Banned by Amazon

by | Sep 20, 2019 | Author's Blog

I love it! My review of The Institute was banned by Amazon, because it used offensive language in a paragraph where I was complaining about King’s pathological obsession with shit. That’s just too funny.

Here is the review in full:

Classic King

This isn’t my favorite King, but if page-turning suspense counts for something, it’s very good. King is, after all, a master storyteller. I just had to keep turning the pages. Some of his books are better at evoking small-town life, family dynamics, multifaceted relationships, or just plain creepiness, but in terms of getting the reader to root for the protagonist, Luke, and making the situation as dire as possible, he succeeds admirably with The Institute.

But The Institute also exposes King’s current weaknesses. His editors must be reluctant to cut anything, which leads to some irritating repetition. There are numerous instances where Luke’s inner monologue is presented by an omniscient narrator who qualifies and retracts as he blathers on. It might sound something like this: “The old woman reminded him of a quiet and kindly grandmother, or maybe not a grandmother, more like a nosy neighbor who keeps her mouth shut and her ears wide open in order to glean information. After all, you didn’t learn anything new by talking.” That’s my sentence, not his, but it serves as an example. Half of that sentence is extraneous, and this reader found passages like it, annoying enough to break the flow of the narrative.

One of King’s hallmarks has been a knowledge of cultural touchstones, and how to use them to give a story an immediacy and context. Television shows, music, and historical events are referenced, to ground the narrative in culturally shared experiences, and place the action firmly in a particular decade. Unfortunately, many of his references are no longer relevant or accessible to a younger generation, at whom the book seems to be targeted.

Lastly, if I were his editor, I’d cut some of the scatological references. It’s damn near a pathological obsession, and it gets awfully old when you know it’s coming, as surely it must if it’s a Stephen King novel. I’m not a prude, and a well-placed shit or piss is not going to shock me, but the constant shit sandwiches, crapped pants, wet crotches, and peed beds are just irritating at this point. Or maybe that’s just me.

Nonetheless, here King takes on some big themes — the powerless versus the powerful; injustice; the dangerous mindset of the zealot; the need to question authority. He might have mined these themes in a novel about a Nazi extermination camp, and I’m sure he’d make it terrifying, but by setting it in the U.S. in the present day, he gives himself the latitude to explore our contemporary moral vacuum, the constant struggle of good versus evil, logic versus magical thinking, and the responsibility that comes with real freedom. Kudos to King.

Seal Cove Review

by | Sep 13, 2019 | Author's Blog

I’ve had a devil of a time finding beta readers for my new novel. You, dear reader, are invited to request a copy, just join my Advance Team on the homepage of this website. I think it’s difficult for most writers to judge their own work. One day I’ll reread a scene and think “how marvelous!” A week later I’ll read the same passage and think, “what drivel.”

To get an unbiased review from a professional reviewer, I submitted the manuscript to the BookLife Prize (a prize awarded by Publishers Weekly to an indie book or unpublished novel). In giving feedback, the BookLife Prize reviewer had this to say:

BookLife Prize – 2019

The Seal Cove Theoretical Society

Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10

Originality: 8 out of 10

Prose: 7 out of 10

Character/Execution: 9 out of 10

Overall: 8.25 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot: The interlocking stories made the book loom large while highlighting the deep connections between the individual characters who reside in the distinctive community of Seal Cove. In a narrative somewhat reminiscent of Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, even diversionary chapters reflecting on the history and intricacies of the small town, ultimately inform the overarching narrative.

Prose/Style: The author writes in clean, concise, and warm prose that evokes the spirit of the quietly eccentric community.

Originality: Clemens succeeds in establishing a unique setting for these interconnected stories, which ultimately act as patchwork pieces in a broader tapestry.

Character Development: Clemens’s care and reverence for his characters is apparent throughout. Each individual is provided with genuine closure that also resonates within the narrative whole.

END OF REVIEW.

I’m encouraged by the reviewer’s reaction. It could be more enthusiastic, but overall I think the review is fair. Nonetheless, it would be helpful to know how a general reader would respond to this book. You may even suggest how to make it even better. To share your insights before the novel is published, please make your request for a review copy by filling out the contact form on the homepage.