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Rocket Man (2008)

by William Elliott Hazelgrove(Favorite Author)

3.26 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0615213073 (ISBN13: 9780615213071)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Pantonne Press Inc.

review 1: To be honest, I wasn't sure how I would view this novel as I read it. It's been years since I read much of anything but genre novels. But ROCKET MAN caught me up in it early and I was disappointed when it ended. I was immersed in the life of Dale Hammer, a man living the life of the middle class: wife and two kids, big car, a big house in the suburbs, the perfect life.Almost. He also has the big mortgage, a failing marriage, children constantly in turmoil, a day job about to end, a father thrown out of his third marriage, his job lost, and come tyo live with his oldest son. He's a mid-list author of four novels, none in the last seven years. Oh, he hasn't stopped writing, but nothing has emerged worthy.The pressures of life you know.Being Rocket Man for the scout troops of... more the area is one thing he hopes will reignite things. Even there there are problems though. An officious man at the top.I quite enjoyed this one. I wasn't familiar with Hazelgrove's work before, this is his fourth novel, but I think I want to see more.
review 2: The author is the writer-in-residence at the Hemingway house and there are a number of Oak Park links in this book. (I think that references to the town of "Oakland" in the book is Oak Park.)The story is about a man, his wife, and two kids who move from their nice little house in "Oakland" to a big sprawling house with 2 acres in "Charleston" (maybe St. Charles?). He's a writer; she's a stay-at-home mom (ex-lawyer). Both, along with their 9 year old son, must cope with the lifestyle changes as well as their raging debt. Setting is very current...housing bubble and overspending on the big house. In addition they've got to cope with his profane father, his liberal, academic brother and sister-in-law, and her successful, but manipulating parents. Throw in a home owners association, a manic school traffic guard, and a para-military Cub Scout pack and you've got the makings of a modern comedy.Though he doesn't get everything right about the Cub Scout stuff, he captures the nature of the true-believers perfectly. The relationship between father and son seems spot on, and the agonizing over discipline also hit home.Not a perfect book, but enjoyable...and a fast read. less

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