When I heard that trumpet player Pete Tanton was also a published author my first thought was that he can't be as good a writer as he is a trumpet player but - lo and behold - thanks to an unexpected Christmas present, I find he is just that - maybe more.Johnny Lonely is a quite compelling tale of a teenage wannabee trying to find his place in the world of American entertainment.
As the title implies 'Johnny' real name Hughie is an introvert adolescent virgin who goes through a series of traumas and situations trying to find himself in a world that is alien to his music, his work ethic and confused approach to life. It is, at times, hilariously funny - like watching a drunk fall over, the blurb says - yet it is also sad and whilst we're laughing at him we're also feeling for him and sharing his various humiliations and perhaps feeling a little guilty about laughing.
In places it reminds me of J.D.Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye and there are also hints of Steinbeck but, overall, this is a helluva piece of original writing that was a worthy winner of The Tonto Press New Novelist Contest of 2007.
How do I know he was a worthy winner?
I was one of the 'Also-rans' who graciously concedes defeat!
Lance.
Available from Amazon.
ISBN-10: 0955218365
ISBN-13: 978-0955218361
Hi Lance
ReplyDeleteI too read Pete Tanton's novel over the holiday period.It is a light,comic read,the plot preposterous yet just about plausible. A ''good read'' as they say.
Russell