Review by melnguyen2020 -- McDowell by William H. Coles
-
melnguyen2020
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 16 May 2020, 00:16
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 39
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-melnguyen2020.html
- Latest Review: McDowell by William H. Coles
Review by melnguyen2020 -- McDowell by William H. Coles
[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]
McDowell by William H. Coles follows Hiram McDowell, a world-renowned surgeon, whom the public knows to be a kind, generous, successful man. After all, he established a charity foundation for the less fortunate and a much-needed hospital in Nepal. Those closest to him, however, know him to be self-centered, deceitful, and misogynistic, ruthless in his determination to be the best. Through dubious tactics, Hiram establishes himself at the acme of the surgical field, and the colleagues that he deceived in his climb to the top pledge to destroy his career. Shortly after he is introduced into the political world, shocking truths surrounding his career surface. Compounded with a personal tragedy, McDowell caves under public pressure, leading him to commit a crime. As a result, everything McDowell has worked for comes crashing down around him.
Firstly, I enjoyed the multiple points of view Coles employs to tell Hiram’s story. It was interesting to see the contrast between Hiram’s rude, callous attitude to those closest to him and Hiram’s persona of generosity and kindness shown to the public. It was also beneficial for readers to see Hiram’s character development through strangers’ eyes. In this way, Hiram's character development is able to translate organically into his everyday actions. Additionally, Coles brings up several difficult topics, compelling readers to question their beliefs and see situations from others’ perspectives. For example, readers are encouraged to examine the boundary between parental responsibility for their children and children’s accountability for their actions, and the audience is forced to consider the humanity behind criminals and the causes of their criminal actions.
Furthermore, I found it really interesting to track the antagonistic dynamics throughout the narrative. In the beginning, Hiram can be labeled as the villain, since he is conniving and self-centered, exhibiting villainous behavior. However, towards the end of the book, when his actions no longer mark him as a villain, readers wonder whether Hiram can still be labelled as the villain. This shift leads readers to question what characteristics really distinguish a villain from a hero in McDowell’s story, and Coles is able to ask readers to decide whether one's actions outweigh others' subversive actions against that person.
On the other hand, I was frustrated with how the narrative skips over pivotal moments in the story. Readers are only informed of an important decision or an important scene after the fact, which made some parts of the novel feel more like an essay rather than a story. It was frustrating for readers to not be able to see parts of the story unfold. In addition, the verb tense shifts several times throughout the novel. Since Coles is known for his work in the short story department, I thought this was an interesting stylistic approach. However, in the end, the shifts in verb tense prove to be unnecessary. Several times I thought they were grammatical errors rather than purposeful changes in tense.
I rate McDowell by William H. Coles a 4 out of 4 stars. Although there were issues with the storytelling that bothered me, the story itself was very interesting and encouraged me to think about topics I seldom think about. Several times, I believed McDowell was a real person, which shows how well Coles modelled McDowell after power-hungry politicians and businessmen. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy following a round character, those who enjoy a redemption story, and those who are interested in how the media can affect politics.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
McDowell by William H. Coles follows Hiram McDowell, a world-renowned surgeon, whom the public knows to be a kind, generous, successful man. After all, he established a charity foundation for the less fortunate and a much-needed hospital in Nepal. Those closest to him, however, know him to be self-centered, deceitful, and misogynistic, ruthless in his determination to be the best. Through dubious tactics, Hiram establishes himself at the acme of the surgical field, and the colleagues that he deceived in his climb to the top pledge to destroy his career. Shortly after he is introduced into the political world, shocking truths surrounding his career surface. Compounded with a personal tragedy, McDowell caves under public pressure, leading him to commit a crime. As a result, everything McDowell has worked for comes crashing down around him.
Firstly, I enjoyed the multiple points of view Coles employs to tell Hiram’s story. It was interesting to see the contrast between Hiram’s rude, callous attitude to those closest to him and Hiram’s persona of generosity and kindness shown to the public. It was also beneficial for readers to see Hiram’s character development through strangers’ eyes. In this way, Hiram's character development is able to translate organically into his everyday actions. Additionally, Coles brings up several difficult topics, compelling readers to question their beliefs and see situations from others’ perspectives. For example, readers are encouraged to examine the boundary between parental responsibility for their children and children’s accountability for their actions, and the audience is forced to consider the humanity behind criminals and the causes of their criminal actions.
Furthermore, I found it really interesting to track the antagonistic dynamics throughout the narrative. In the beginning, Hiram can be labeled as the villain, since he is conniving and self-centered, exhibiting villainous behavior. However, towards the end of the book, when his actions no longer mark him as a villain, readers wonder whether Hiram can still be labelled as the villain. This shift leads readers to question what characteristics really distinguish a villain from a hero in McDowell’s story, and Coles is able to ask readers to decide whether one's actions outweigh others' subversive actions against that person.
On the other hand, I was frustrated with how the narrative skips over pivotal moments in the story. Readers are only informed of an important decision or an important scene after the fact, which made some parts of the novel feel more like an essay rather than a story. It was frustrating for readers to not be able to see parts of the story unfold. In addition, the verb tense shifts several times throughout the novel. Since Coles is known for his work in the short story department, I thought this was an interesting stylistic approach. However, in the end, the shifts in verb tense prove to be unnecessary. Several times I thought they were grammatical errors rather than purposeful changes in tense.
I rate McDowell by William H. Coles a 4 out of 4 stars. Although there were issues with the storytelling that bothered me, the story itself was very interesting and encouraged me to think about topics I seldom think about. Several times, I believed McDowell was a real person, which shows how well Coles modelled McDowell after power-hungry politicians and businessmen. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy following a round character, those who enjoy a redemption story, and those who are interested in how the media can affect politics.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: McDowell by William H. Coles
