprising that the protagonists understood each other since they came from the same background. It's impressive to see how Duke became a positive zeal to Gary, such as,
I like the way you, Gary, challenge your reader using your characters. Certain remarks are well worth noting, folks, such as,He taught me the importance of living and the power of change (p. 388).
I noted certain characters were channeled to highlight positivity and negativity, such as,A fact has no punishment. It offers no reward. It's just a fact. It has no fear of being investigated. A fact does not claim to be sacred, holy, or inspired. It simply claims to be the truth and welcomes the investigation (p. 291).
Matt never used his disability as an excuse to keep him from achieving great feats in his life (p. 245).
The layout of this plot has a clear direction making it easy for the reader. The flow of writing is tacit, and the use of language, at times, may contain inappropriate colloquialism, therefore, some readers may find it offensive. There were humorous moments in this read, but some statements associated with humor may prove to be racially insensitive, such as,
There were surprising moments in this read, especially the ending of chapter twenty. The storyline is very descriptive, aiding the reader's imagination, such as,The radio host interrupted with a sound of agreement replied, “I would never consider getting a tattoo. I'm Jewish, and it's forbidden to desecrate or mutilate our body.” Ink shouted back in disapproval, “What the hell did you do with your foreskin? Carry it in your front pocket?” (p. 23).
Duke was lean and muscular with his sleeves rolled up on his white t-shirt, faded blue jeans, pomade hair, and tattooed body (p. 21).
The list of content isn't available, and the page numbers in the kindle ebook are inaccurate. The emotionally engaging nature made this a spot-on read. There were few grammatical and sentence structure errors noted, but nothing to disrupt a smooth reading experience. Some scenarios in this read were highly insensitive in which some readers may feel disgusted, such as,
I shouted, “Get the f*ck out of here, you sicko. I can’t believe you would consider having sex with a sheep!” (p. 217).
There is a bit of everything to make this read perfect, from grossly disgusting episodes to a heart rowing emotional play, and for this reason I wish to rate The Sword Shallower and A Chico Kid 4 out of 4 stars. This isn't a read for people who dislike the subject on drugs or alcohol, and who can't overlook dark and insensitive humor. Gary Robinson provides us with a great advice inspired by Duke's words:
Through your book, I saw you, and your story inspired me to the core. I rather let you, my viewers, enjoy this read individually. It was a pleasure to have you on our show, Chico Kid! Thank you, Folks!“Whatever happened yesterday, in last year, at age five; They're all gone, son. All you have is today. All you are guaranteed is this moment. Listen to your heart! Fulfill your dreams” (p.284).
******
The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
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