Red
by Jack Ketchum
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jack KetchumIllustrator: Neal McPheeters
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-03-01
ISBN: 1892950472
Number of pages: 204
Publisher: Overlook Connection Press
Book Reviews of Red
Book Review: A pet is a member of the family
Summary: 5 Stars
Avery Ludlow is a simple man, a plain man, a Korean war vet whose suffered terrible personal loss. But he's not a lonely man because he still has his faithful companion Red, an old mongrel dog whose his oldest friend. Av owns and runs a store in town, and in his spare time he likes to fish. One day while fishing, the old dog by his side as always, three boys wander into the clearing with a shotgun and bad attitudes. They threaten to rob Av and then, without reason or warning, shoot and kill Red. (all animal lovers will cry at this scene)
Av manages to track the boys down and visits their home, telling the father of the two McCormack boys of what they'd done, wanting nothing more than the father to punish the boys. But the McCormacks aren't simple folk like Av, the father doesn't believe Av and believes his boys when they lie.
All Av wants is simple justice for his old friend, an apology, a punishment, but it is denied to him through the families, the police, the DA, and the courts. When a short story is run on television about the tragic shooting of the dog, Av's store mysteriously burns down. Av is up against something greater than he expected. Av doesn't back down and things go from bad to worse.
During the course of the story we discover Av's past tragedies though his relationship with the television reporter, the tale making the death of the dog even more depressing. How far will Av go to see the right thing done? How far will the McCormack's go to protect their prestigious name and their precious boys? You'll have to read the book to find out.
'Red' isn't a particularly fast-paced book but its compelling enough to keep you up late at night to finish it. It's superbly written, a story of social class and human nature (both good and bad). A poignant tale of love and tragedy. Ketchum captures the soul of Av, and the soulnessness of McCormack to perfection. Highly recommended. Enjoy!
Tagged on the end of the book is a 93 page novella called 'The Passenger'. This is the story of a woman named Janet whose car breaks down at night. She's picked up by an old high school classmate named Marion who turns out to be a few cards short of a full deck. After getting into an accident with three cop-killers, Marion invites them in on the ride and the action doesn't stop from there. Murder, rape, and car-theft are the thrills of the day, and Janet is captive until she lures the killers to a place called Hole-In-The-Wall, a depraved camp where she hopes to exact her revenge. This novella has "screenplay" written all over it, obviously B horror movie fodder. While fast-paced and more typically Ketchum horror, I would give this story only three and a half stars.
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