Review by ILB -- Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt

[ILB]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Can I Be Frank?" by Rob Wyatt.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Can I Be Frank?

In this novel by Rob Wyatt, Father Francis- or as he likes to be called, Father Frank, sets off to the humid heat of Florida, America, to work as a priest for the Diocese of Central Florida. Needless to say, it is a huge culture shock to Father Frank who has only ever lived a small-town parish in England. Frank is a woolly-jumpered, tea-drinking, British lad who lives with his mother and stumbled into the priesthood by a process of elimination.

Exacerbating his situation is his charming awkwardness, clumsiness, and propensity to get himself into sticky situations while aiming to do the right thing the best he can. Within minutes of arriving in America, he has made an impression at the airport, given his assistant completely opposite expectations of his usual behaviour, and it takes only a few days to upset the main benefactor and employer in town. Despite the odds being resolutely stacked against him, Frank stands firm in the face of easy but less honourable options, experiences a bewildering incident that causes him to question his sanity, and sets out to provide sanctuary for some unfortunate souls as he battles to save his church.

This novel was full of comic relief. In some situations, the dry humour of the author was reminiscent of Father Ted, or to a more sophisticated extent, Mr Bean. The way small moments were developed and built upon to become humorous situations. The beginning chapters were a little cumbersome with a few too many metaphors or similes that felt slightly forced. However, by the fourth chapter, the writing began to flow naturally and Father Frank’s character had been developed into a lovable, engaging if bumbling, protagonist. It was a really enjoyable read. Some of the characters could have been developed further, Carly and Gene Charmois are only lightly introduced and also Father William was quite flat although included more in the story.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. The beginning chapters were a little clunky and could have turned a slower reader off the book before they got to the flowing chapters further on. It also required some imagination to get the full humour out of all the scenes. I found it quite funny but wonder if other readers would visualise the scenes quite as vividly from the author’s writing. I was also able to put the book down and not think about it until the next time I read it. The sign of an exceptionally good book for me is not being able to put it down or stop thinking about the characters when I do. However it is a solid read and I find it comparable to many books I buy, therefore it is significantly better than a one star.

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Can I Be Frank?
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