Buffalo Lockjaw

The Editorial Reviews (above) clearly outline the plot of this wonderful book, a son returning home to Buffalo deals with a dying city, a dying youth, and a dying mother, and he seems to find meaning in them all. But what the reviews don't tell you is that the author tells the story in a wonderful way where you really feel like you may be sitting with him in a dark Buffalo bar with the snow falling silently outside. Ames lets the story unfold with with an accessible and friendly voice...like he is your best friend. The story itself, the characters, and the way it is told has passages where it is deep, tragic, funny, shy...just like a great conversation, you almost feel like you want to nod or lean closer to him while he is telling it. I wouldn't change a thing.

Buffalo Lockjaw is a brilliantly written story about a son who feels responsible for his mother's current, debilitated state. After talking Ellen out of suicide when she was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease, James Fitzroy sets out on a journey back to his hometown of Buffalo to, for once in his life, do something of meaning, to save his mother from her suffering and follow through with her own wishes. Buffalo is the perfect backdrop for the story, not only because this is where the author grew up, but because,like the main character's mother, Buffalo is a city that is full of life and beauty, but is, in many ways, suffering. In a very clever way, the author teaches us much about Buffalo through several character sketches sprinkled throughout the first half of the novel, characters from the city of Buffalo that the main character, James, interviewed in his earlier days while conducting an ethnographical study. For some reason (unknown to himself at the time), James is listening to a tape of these interviews when he drives into Buffalo, and through his continued listening of it, the reader begins to learn about the city of Buffalo and comes to understand it as its own rich character in the story. Throughout the course of the story, James finds that his past seems to collide with his present as he works through his decision to help his mother. We're introduced to his family and see the pain and heartache that surrounds watching a loved one suffer from advanced Alzheimer's as she becomes more debilitated and loses her sense of self. We also see the guilt that consumes James as he watches his mom suffer. He feels responsible for her current state, because, after all, he was the one who talked her out of suicide. No longer capable of conveying what she wants, James wants to make things right, but he finds himself locked within his tendency to be more of a witness than a participant in life. This story could definitely make for some really heavy drama, but the author seems to perfectly blend the heartfelt drama with comedic relief. He cleverly juxtaposes the heartache with funny encounters and witty exchanges with James' childhood friends and pseudo love interests. Within this context, the reader comes to understand how truly trapped and disconnected all of the characters are in their current lives. They all seem locked in their most vulnerable states, especially James. He's trapped in the past, in his mind, in his self destructive role, and in his wanting to save Ellen. This notion of being trapped is carried throughout the novel and then linked to the title of the book and the idea of Buffalo Lockjaw. Not only was this really good writing, but within this context, I found myself wanting to piece things together, as if the story was its own puzzle. I wanted to know answers about the characters and wanted to learn more about the depth of James' grief, particularly in relation to his mother. The answers are all there, but the

The love/hate feelings towards our childhood neighborhoods is something many of us can relate to, especially in our early 20s. The main character in Buffalo Lockjaw has to come home, deal with the declining mental health of his mother and navigate relationships with his father, sister and other people from his past. Adding to the authenticity of the Buffalo scene, Ames throws in plenty of references to local interests. My favorites, however, are the short "interviews" with colorful characters around town. They're fantastic. I loved this book.

BUFFALO LOCKJAW. Awesome. The author balances vivid images with precise and clean language. The main character, James, was the perfect narrator for this story that deals with a taboo subject (assisted suicide). It was sad, intelligent, and the precarious balance between life and death, present and future, was perched on the perfect shoulders. Though the narrator was a wonderfully messy sort of fellow, his ability as a storyteller really allowed this story to be conveyed delicately.