The Full Ridiculous
Mark Lamprell, 2014
Soft Skull
240 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781619022959
Summary
Michael O’Dell is hit by a car, and when he doesn’t die, he is surprised and pleased.
But what should have been a catalyst for a new lease on life turns into a dance with the black dog: depression. Post-accident, Michael can’t concentrate, control his anger and grief, or work out what to do about much of anything. His professional life begins to crumble, and although his wife, Wendy, is heroically supportive, his teenage children only exacerbate his post-accident angst.
His daughter Rosie punches out a vindictive schoolmate, plunging the family into a special parent-teacher hell. Meanwhile, his son Declan is found with a stash of illicit drugs, and a strange policeman starts harassing the family, causing ordinary mishaps to take on a sinister desperation.
Equal parts hilarious and painful, this compelling novel delves into the difficulties of family, marriage, and the precarious business of being a man. Mark Lamprell’s pithy and poignant debut novel examines the terrible truth: sometimes you can’t pull yourself together until you’ve completely fallen apart.