Carter Beats the Devil / Glen David Gold

Carter Beats the Devil

category: fictional biography, author:

Glen David Gold

original copyright 2001,
read in January 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

This book is sort of entertaining, as far as I read it. I lasted to page 77 out of 563... It's not a bad book. Just not something that grabbed at my attention.

There's an article in today's newspaper, I bought these books to raise my shelf esteem (The West, 18 Jan 2011) which inspired me to stop reading Carter. "Inspired"? Is that the correct word when I was ... internally convinced ... to stop reading? Anyway.

Heather Zubek wrote, "I am an avid reader and a true book lover. I still haven't read East of Eden..." Zubek's point is, she reads for enjoyment rather than to impress people with her erudition. (No, Zubek did not write "erudition". She was writing for a newspaper.)

I also read for enjoyment. I was not enjoying Carter Beats the Devil.

Why not? Mostly -- it's just not my type of book.

I suspect that the link between Carter and the sudden death of US President Harding is meant to be an exciting take on a real incident. Perhaps an insight into the president's life and times, with hints of conspiracy theory. Too bad. I had never before heard of US President Harding. His death and his life and times are of no interest to me.

So the Harding hook at the start of the book failed to catch my interest. Then we are returned to Carter's childhood.

And what a miserable childhood it is!

Except that Gold has failed to really capture the misery. He tells a story, of children alone over Christmas. Of a father more interested in money than family, a mother who leaves the family for a year or more in order to get quack treatment for imaginary illnesses. And none of it really seems to matter.

The story is a straight recitation of incidents with very little emotion. I feel sorry for the children. But the author has failed to build the sad incidents into a gripping tale.

At least -- for me.

I would have liked to have read on, to see what happens on and off the stage of a great magician. I was struggling. Then I read Zubek's article.

Zubek reads books for enjoyment; she does not want to own books -- "classics" -- purely as status symbols. I read books for enjoyment; I like to try a range of different styles and genres. Zubek has reminded me: I read for enjoyment. Not just so that I can claim Brownie points for having read something different.

I found Carter to be readable but not worth reading. You may have different tastes and a different opinion.

Try it. Tell me.

..o0o..

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