RATTLE, a novel by JP Paul
TOO BIG to question? TOO POWERFUL to confront?
Max Proctar sits in his lounger, oblivious to shadows whispering barbs to derail the masochist in wobbled flight. His wife and siblings skipped town long ago. Beloved children can’t bare to watch him implode. New neighbors demand his immediate elimination, legal or otherwise. Nothing evokes compromise from the man with the coveted lynchpin holdings at the core of this once sleepy Florida town. Even corporate skullduggery rarely elicits a flinch from someone whose days are ranked by genuine smile count and friendly voices. The ostracized patriarch admits his best intentions might kill. Not until beloved family members embark on similar paths to self destruction is Max spurred to react. Despite family follies that suggest the contrary, strained principles must somehow prevail.
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A feisty, multi-layered saga where farmers, corporate button-downs, art world bohemians, and tech gurus clash over property and conflicting agendas. A timely tale examining friction between misinterpreted demographic and vocational dichotomies. Follow the Proctar family through betrayal, a corporate ruse, and foreign gambits that expose the dangers of cultural naiveté.
Rattle introduces a refreshing voice that reads poetic, rawly emotive, and frequently restless. A rambunctious tale with ominous tangents that shroud each existential challenge, Rattle is a comedy-drama that for many of us strikes close to home.
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Kirkus has been a leading reviewer and book discovery service for decades. Here's the positive review that they recently posted on their site about RATTLE:
In his ambitious debut novel, Paul tells the story of the savvy, artistic Proctar family in Cane Valley, Florida. They find their sedate way of life disturbed when corporate interests and an ambitious technology company, Global Cybernetics, stumble upon their idyllic town and offer buyouts to local landowners. Although some see the influx of wealth as an opportunity, the family patriarch Max Proctar, a sculptor, is reticent, wary of the changes that the town's growth will likely bring. His social standing and his land holdings in town command respect, but they also make him a target as outside forces begin to infringe on his bohemian way of life. In addition, Max must also face the return of his adult children, who struggle to reconcile their love for him with his curmudgeonly ways. The most compelling character among this cohort is Zara Proctar, an aspiring painter searching for her own path. The Proctars, a collection of witty, erudite aesthetes, resemble J.D. Salinger's famous Glass family, but they also bring a Faulknerian Southern attitude and 21st-century concerns. Paul writes in a verbose, intelligent style that recalls David Foster Wallace... This novel will be sure to please fans of family epics, and may also appeal to those with an interest in how technological and corporate culture are encroaching on personal lives in the 21st century.
A strong, stylish novel about one family's battle to preserve its identity in the face of changing times. - Kirkus Reviews
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jp-paul/rattle/
For JP Paul's reaction to the Kirkus review, click here.
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