Review of McDowell
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Ikenna Ohaka
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Review of McDowell
[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]
McDowell by William H. Coles is truly unique and an example of the author's skill and a new benchmark for other writers who would like to have crime, family, mystery, and probably tragedy all rolled into one, which I find very difficult to classify this book for its remarkable complexity. He plunged us into this world with a riveting storyline and neat writing style, and then pulled back the rug to reveal how similar it really is to our own.
This novel depicts the human experience so well, paying particular attention to the evils one person can have inside themselves and also how that same individual can change. The protagonist of this story is Hiram McDowell, who is first presented in one of his many habitual yet dangerous mountain climbing trips. He is introduced to us here, deserting his climbing companion in deadly cold without trying to save him. We learn subsequently that McDowell is an affluent, well-accepted surgeon, yet initially he is presented as a misogynistic, conceited, and selfish protagonist. He is married to Carole Mastriano, McDowell's third wife and a widow formerly. Carole and her two daughters, Candice and Tasha, are maintained by him. Ann, Sophie, and Billie are three children of McDowell from former marriages. At the beginning of the story, Paige Sterling is an experienced journalist who writes to reveal the truth, and above all, she is very concerned about how women are treated, so she starts investigating Hiram's dubious practices and his way of life. It is at this point in the novel that the lives of each of these characters really begin to overlap and provide the book with an identity of its own.
The first part, then, focuses primarily on their introduction and their situation—a sort of rising action for the novel; it emphasizes, quite irresistibly, that Hiram McDowell is merciless and thoroughly unpleasant. While the second part, with the help of a bookstore owner called Maud and her family, shows the changes he makes to find some sort of absolution.
The plot, writing, and characters in this book are all quite excellent. The style of writing is as engaging in its simplicity as the completely engrossing plot. I think that latter point is important given how occasionally convoluted the plot may get and gives it a nice balance. Coles does this too, announcing shocking events of the book as if he were discussing casual matters. This makes the reader's curiosity great enough to continue reading. One of the most amazing aspects about this book for me was how it took the time to focus in on each and every one of the characters, all of whom were completely interesting. This made their interactions and their combined influence on Hiram McDowell's life much more pleasurable. Not one circumstance or character feels superfluous or out of place, and the character growth and reveal of Hiram and everyone around him is extremely realistic and well-executed.
I give William H. Coles' McDowell a well-deserved five out of five stars. I don't have any complaints whatsoever. It was engaging to read and professionally edited. In my opinion, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rapid story twists and has the aforementioned genres of interest. However, if you were looking for something light, then I wouldn't recommend this one because it does require your undivided attention if you want to enjoy it properly. You also won't want to read it if you're the kind of person who can't stand strong language. Although interests are obviously quite varied, I also wanted to say that this might not be the right book for anyone whose only source of fun is fantasy. This is definitely a great starting point for anyone that wants to start investigating the crime or family genres, though.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
McDowell by William H. Coles is truly unique and an example of the author's skill and a new benchmark for other writers who would like to have crime, family, mystery, and probably tragedy all rolled into one, which I find very difficult to classify this book for its remarkable complexity. He plunged us into this world with a riveting storyline and neat writing style, and then pulled back the rug to reveal how similar it really is to our own.
This novel depicts the human experience so well, paying particular attention to the evils one person can have inside themselves and also how that same individual can change. The protagonist of this story is Hiram McDowell, who is first presented in one of his many habitual yet dangerous mountain climbing trips. He is introduced to us here, deserting his climbing companion in deadly cold without trying to save him. We learn subsequently that McDowell is an affluent, well-accepted surgeon, yet initially he is presented as a misogynistic, conceited, and selfish protagonist. He is married to Carole Mastriano, McDowell's third wife and a widow formerly. Carole and her two daughters, Candice and Tasha, are maintained by him. Ann, Sophie, and Billie are three children of McDowell from former marriages. At the beginning of the story, Paige Sterling is an experienced journalist who writes to reveal the truth, and above all, she is very concerned about how women are treated, so she starts investigating Hiram's dubious practices and his way of life. It is at this point in the novel that the lives of each of these characters really begin to overlap and provide the book with an identity of its own.
The first part, then, focuses primarily on their introduction and their situation—a sort of rising action for the novel; it emphasizes, quite irresistibly, that Hiram McDowell is merciless and thoroughly unpleasant. While the second part, with the help of a bookstore owner called Maud and her family, shows the changes he makes to find some sort of absolution.
The plot, writing, and characters in this book are all quite excellent. The style of writing is as engaging in its simplicity as the completely engrossing plot. I think that latter point is important given how occasionally convoluted the plot may get and gives it a nice balance. Coles does this too, announcing shocking events of the book as if he were discussing casual matters. This makes the reader's curiosity great enough to continue reading. One of the most amazing aspects about this book for me was how it took the time to focus in on each and every one of the characters, all of whom were completely interesting. This made their interactions and their combined influence on Hiram McDowell's life much more pleasurable. Not one circumstance or character feels superfluous or out of place, and the character growth and reveal of Hiram and everyone around him is extremely realistic and well-executed.
I give William H. Coles' McDowell a well-deserved five out of five stars. I don't have any complaints whatsoever. It was engaging to read and professionally edited. In my opinion, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rapid story twists and has the aforementioned genres of interest. However, if you were looking for something light, then I wouldn't recommend this one because it does require your undivided attention if you want to enjoy it properly. You also won't want to read it if you're the kind of person who can't stand strong language. Although interests are obviously quite varied, I also wanted to say that this might not be the right book for anyone whose only source of fun is fantasy. This is definitely a great starting point for anyone that wants to start investigating the crime or family genres, though.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
