SPOILER ALERT FOR ALL KNOWN FPW BOOKS AND SHORT STORIES….well, mainly "Infernal," "Crisscross" and "The Haunted Air"





Though not my favorite RJ novel, I give “Infernal” a thumb’s up. It is a compelling psychological RJ story, and that’s something we haven’t seen yet.

Throughout Paul’s books there is a theme of family and relationship. What does it mean to be family? How should families look? The power of feelings created in families echoes through our lives forever. Tom and Jack, their relationships to one another, their father, mother and sister, are beautifully worked in “Infernal.” How is it that children raised by the same parents in the same environment can turn out so differently? What is it that makes each of us unique? Why do we make the choices we do? How is it that one brother can seem such a loner yet has scores of folks who’d stand up for him in a heartbeat, while the other ostensibly gregarious brother hasn’t got a friend in the world? What makes our hearts thump in such contrasting beats?

All of those questions are addressed though not necessarily answered in “Infernal.” We are left to think about them, and that’s good.

Jack’s father dying heroically but senselessly and so damn quickly was unnerving. It set up the book to be different from all others. Right from the start we know this book would take us to places we haven’t visited with Jack, places in the heart. We see Jack in the depths of blood red rage. The powerful emotion taps into his untouched grief and he finds himself overwhelmed by feelings, suddenly crying while strangling a thug.

We also see Jack damaged, not physically as he’s been many times before, but brought to his knees by emotions he can barely handle. The devastation he feels at the violent loss of his father, the sense of the rug being pulled out from under him, leaves Jack unable to take control with Joey in the Arab confrontation. At the same time, Jack is facing his own impending doom from a bizarre source, also something over which he has no control. Jack is not in control through much of the book. He’s hurting, he’s been maimed, and he can’t quite fix it.

The fix comes from his seriously flawed brother, the brother we love to hate, the brother who deserves a smack upside his head and perhaps a kick in the balls. I do agree that Tom’s loser-ness was so well done that it was hard to feel for him at all. His redemption scene, which we knew was coming just about from page one, was not all that heartfelt. But it was a terrific way of removing the remaining family member with the possibility that he could come back somehow. Perhaps Tom will be a force from the other side, wherever the hell that is, just like Charlie has become.

I read “Infernal” as I’ve read all of FPW’s books…racing through it only to have to put it down, unclench my fingers and toes, take a deep breath, relax, then pick the book up, off to the races again.

I liked “Infernal.” It was a nice contrast to “Crisscross,” which was so wickedly twisted and nasty in the extreme. I still cringe when I think of that poor reporter tied naked to a chair, ensconced in a hollow pillar, knowing she is being buried alive in concrete. Ye gads, what an awful way to go!

I loved, as I always do, the cross references to other FPW books. Seeing Lyle and Charlie again warmed the cockles of me heart. Having Jack consult with a true spook is slyly hilarious, though the horror that brought him to Charlie was not funny at all.

I agree with Lisa about Gia. Gia needs to skin a knee or tear her skirt or pass some gas. She needs to be at least a little imperfect. Gia’s sparkling blue eyes are always enhanced, set off by the blue in some fetching yet always tasteful outfit. That’s it…Gia’s just too darned tasteful! I know she’s an artist and has an eye for color, but she, herself, needs to mess up sometime. Gia is human, she’s flawed. Let’s see it.

I felt the Otherness/Ally at work throughout this book. I had no question that Jack's father dying as he did, just as they were coming together again, has the look of the Big R all over it. The virtually unpronounceable Lilitongue of Gefreda certainly smacks of the Otherness. And where the heck did FPW come up with that name???

Joey's dying words were also stated with knowledge from the other side of something big..."You know stuff when you're dead." Yup. You sure do.

Finally, I have to say that Tom's unrelenting reference to his ex-wifes as The Skanks left a really bad taste in my mouth. Using the phrase once or twice is tolerable, but having those be the only words he had to say about the women in his life is pretty grim. The point was made the first time.


OK, long post here…time for beddy bye.

Gotta disagree with you on this one Maggers.

People like Tom who refer to women, or a particular woman as "The Skank(s) spew out such epithets as often and frequently as loudly as they can. It's part of their character and every time they use a demeaning term about someone else they feel a little better (superior?) about themselves.

All in all, another nice addition to your FPW Master's Thesis. Hope you saved this. *

By "this", I mean your post (above), not my comment

Gotta disagree with you on this one Maggers.

People like Tom who refer to women, or a particular woman as "The Skank(s) spew out such epithets as often and frequently as loudly as they can. It's part of their character and every time they use a demeaning term about someone else they feel a little better (superior?) about themselves.

All in all, another nice addition to your FPW Master's Thesis. Hope you saved this. *

By "this", I mean your post (above), not my comment

Thanks for the compliments, Keith. I did save this one.

I fully understand that Tom's opinion of women was in the gutter until he met Gia. His narcissism would prevent him from forming respectful attachments to anyone. But come on, there have to be other derogatory words to use in addition to skanks. His vocabulary was clearly larger than that.

I fully understand that Tom's opinion of women was in the gutter until he met Gia. His narcissism would prevent him from forming respectful attachments to anyone. But come on, there have to be other derogatory words to use in addition to skanks. His vocabulary was clearly larger than that.

But a nickname is a nickname. I thought it fit the character very well.

Nice review by the way.

Dave

But a nickname is a nickname. I thought it fit the character very well.

Nice review by the way.

Dave

Thanks, and I agree that a nickname is a nickname and it fit the character to a T.

But I found it profoundly jarring every time I read it, and Skanks from Hell appeared well over a dozen times, at least. I've never criticized Paul's use of words, who the hell am I to do so. I just was suprised and unsettled by the repetition.

Gotta disagree with you on this one Maggers.

People like Tom who refer to women, or a particular woman as "The Skank(s) spew out such epithets as often and frequently as loudly as they can. It's part of their character and every time they use a demeaning term about someone else they feel a little better (superior?) about themselves.

Yep, I've had the same nicknames for my sisters and brothers for all these years. I say them more out affection anymore. But once a name sticks, it sticks. And it also make me feel better! Go figure! Of course I recive as good as I give, ain't love grand!

KRW

Maggers, great review. I agree with most of what you said. I've been thinking about the book some more, and I think one issue is that the rest of the story doesn't live up to the powerful beginning sequence. The beginning was wicked awesome and much of what followed was, well, not so awesome. I did LOVE the ideas in this one though. The Lilitongue rocks.

Lisa

Maggers, great review. I agree with most of what you said. I've been thinking about the book some more, and I think one issue is that the rest of the story doesn't live up to the powerful beginning sequence. The beginning was wicked awesome and much of what followed was, well, not so awesome. I did LOVE the ideas in this one though. The Lilitongue rocks.

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa! Now if only Gia would fart in public, then we'd all be happy.

I suspect the fabulous Lilitongue will come back somehow, some way. I don't think we've seen the last of that mysterious....thing.

Thanks, Lisa! Now if only Gia would fart in public, then we'd all be happy.

I thought girls didn't fart!? :confused:

I thought girls didn't fart!? :confused:

If you're human, you fart. Hey, even my dogs and cats fart, though silently.

The point with Gia is...she's just too darned perfect. She needs to be mussed up a bit, by her own doing.