Review by SwissKeener -- McDowell by William H. Coles
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Stephanie Keener
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Review by SwissKeener -- McDowell by William H. Coles
[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]
McDowell by William H. Coles is a fictional story about a man named Hiram McDowell and the trials and tribulations of his adult life. The author takes us on a journey and a type of metamorphosis for McDowell. As the novel begins, McDowell is on top of the world, both literally and figuratively. We are introduced to McDowell while he is on a mountain-climbing expedition in Nepal. He is also at a point in his career where he is a highly regarded and respected doctor. He is on the prestigious board for the International College of Surgeons. He has also become a world-renowned philanthropist by establishing a medical hospital in Nepal. This foundation hospital serves and aids the local villagers with vaccinations, vitamin supplements, and antibiotics.
Despite his various accolades, or perhaps because of them, McDowell is extremely arrogant and conceited. In the beginning, his character is very self-centered, and it seems that he is only focused on advancing and bettering himself. He indeed puts himself above everyone else, including his son, his wife, and his work colleagues. I found his character to be quite despicable at this stage.
Slowly, however, the author manages to evolve McDowell‘s character into one of caring and empathy towards others. It is an amazing yet subtle transformation. I was fascinated by how the author made this happen. It was not one pivotal moment in time but more of a gradual change. I believe this shows true talent on the author's part.
As mentioned, McDowell starts off on top of the world. Then through various events, he plummets through a downward spiral, finally hitting rock bottom. As he starts to piece together his life again, he encounters various individuals along the way. It is these interactions that aid and guide him through the necessary transformation. I was very entertained by these different characters in the book, and I felt that the author made them very believable. I also liked reading about the different landscapes and cities that McDowell visited. For example, the author took us from Chicago to the Wyoming and Montana areas. Later, he took us to the California coast and then on to New Orleans. The music scene in New Orleans was exceptionally interesting. Finally, you could tell that the author did his research concerning the homeless and transient populations in the various cities. This was all very eye-opening.
One part of the story that I didn’t particularly care for was the lesbian twist with McDowell’s daughter. I felt that this could have been left out of the story altogether. The story had enough other controversial topics, such as violence, murder, adultery, divorce, depression, special-needs disability, sickness, poverty, and revenge.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book. The author’s writing style was easy to read and flowed nicely from chapter to chapter. I actually appreciated the surprise ending as well. Very often, I read through a book and then feel disappointed with the ending, but this was not the case with this book. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. It was exceptionally well proofed and edited. I would recommend this book to a more mature audience interested in a good fictional read. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
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McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
McDowell by William H. Coles is a fictional story about a man named Hiram McDowell and the trials and tribulations of his adult life. The author takes us on a journey and a type of metamorphosis for McDowell. As the novel begins, McDowell is on top of the world, both literally and figuratively. We are introduced to McDowell while he is on a mountain-climbing expedition in Nepal. He is also at a point in his career where he is a highly regarded and respected doctor. He is on the prestigious board for the International College of Surgeons. He has also become a world-renowned philanthropist by establishing a medical hospital in Nepal. This foundation hospital serves and aids the local villagers with vaccinations, vitamin supplements, and antibiotics.
Despite his various accolades, or perhaps because of them, McDowell is extremely arrogant and conceited. In the beginning, his character is very self-centered, and it seems that he is only focused on advancing and bettering himself. He indeed puts himself above everyone else, including his son, his wife, and his work colleagues. I found his character to be quite despicable at this stage.
Slowly, however, the author manages to evolve McDowell‘s character into one of caring and empathy towards others. It is an amazing yet subtle transformation. I was fascinated by how the author made this happen. It was not one pivotal moment in time but more of a gradual change. I believe this shows true talent on the author's part.
As mentioned, McDowell starts off on top of the world. Then through various events, he plummets through a downward spiral, finally hitting rock bottom. As he starts to piece together his life again, he encounters various individuals along the way. It is these interactions that aid and guide him through the necessary transformation. I was very entertained by these different characters in the book, and I felt that the author made them very believable. I also liked reading about the different landscapes and cities that McDowell visited. For example, the author took us from Chicago to the Wyoming and Montana areas. Later, he took us to the California coast and then on to New Orleans. The music scene in New Orleans was exceptionally interesting. Finally, you could tell that the author did his research concerning the homeless and transient populations in the various cities. This was all very eye-opening.
One part of the story that I didn’t particularly care for was the lesbian twist with McDowell’s daughter. I felt that this could have been left out of the story altogether. The story had enough other controversial topics, such as violence, murder, adultery, divorce, depression, special-needs disability, sickness, poverty, and revenge.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book. The author’s writing style was easy to read and flowed nicely from chapter to chapter. I actually appreciated the surprise ending as well. Very often, I read through a book and then feel disappointed with the ending, but this was not the case with this book. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. It was exceptionally well proofed and edited. I would recommend this book to a more mature audience interested in a good fictional read. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
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David Samanthaa
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The themes of redemption and personal growth are beautifully explored in "McDowell." Coles' writing is both eloquent and impactful, making for a deeply moving reading experience.
Latest Review: Totem by Charlie Sheldon
