Official Review: Purple Hearted Man by Jack W. McDaniel

[inaramid]

Seems like there's a bit of that "unreliable narrator" thing going on here. Sounds fascinating, though it also sounds like the obscure portions can lead to confusion. Thanks for this review!

[NetMassimo]

Seems like there's a bit of that "unreliable narrator" thing going on here. Sounds fascinating, though it also sounds like the obscure portions can lead to confusion. Thanks for this review!

Yes, that's the case, though you wonder if the so-called normal people are more reliable than Purple. Thank you for your comment.

[mmm17]

This one seems to have an interesting and imaginative storyline. Too bad it has editing issues. Great review!

[NetMassimo]

This one seems to have an interesting and imaginative storyline. Too bad it has editing issues. Great review!

Luckily the editing issues are not a distraction, unfortunately, the several cases of upper case after aa semicolon forced me to take a star from my rating. Thank you for your appreciation.

[Kanda_theGreat]

I like the book's captivating title, and your depiction of its relevance. Thanks for the amazing review.

[NetMassimo]

I like the book's captivating title, and your depiction of its relevance. Thanks for the amazing review.

When you see the title's meaning, it's indeed relevant. Thank you for your appreciation!

[Nerea]

The Purple Hearted Man seems to have trust issues. But many soldiers presents the traits he had after their mission. The story seems to take the reader through a soldiers life. This seems to be a book I can have time for. I like your recommendation of who is likely to enjoy reading the book. Great work in your review.

[NetMassimo]

The Purple Hearted Man seems to have trust issues. But many soldiers presents the traits he had after their mission. The story seems to take the reader through a soldiers life. This seems to be a book I can have time for. I like your recommendation of who is likely to enjoy reading the book. Great work in your review.

Purple is a sort of amalgamation of veterans' experiences and problems caused by those experiences. The consequences can be seen when they're back home in a society that often refuses them. Thank you for your appreciation!

[kandscreeley]

Interesting. I don't think I've seen anything quite like this. I am curious what the author has to say about our society. Though it's not action-packed (except for the beginning), it seems like it's engaging enough. Thanks.

[NetMassimo]

Interesting. I don't think I've seen anything quite like this. I am curious what the author has to say about our society. Though it's not action-packed (except for the beginning), it seems like it's engaging enough. Thanks.

Other members commented about similarities with other novels, but I didn't read them, so I can't speculate about a possible inspiration for this novel. Certainly it's a special story, and I got engaged by Purple's very personal vision of our society. Thank you for your comment.

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Purple Hearted Man" by Jack W. McDaniel.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Purple Hearted Man by Jack McDaniel is the story of a man born in the desert who wants to be a healer. He joins what he calls a tribe where there are people who can support each other. He has other friends, but sometimes it's hard to tell who he can trust, including the woman who claim she's his sister. His job is hard because his enemy is the powerful One-Eye God, also known as the Money God.

The Purple Heart is a USA military decoration awarded to those wounded or killed while serving with the nation's military. At the beginning of the novel, a soldier wounded in action is brought to a hospital for treatment, and a nurse nicknames him the Purple Hearted Man. His wounds are both physical and mental as he suffers from severe PTSD. The consequence is that he thinks he was just born, but he doesn't know what to do with his life. He recovers from his physical wounds, but there's no budget to give him the psychiatric assistance he needs. He thinks his name is Purple, and when he gets out of the hospital and returns to his hometown he sees the world like no one else does.

The novel is told in the first person by Purple, starting from what he thinks is his birth in the desert. That's an intriguing choice by Jack McDaniel, because through Purple's eyes and thoughts we get to know him. That means understanding how he sees the world and what he thinks of it. He's a man who lost his memories and created a new identity. Despite his mental issues, he's lucid in his own way.

The One-Eye God, also known as the Money God, is probably the easiest to understand among Purple's ideas, and is a key to everything he thinks and does. He sees society being corrupted by money, and its consequent inequality. It's the society that literally spent trillions of dollars in its recent wars. It's the same society that has little budget to support the soldiers sent to fight those wars after they come home, sometimes with severe problems. It's the society that sees homeless people as rejects, making them invisible. Through Purple, Jack McDaniel addresses these issues and makes you wonder who's really mentally ill in this society. The author can be harsh in judging Western society, but I can't ignore the points Purple makes throughout the novel.

The beginning of the novel is bit brutal, as it's a battle scene, otherwise it's not an action story. What I found captivating is Purple's chain of reflections developed from his unique point of view. He's an outcast, so he sees society from the outside. The contrast between him and a society ruled by the One-Eye God is present throughout the novel. Despite his mental problems, he tries to help other people in his mission as a healer. That's remarkable, an interesting part of the novel that made me sympathize with Purple even more.

I found myself immersed in Purple's perceptions despite the novel's slow pace. My only complaint is that occasionally Purple is a bit obscure in his descriptions. At the end of the book, Jack McDaniel added a link to a mini-guide that explains some aspects of the novel.

In my opinion, Purple Hearted Man is a cleverly written novel that offers a thought-provoking depiction of our society. It contains neither profanities nor sexual references. There are several punctuation errors, in particular of an upper case after a semicolon. That's why my rating is only 3 out of 4 stars. If you're at least open to the possibility that there's something wrong in our society, this is a great novel that offers food for thought about these issues.

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Purple Hearted Man
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Purple sounds like such a compelling character. His outsider perspective must make every reflection hit harder. I like that the book challenges how society treats veterans and the homeless in a way that feels deeply personal. Seems like a slow-burn kind of novel that lingers in your thoughts long after finishing