Apology for Big Rod

This is a funny little novel and a fast read but stops maybe too abruptly to make things clear. The story is entertaining and full of surprises, especially Big Rod's sale of chocolate Jesuses!!! It is also a little strange (and the only book I've seen like that) when it seems to talk about (mainly joke about) post-structuralism & feminism but in non-academic way. Like it claims on the back cover the language is colloquial. What makes me hold back the 5th review star is that the author seems to make fun of all sides without taking one on his own, to have his cake and eat it too. If it is ONLY an an apology for "Big Rod" that is sort of offensive. If the book had been longer maybe this would have been clearer. Still it is a fun book.

I purchased for our library and read this book when Charles e-mailed my library and let us know that he was an Iowan and would we be interested in a book by an Iowa author. I enjoyed the book so much that I borrowed through inter-library loan his college disertation (a short novel). I am still waiting for his next novel which will hopefully have some of the characters from the disertation. I corresponded with Charles a couple times through e-mail. He didn't say when his next novel would be out. So we must wait.

I purchased this book because I am taking a course on "Finishing Your Novel" at the Iowa Summer Writers Festival and Charles Holdefer will be the course's instructor. My purpose for reading this book was admittedly egocentric...I wanted to see whether I would feel this man was qualified to teach this class. Well, let me assure you that he is and I have been sufficiently humbled. Holdefer's wit and the obvious care he's taken in constructing his characters will burn this novel into the reader's minds long after the final page has been turned.