Review of McDowell

[Robinlloyd17]

[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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McDowell, by William H. Cole, is fiction, but written as a biography. In the first part of the book, the author takes great care to give the reader a glimpse into all of the people surrounding Hiram McDowell, and how Hiram feels about each of these people. As the reader, I was drawn into Hiram's extravagant world. He makes an enormous amount of money and lives a very extravagant lifestyle. From home, to work, to his charity outreach, he is never in want of anything. He seems to have everything a man could want, except love. He loves his children, but has no idea how to show them his love, other than with money, and they tolerate him because he pays for the lifestyle they want to live. His marriage is one of convenience and there is a large ice wall between him and his wife. He tries hard to fill the void in his heart with other women and his passion for mountain climbing. But, is this enough? He is extremely successful in his career as a surgeon, to the point of gaining the attention of the President of the United States. Will this be able to fill the void he feels?

Then it happens. Hiram's world begins to crumble. First in little ways that seem almost harmless. Then it snowballs until he has lost everything. How does a man deal with loss on this level? The second part of the book takes a deep look at just how a man, this man, deals with going from the top of the world, straight to the bottom. When everything is stripped away, Hiram can finally find himself. But is it too late? Can he rebuild a life for himself. Can he rekindle relationships with his children? Can he form new and meaningful relationships?

William H. Cole does a great job of creating the extravagant life of Hiram McDowell, and giving the reader a connection with him. Even though I found him to be arrogant and self-involved, I still felt sympathy for him. I found myself wishing he could find true love, or hoping his life would take a turn for the good after the fall. I find this commendable of the author, in his writing, to be able to help me empathize with Hiram.

The only negative thing I can find about the book, is the story is a little slow at first. But, if you keep reading, the story really takes a turn in the second half, and becomes quite enthralling. Overall I found McDowell to be interesting and a good read. It is also exceptionally well edited, as I only found one error. Therefore, I have to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend McDowell, by William H. Cole, to anyone who enjoys the writing style of a biography. There is some profanity used and sexual references, so I would recommend this book to an adult audience.

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McDowell
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[Fawmi FJumana]

Sounds like an interesting read. I haven't read a fiction in biography style before so this is gonna be something new for me. But your review did pick my interest, and I would like to give this a go.

[Stacy K]

I really enjoyed reading your thorough review. I also read the same book and was surprised that I found myself rooting for McDowell during Part 2. In the first part of the novel, I had a strong dislike for this character. However, the author did an amazing job of making me change my viewpoint about McDowell. The character development was exceptional, and I loved all of the supporting characters in this novel, especially in Part 2. They played a significant role in helping McDowell with his transformation.