Review of Deadpan

[Clever Ahonsi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Deadpan" by Richard Walter.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Richard Walter crafts an extraordinary web of events against the backdrop of the oil crisis in the 1970s. It tells the story of one Dwight Bridges, a car dealer hailing from Hoggzswallow Hollow, who is mistaken for Richie Ritchie, a Jewish comedian. In Deadpan, Walter builds a frame filled with satirization, strength, and the absurdity of bias as Bridges steers through beautiful and strange incidents, the likes of which range from coming across an important historical figure such as the Shah of Iran. The humour is often used as a guide in this novel to bury racism and honour human self-respect in times of disaster, which I also see as a theme.

I like how Richard Walter hilariously deals with important topics like prejudice and identity. I liked how Dwight Bridges cocooned around jokes, an incredibly funny character seeing the complexities of the world and sharing history with so many unusual people, reflecting with such a sense of humour how he came in touch with more past figures as far-flung as the Shah of Iran.

These encounters underline the absurdity of prejudice and the toughness of the human spirit. The book shows that humour can be one of the most forceful ways towards barrier-breaking understanding. It made me think about my own prejudices and how very important empathy and laughter are to work our way out of them.

It's hard to dislike this book because it's such a brilliant use of satire to tackle some pretty serious subjects, like identity and prejudice. The novel is allowed to spread its compass wide, to embrace everything from the glittering nighttime stages of Las Vegas to the political backrooms of Tehran. The book was eceptionally well-edited and error-free.

Richard Walter uses humour to talk about prejudice and habits effectively in his comic style and Dwight Bridges in the book is a smart character, both amusing and insightful. The scenarios in this novel, ranging from where to visit history, give the story more depth and intrigue, earning this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to audiences seeking satire or comedy that also encourages deep thought.

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Deadpan
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