Review by jdc0502 -- Call Me Pomeroy by James Hanna
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jdc0502
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Review by jdc0502 -- Call Me Pomeroy by James Hanna
[Following is a volunteer review of "Call Me Pomeroy" by James Hanna.]
2 out of 4 stars
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Call Me Pomeroy by James Hanna is an intriguingly written set of stories which focuses on the strikingly distinctive protagonist who, like the title suggests, insists on being addressed as Pomeroy.
Pomeroy’s life, as staged in the introductory paragraphs, seems like something that would not appeal to many, although his cynical and almost persuasive outlook on life and the way that that is channelled into the written narration makes it hard to disagree with some of the things that Pomeroy says. The writing is assembled with such a convincing tone, something that makes Pomeroy’s despicable personality and world views slightly compelling, which is a mark of how good the writer is at embodying the persona of the eponymous character.
The idea of having the stories narrated by Pomeroy himself was a good choice by the writer; having Pomeroy address us directly in a style almost like an epistolary or a monologue/stream-of-consciousness format allows us to be sucked into Pomeroy’s entire life as it happens and how he reacts to each situation. The situations he finds himself in are less than favourable, such as having to beg for money and survive on the generosity of other people, but his routine and the rousing way that these situations are detailed makes for an entertaining, intriguing read.
There are some moments within the stories where Pomeroy addresses things in a very vulgar way, dealing with some controversial topics which didn’t quite sit right with me at times, although they make sense for Pomeroy’s character and personality. Call Me Pomeroy was never meant for those with sensitive dispositions and that slightly affects the accessibility of it, although it is perfect for the cynical audience, as it envelopes itself quite neatly within that niche immediately though Pomeroy’s narration.
The dialect being written so prominently was good character work by the writer, although aesthetically it was quite jarring at terms, when the style of the writing depends so heavily on the flow of the narration, the less hindrances the better. After a while, I got used to the dialect and it wasn’t a problem, only initially being a minor issue.
The editing is well done, the sentence structures brilliantly handled and the paragraphs were a good size to read.
To conclude, I would rate Call Me Pomeroy 2 out of 4 stars. While it was competently written with a complex, provocative main protagonist, Pomeroy’s excessive bluntness and cynical simply wasn’t something I wanted to read so much of. Objectively, it is very well written, but it came down to personal tastes at the end of it. I highly recommend this to people who love reading controversial narratives and those who enjoy cynical perspectives, as this will be a very entertaining read for that particular audience group.
******
Call Me Pomeroy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Call Me Pomeroy by James Hanna is an intriguingly written set of stories which focuses on the strikingly distinctive protagonist who, like the title suggests, insists on being addressed as Pomeroy.
Pomeroy’s life, as staged in the introductory paragraphs, seems like something that would not appeal to many, although his cynical and almost persuasive outlook on life and the way that that is channelled into the written narration makes it hard to disagree with some of the things that Pomeroy says. The writing is assembled with such a convincing tone, something that makes Pomeroy’s despicable personality and world views slightly compelling, which is a mark of how good the writer is at embodying the persona of the eponymous character.
The idea of having the stories narrated by Pomeroy himself was a good choice by the writer; having Pomeroy address us directly in a style almost like an epistolary or a monologue/stream-of-consciousness format allows us to be sucked into Pomeroy’s entire life as it happens and how he reacts to each situation. The situations he finds himself in are less than favourable, such as having to beg for money and survive on the generosity of other people, but his routine and the rousing way that these situations are detailed makes for an entertaining, intriguing read.
There are some moments within the stories where Pomeroy addresses things in a very vulgar way, dealing with some controversial topics which didn’t quite sit right with me at times, although they make sense for Pomeroy’s character and personality. Call Me Pomeroy was never meant for those with sensitive dispositions and that slightly affects the accessibility of it, although it is perfect for the cynical audience, as it envelopes itself quite neatly within that niche immediately though Pomeroy’s narration.
The dialect being written so prominently was good character work by the writer, although aesthetically it was quite jarring at terms, when the style of the writing depends so heavily on the flow of the narration, the less hindrances the better. After a while, I got used to the dialect and it wasn’t a problem, only initially being a minor issue.
The editing is well done, the sentence structures brilliantly handled and the paragraphs were a good size to read.
To conclude, I would rate Call Me Pomeroy 2 out of 4 stars. While it was competently written with a complex, provocative main protagonist, Pomeroy’s excessive bluntness and cynical simply wasn’t something I wanted to read so much of. Objectively, it is very well written, but it came down to personal tastes at the end of it. I highly recommend this to people who love reading controversial narratives and those who enjoy cynical perspectives, as this will be a very entertaining read for that particular audience group.
******
Call Me Pomeroy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like jdc0502's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: A Second, Less Capable Head by James Hanna
