Everyone’s had one at some point in their lives: a bad neighbor.
Rio Youers’ OLD MAN SCRATCH tells the tale of Johnny and Melinda Gregson, who have moved from the city to the countryside after their retirement. The couple hopes to find peace and relaxation in their new location, but quickly find out that their neighbor, “Scratch” Clayton, isn’t about to comply with their wishes.
Scratch is an ornery old man who lives by his own rules. Each day during the summer he wakes up at first light to mow his lawn; once winter arrives, he maintains the same schedule, trading in his lawn mowing for snow blowing (even if snow hasn’t fallen the night before). Frustrated by their neighbor’s schedule, Johnny confronts Scratch and asks the old man to change his ways. Scratch rejects the idea, going so far as to start mowing his lawn in the middle of the night just to stick it to his neighbors. As the story progresses, the confrontations get more heated, to the point that Johnny Gregson starts considering the unimaginable, and risking his own soul in the process.
OLD MAN SCRATCH does an excellent job of showing just how difficult it can be to deal with confrontations amongst neighbors. Youers slowly builds the tension between Scratch and the Gregsons, putting the reader on edge as the situation continually gets worse and worse. Youers also effectively brings his characters to life – we can relate to the Gregsons and their plight, and nod our heads in affirmation as we read what they’re going through. After all, haven’t we all been there, having to deal with a grumpy or combative neighbor at some point in our lives?
But what makes the book shine is its study of the human heart. From the start, Scratch is portrayed as a cold and heartless man who has no consideration for anyone, while Johnny is shown to be a caring, loving husband who tries his hardest to deal with the problem in a civil manner. However, as the story progresses, we see Johnny’s countenance begin to devolve. He begins to fall deeper and deeper into his anger, bringing him to the brink of becoming everything he hates about his neighbor…and maybe worse. We as readers are left to wonder: given a similar situation, how close would we ourselves come to that brink? It’s an interesting question, one that will haunt each reader as they progress through the story.
OLD MAN SCRATCH is perfect in every way – characterization, mood and atmosphere, and plenty of tension. I think the book will speak to its readers because it’s something everyone has experienced at one point in their lives.
OLD MAN SCRATCH will be available in “late 2009” from PS Publishing in two versions – a $19.20 trade hardcover and a $40 signed/jacketed hardcover. While I give the book my full recommendation, I feel I must add that the story is very short. After taking out extraneous pages, you’re probably left with around 45 pages or so, which may make it hard to justify the price tag. That being said, this is one story that’s worth tracking down, even if it costs you a few extra bucks to do so.
(10 out of 10)
Rio Youers’ OLD MAN SCRATCH tells the tale of Johnny and Melinda Gregson, who have moved from the city to the countryside after their retirement. The couple hopes to find peace and relaxation in their new location, but quickly find out that their neighbor, “Scratch” Clayton, isn’t about to comply with their wishes.
Scratch is an ornery old man who lives by his own rules. Each day during the summer he wakes up at first light to mow his lawn; once winter arrives, he maintains the same schedule, trading in his lawn mowing for snow blowing (even if snow hasn’t fallen the night before). Frustrated by their neighbor’s schedule, Johnny confronts Scratch and asks the old man to change his ways. Scratch rejects the idea, going so far as to start mowing his lawn in the middle of the night just to stick it to his neighbors. As the story progresses, the confrontations get more heated, to the point that Johnny Gregson starts considering the unimaginable, and risking his own soul in the process.
OLD MAN SCRATCH does an excellent job of showing just how difficult it can be to deal with confrontations amongst neighbors. Youers slowly builds the tension between Scratch and the Gregsons, putting the reader on edge as the situation continually gets worse and worse. Youers also effectively brings his characters to life – we can relate to the Gregsons and their plight, and nod our heads in affirmation as we read what they’re going through. After all, haven’t we all been there, having to deal with a grumpy or combative neighbor at some point in our lives?
But what makes the book shine is its study of the human heart. From the start, Scratch is portrayed as a cold and heartless man who has no consideration for anyone, while Johnny is shown to be a caring, loving husband who tries his hardest to deal with the problem in a civil manner. However, as the story progresses, we see Johnny’s countenance begin to devolve. He begins to fall deeper and deeper into his anger, bringing him to the brink of becoming everything he hates about his neighbor…and maybe worse. We as readers are left to wonder: given a similar situation, how close would we ourselves come to that brink? It’s an interesting question, one that will haunt each reader as they progress through the story.
OLD MAN SCRATCH is perfect in every way – characterization, mood and atmosphere, and plenty of tension. I think the book will speak to its readers because it’s something everyone has experienced at one point in their lives.
OLD MAN SCRATCH will be available in “late 2009” from PS Publishing in two versions – a $19.20 trade hardcover and a $40 signed/jacketed hardcover. While I give the book my full recommendation, I feel I must add that the story is very short. After taking out extraneous pages, you’re probably left with around 45 pages or so, which may make it hard to justify the price tag. That being said, this is one story that’s worth tracking down, even if it costs you a few extra bucks to do so.
(10 out of 10)
The author does not allow comments to this entry
No comments