Red Asphalt
by Scott Cherney
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Book Summary Information
Author: Scott CherneyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-02-23
ISBN: 1435711866
Number of pages: 296
Publisher: lulu.com
Book Reviews of Red Asphalt
Book Review: A Joy Ride to Read! Buckle Up and Hang on Tight!
Summary: 4 Stars
At a time when there are more drivers on the road than ever, and with the rising costs of fuel and heavy usage of cell phones behind the wheel, a novel about road rage couldn't have come at a better time. Although I don't even own a cell phone, but have definitely spent at least a full paycheck or two this year in gas alone, I definitely suffer from road rage like many others. First of all, I hate to drive. Even the two miles from home to work has been known to drive me insane, especially when someone pulls out in front of me or is going too slow and causes me to get caught by the light. I scream. I bitch. I flip people off. How else are they going to learn?
You admit you are like that too? Then, here's a character you can definitely relate to. His name is Calvin Wheeler and his creator, Scott Cherney, has used him to truly capture the essence of that middle class citizen who questions, "Why does this crap always happen to me?" Cherney calls his novel a black comedy and even a thriller, and although I agree with him entirely I'd also call this novel a blatant truth. What makes it so fun to read is that you'll probably discover you know someone just like Calvin Wheeler. Or, maybe you are Wheeler.
First, Wheeler is dealing with domestic issues at home. The relationship with the woman of his dreams has gone sour. The first chapter alone presents a quick-quipped tongue match between the two with fun lines like, "Nothing boosts confidence like watching your life partner recoiling in terror as you pass by." Obviously, the problems at home have their effect on the rest of Calvin's life as well. Cherney treats the relationship between Calvin and his wife with extreme honesty despite the humor used to capture the reader's attention.
"It's just a cold sore," I said, feeling Karen hovering nearby.
"Also known as Herpes, " Karen added accusingly. She obviously didn't mean the good kind.
There was near-glee in her tone. To taunt me even further, she then asked, "Who have you been kissing?"
"Nobody in this house," I retorted.
She stormed out of the bathroom after exhaling a nasty sigh that filled the bathroom like a loud fart.
Next, writers will relate to Wheeler because like many of us he's been trying to pen the great American novel for over ten years. He's on the verge of giving up because the storyline and its characters are slipping away from him. I always enjoy a novel with a writer as the central character. It's always intriguing to see how the written word within the story relates to or affects the characters we are reading about. Stephen King honed this technique in The Dark Half and in Misery. As authors, we make a certain connection with the character no matter if we like him or not.
Calvin works a boring job as a courier, and just getting to work on time adds to the misery of his existence. Cherney truly captures the theme of his novel in an opening scene where Wheeler is running late to work. He's cut himself shaving, he has no clean uniform for work, and then he gets stuck in traffic. From the descriptions of the people in the cars next to him, to people on their cell phones, ladies applying make-up, to Calvin flipping through the morning show radio stations, it is a scene all of us know all to well.
So how does Calvin relieve the tension that everyday life is causing him? He conjures up elaborate and sometimes morbid road rage scenarios that I'm sure many of us have daydreamed about. Beware! The other drivers on the road are about to get what's coming to them. If you thought Kathy Bates slamming her automobile into a teen's car who cut her off for a parking space in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was bad, then you haven't seen anything yet! But as our protagonist spirals out of control with no means of hope in sight, reality and fantasy begin to mix and Calvin finds himself behind the wheel and eager to make his vengeful dreams come true.
Although Cherney ends up scaring the heck out of readers and teaching you to probably think twice before flipping off some little blue haired lady driving with her blinker on, his overall story is very real and likable. His everyday characters are believable, and as I've said, almost maybe a little too real. Anyone who has ever been stuck in traffic will probably think Cherney is a mind reader. He has highlighted something as everyday as road rage and used it to pen a nice psychological and entertaining thriller. Despite some minor editing problems, Red Asphalt is a joy ride to read. Buckle up!
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