Rate this book

Damascus (2011)

by Joshua Mohr(Favorite Author)

3.98 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0982684894 (ISBN13: 9780982684894)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Two Dollar Radio

review 1: 3 and 1/2! My pal Sara (and Goodreader) recommended this to me at a western Michigan whiskey distillery. It was a quick read, as promised, and full of fun, slightly characterized character (read: Santa Claus suit bartender hiding a Hitlerstache). My biggest problem with this little book is that it read more like a radio play, with the omniscient narrator constantly ushering in and out "scenes" and more dialogue than interior development. Or maybe a play done (duh) in a bar. Be a breeze to adapt!
review 2: great little tale of san francisco bar owner owen and the world he has made. he feels himself a failure but survives his own bad decisions and tries to at least keep his compassion, which maybe is one redeeming factor for folks, to take an interest and try to ... morebe nice. the merry/miserable cast that inhabit owen's bar, damascus, are typical neh? drunk sad man dying of cancer, lovable irascible drunk lady, drunk slacker hero-in-waiting bartender, drunk bi painter, drunk insane war vets, drunk but normal lesbian niece, and assorted drunk customers pull together to fight a common enemy: hate. the steinbeckian fight is ferocious but ultimately at least half-hopeful: cancer guy dies, but sees the error of his ways, bi painter has triumph of art, but it is destroyed, but she is inspired to do more, insane vets spread hate and terror, but are jailed and rehabilitated, lovable lush demonstrates true compassion but is still a miserable drunk, bar is obliterated, but the owner gets another chance. i think this is Mohr's best book yet. less

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