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I purchased , by Jonathan Sturak, for several reasons. First, I read a forum post by the author. Next, a few people posted that they downloaded a “Sample,” and it looked great. Lastly, it had a cool title and a great cover. Yeah, I know not to judge a book by that, and I don’t when reviewing, but I have to admit that even I can be influenced by those things when it comes to purchasing.
Description: Roger Belkin and his wife, Lois, are going out to dinner. Unfortunately, their dinner date ends in tragedy.
Overall: 2 3/4 Stars
Plot/Storyline: 1 Star
I am a stickler for details when it comes to a novel making sense and not crossing the line too far out of reality to tell a story, with the exception of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and sometimes Horror, where it is necessary. This novel just had too many improbabilities in the plot for me to gain any enjoyment. Maybe it was my OCD kicking in, but my mind just kept dwelling on these issues.
First, Roger and Lois are in an accident with another vehicle while Roger is driving an SUV. The accident supposedly causes Lois to fly through the windshield, off a bridge and into a body of water. I’m no physicist, but when pondering this, I just couldn’t see it happening. I won’t go into the speed, velocity, inertia, and angle of trajectory required; I will just say that the lower body of a person, not to mention the windshield itself, tends to keep their entire body from flying out of the vehicle. Generally, in an accident where a person goes through the windshield, the person’s upper body is resting on the hood, while the lower portion is over the dash and in the car.
Okay, let’s get past that, even though I had trouble doing so. After this projection head first through the windshield off a bridge and into a large body of water, we are supposed to believe that this woman is still alive, albeit in a coma. Windshields are THICK! I cannot imagine someone hitting one head first hard enough to fly completely through it and onward for several more feet, then living. I would imagine that their skull would be simply crushed.
Moving on, not only did the woman fly through the windshield far enough to enter a body of water, she also went far enough across the water for someone on the other side to do the rescue and bring her back to that side. Then, the people who just happened to be on the other side did not even know where she came from; I guess they just thought she fell out of an airplane.
There were many more instances of incredulity in this novel that I won’t even bother relating. The fact that the basic premise of the book was flawed so deeply was enough to spoil the entire story for me.
Roger’s trip through the city did have some imaginative events.
Character Development: 2 Stars
Roger was a rather shallow character. All we really learn about him is how much he loves his wife; that particular trait is pounded into the reader until onset of nausea.
Lois is also not well developed. Although she spends most of the novel in a coma, her character still could have been fleshed out more via the first couple of chapters and her husband’s thoughts.
All attempts at character development were done through telling the reader things about them, rather than ever showing personalities through actions or dialogue. There were just statements of facts thrown in about each character.
Writing Style: 3 Stars
The first phrase that came to mind when thinking of this author’s writing style was “trying too hard”. While the author obviously has some real talent for writing, there were just too many instances when a “big” or obscure word was used rather than the simple words that would have helped the sentence flow. At times, it felt as though someone had gone through the book with a thesaurus in their other hand to find new words. I certainly don’t mind large or obscure words in my reading, but the ones chosen here just didn’t always fit.
There were some great analogies and metaphors, but those were balanced out by others that, like the big words, just didn’t fit or seemed to be reaching.
The dialogue was mundane and fairly realistic for the most part. However, now and then, there was some that just had me shaking my head, such as when the nurse is asked by a police officer how Lois is doing, she responds that Lois is over the worst; she just has to get through this coma. I amost laughed out loud at the thought that the coma wasn’t the worst, especially after a headlong flight through a windshield. Another example is when Roger is making his way through the city and meets up with a homeless man. He is angry at one point and shouts at the homeless man that he must find his wife because “She completes me.” I think the line was stolen from teh movie,, but unfortunately was not used in the tender way the woman says it in the movie.
Editing/Formatting: 5 Stars
Both were of professional quality.
Rating: PG-13 for Adult Situations and Light Violence
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This is one of those reviews that I hate to write because the author did show plenty of writing talent. I felt that if he had had some “beta readers” or a content editor, these flaws in the storyline, and outrageous portions of dialogue, could have been corrected prior to publication.
I will say that this author is a person to look out for as I hope that his future novels will be better vehicles to show off that talent.
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Here are some comments from the author, Jonathan Sturak:
How did you come up with the title?
The title means two things. The figurative meaning is that a rainbow represents bliss and clouds represent gloom. Thus, gloom has devoured bliss, a metaphor of the story. The literal meaning is that clouds and rain in the city have blocked out any sign of a rainbow. Rain is a motif in the story.
How long have you been writing?</em?
I've been writing seriously for 3 years. I started writing screenplays and moved to prose. I love the written word and respect both crafts individually. Above all, I love stories in all mediums and formats.
What authors have inspired you?
Paul Bowles moved me the first time I read “The Sheltering Sky.” Also, John O’Brien, the author of “Leaving Las Vegas,” made me see the power of a novel. He died too young, but at the same time, he is alive through his story. I also like Cormac McCarthy and Bret Easton Ellis.
Where did you get the idea for the novel?
I got the idea from a quote by Sophocles: “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.” A character motivated by love is so simple and all humans can relate. Love is what it means to be alive. I like to start my stories by creating a character, a character that is so real that I feel as if I know him or her. To a certain degree, I do. The plot just falls into place.
Who is your favorite character?
William “D-Fens” Foster — Michael Douglas’ character in the film “Falling Down.” He represents us all at one time or another; he just has the guts to take action.
Biographical Information:
Jonathan Sturak grew up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. He is a Penn State University graduate and holds degrees in Computer Science and Film. He currently lives in Las Vegas where he uses the energy of his firsthand experiences to craft stories about life and the human condition. Jonathan is working on another novel that is a psychological thriller. He keeps updated information on his website at www.sturak.com
, by Jonathan Sturak



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