Heather’s Bookshelf: Ogden’s Proverb
Author: John McCluskey
Released: 08/31/22
Genre: Literary Fiction
“Maybe I do have some impact on my own life after all; maybe there are some things I could decide for myself. Maybe my father was showing me just how to do that all along.”
“Ogden’s Proverb” introduces Ogden Skully, a man looking back on his life. As a teenager enrolled in Hamden Academy, Ogden feels out of place.
His prep school is filled with the most impressive, talented, and/or wealthy people his age. His family’s newly privileged status enhances his anxieties. Along the way, Ogden finds his first love (filled with it’s own anxieties, successes and failures), confronts his troubling home life, and has to come to terms with a tragedy at his school. He also finds a hidden talent that he’s reluctant to pursue. Looking back on his life, he reviews some of the more momentous events and how they have formed his life.
Trigger Warning: adult/derogatory language, sexual situations, reference to death
Overall, I enjoyed this coming-of-age tale. The story is focused on the title character and his reflection on momentous events in his life. The events are meaningful and emotional with a real feeling of connection to his past. Ogden is relatable and likable in a way that had me continuing to turn the page to find out what happened to him. McCluskey proves he’s the king of alliteration and a master of the functional run on sentence from the start of the book to the very end. The tale is told without chapters and felt like one stream of consciousness. I found this a little challenging, as there were no great pausing places along the way. The descriptions of the events in the book and Ogden’s emotions are clear and detailed. There is a reference to another of the author’s work which I have also reviewed. It felt organic to me and added to the authenticity of the story. The ending was a bit of a mix for me. It was Ogden-centric which was true to the tale, but I wish there was a way to work in what happened to many of the other characters along the way.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A coming-of-age tale about family, love, tragedy, and the pursuit of the meaning behind life’s notable moments. The structure is unique but a little distracting from the story.
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