You Poor Monster

This novel takes readers on a wonderful, hilarious, and ultimately, thought provoking beautiful ride. My immediate reaction, upon finishing the book, was to read it again. And I did. Kun has created two extremely memorable characters: the "epic" Sam Shoogey, and the all too real narrator, Hamilton Ashe. Any honest person will have to admit identifying with the best and the worst of both characters. The use of endnotes, while at first humorous diversions, eventually create such an awesome parallel story, that one has trouble deciding which story is more important to them. Until you realize they are not separate stories at all. Simply put...an awesome achievement. Read it!!

When you read this book with other people around, be prepared to explain "what's so funny?" At the same time, you will probably find yourself stopping to re-read a passage or phrase that will strike you as well written or interesting. This is a unique, emotional and engaging novel. At points, the book seems to be written in caricature, which might appear superficial; on the surface, it might look easy to read, or write. But this seems to be part of the point of the book--to examine how we choose the depth of the stories that we tell ourselves and each other. Are Ham and Shoogey two different people, or the same person disguised as two different people? The way the book is written implicitly and explicitly challenges the reader to get involved and to tell his or her own version of the story. Part of it may be the writing style which is completely unintimidating and which makes the reader fill in the characters in his or her own way more than most novels, so the reader plays a role in telling this story as it unfolds. Also, the book addresses some serious issues. What do we do with parts of our lives that we don't like to think about? How can we come to terms with them? Perhaps by telling, and listening to, these stories.

You Poor Monster is a true gem. Like Kun's previous books (A Thousand Benjamins, Locklear Letters, and My Wife and My Dead Wife), the story wraps up with a bang. However, unlike Kun's previous works (all of which I found good reads), the conclusion here leaves the reader with room to analyze and interpret, making You Poor Monster a more sophisticated, and much more enjoyable, read. This book will bring Kun to the next level.

This is a noteworthy read. You Poor Monster is a clever story about our relationship with stories and the fiction that we need to enrich our own lives. The main character's fascination with a charming liar's fabrications is a powerful analogy to our relationships to truth and fiction. Very moving, well-constructed, and often funny... the work is unconventional yet totally approachable. Kun speaks with the reader rather than to him, and turns the idea of footnotes on its head as a hilarious way to connect the reader with the narrator's life. I've been inspired to get Mr. Kun's other three works...A lucky find!