≡ Libro A Cape May Diamond edition by Larry Enright Literature Fiction eBooks

A Cape May Diamond edition by Larry Enright Literature Fiction eBooks

Download As PDF : A Cape May Diamond edition by Larry Enright Literature Fiction eBooks

A Cape May Diamond edition by Larry Enright Literature Fiction eBooks

I read Larry Enright's FOUR YEARS FROM HOME, which is the story of the Ryan family, in particular of Tom. His selfish, arrogant, and often mean-spirited behavior does not exactly endear the main character to the reader. The fact that you don't completely hate him has a lot to do with the author's story-telling skills and the humor he infuses into the action. While laughing at Tom's antics and hating his meanness, you always wait for something to happen that throws the over-confident ego-maniac off kilter. And it does happen and in a very tragic way. At the end, you feel sorry for Tom rather than angry at him.

Fortunately, the author didn't stop there and gave us A CAPE MAY DIAMOND. Here we meet Tom again. Released from a two-year stint in jail, he works for his aunt and uncle at an eatery in a run-down place at the New Jersey shore. Haunted by feelings of guilt about his brother's death, he lives an almost pathetic existence. He hides his sadness and remorse behind a mask of sarcasm. However, it is here that, probably for the first time in his life, Tom begins to care about the lives of other people rather than just about his own fate. And that is the seed for a possible journey of redemption. Enough said; you just have to read the book. Suffice to say, that you actually start to like the guy. Larry Enright demonstrates once again his literary expertise with vivid descriptions, page-turning action, and tongue-in-cheek humor. There is also a touch of mystery in the form of the young girl Annie Mae Meeham. Is she real or not? Find out for yourself!


Tags : A Cape May Diamond - Kindle edition by Larry Enright. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading A Cape May Diamond.,ebook,Larry Enright,A Cape May Diamond,Fiction Literary,Fiction Mystery & Detective General

A Cape May Diamond edition by Larry Enright Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews

On the surface, it's easy to to dislike Tom Ryan, the main character of 'A Cape May Diamond' and Enright's prequel, Four Years from Home. He's caustic when tenderness will do, aloof when attentiveness might better a moment. But he's also real. Damaged and divine all at once. You cannot read either book and deny the feeling that, even in the depths of tragedy, be it catastrophic or comic, Tom Ryan is trying, somehow, to rise to the occasion and fix what needs fixing. The term 'reluctant hero' is tossed about freely, but Tom Ryan, without cape or cowl, fills those shoes perfectly.

Read this gem, for the story, the setting, the nostalgic whipsaw about a time and place too fragile in memory, but mostly to get to know Tom Ryan. You may hate him. But only until you fall in love with him.
A CAPE MAY DIAMOND, sequel to Enright's FOUR YEARS FROM HOME, is a wonderfully written story which details the next chapter in the life of Tom Ryan, pardoned criminal and guilt bearer for his brother's death two years earlier in the Vietnam War. After his release, Tom seeks solace in Cape May, a quiet, economically damaged town on the Jersey shore where he works for his aunt and uncle in their modest eatery.

I hadn't read the prequel to this story and was in two minds about proceeding with this one first, but my decision was made for me after the first few pages. Enright's prose is smooth and effortless and I found it sweeping me along quickly. The narration of the story by the mysterious Annie Mae Meeham, the vivid imagery used by the author in the construction of the setting, the dialogue of the characters, and the detailing of Tom's reminiscences, each melded together beautifully from the outset, all the while arousing my curiosity as to where the story was headed.

In spite of Tom's cynical view of the world and smart-assery interactions with those around him - or perhaps even because of them - I immediately found him a likeable character. The subtle changes he experiences while he goes about attempting to solve the mysteries affecting both him and the residents of Cape May are both gratifying to witness and a credit to the author.

Overall I found it a great read, even right up until the end where a few more surprises were lying in wait for me and which I didn't anticipate. Well done, Larry. I guess now I'll have to go back and read part one.
Tom Ryan is sullen, clever, a bit nasty at times, but still looking for a positive, uplifting way to fit within his own skin. Emotionally, he's been through a lot - witness his exploits in Four Years From Home, a quiet precursor that roars to a startling, but sad, finish. Thankfully there's more.

Part two of this mini-epic takes place in the sleepy remains of Cape May, New Jersey. A beachfront resort never-wannabee, it was meant for the geriatric set to reminisce simpler lives retold in morning conversations at the nearby diner. Everyone knew everyone's tales.

Except Tom's. His was an enigma, as he played second string cook and bottle washer for his aunt and uncle's eatery, and lived in one tight but adequate room in their home around the corner. Some particularly nasty individuals invade his hideaway. So do two ladies, one, part of a mystery, one, part of a love story.

To tell more is to give it away, and this yarn is about discovery. Suffice it to say that I cared about Tom as the pages progressed, and was glad for the author's ultimate beneficence. [Okay, that's a bit of a spoiler.]

Larry Enright's verbal paintbrush is amazing. His sleepy village of Cape May mirrors my memories of its peace and quiet for those in need sand lined sidewalks shaded by old broad leafs, subtle sounds of animals and passing cars, plus an occasional porch swing squeak.

I was also amazed by Tom Ryan's vivid character. Thru the despair engendered by his failures, his constant wisecracks spoke of an individual still claiming a right to oxygen on this planet...and, as the challenges unfolded, a chance to do better.

Sometimes the snappy comebacks didn't even make it to his mouth. On seeing that his recently deceased neighbor's house was being readied for listing, he asked the sign installer if it was being put up for sale. The cranky man with the mallet yelled, "How the hell should I know? They pay me to put up signs and take `em down. That's it."

Tom mused, "His pay apparently didn't include reading them well, but to the guy's credit, the sign didn't actually have the words `For Sale' on it, though there were 2 hooks underneath to hang a smaller shingle which could have said, `For Sale' or `Under Contract' or `How the hell should I know?'"

The warmth and love in the scenes that capped this journey left my eyes a bit watery, but I realized that for me, Tom was an individual who would last - in literary space - well past page 350. What's next? That's up to Larry. But whatever he creates for Tom, I want to read it.
I read Larry Enright's FOUR YEARS FROM HOME, which is the story of the Ryan family, in particular of Tom. His selfish, arrogant, and often mean-spirited behavior does not exactly endear the main character to the reader. The fact that you don't completely hate him has a lot to do with the author's story-telling skills and the humor he infuses into the action. While laughing at Tom's antics and hating his meanness, you always wait for something to happen that throws the over-confident ego-maniac off kilter. And it does happen and in a very tragic way. At the end, you feel sorry for Tom rather than angry at him.

Fortunately, the author didn't stop there and gave us A CAPE MAY DIAMOND. Here we meet Tom again. Released from a two-year stint in jail, he works for his aunt and uncle at an eatery in a run-down place at the New Jersey shore. Haunted by feelings of guilt about his brother's death, he lives an almost pathetic existence. He hides his sadness and remorse behind a mask of sarcasm. However, it is here that, probably for the first time in his life, Tom begins to care about the lives of other people rather than just about his own fate. And that is the seed for a possible journey of redemption. Enough said; you just have to read the book. Suffice to say, that you actually start to like the guy. Larry Enright demonstrates once again his literary expertise with vivid descriptions, page-turning action, and tongue-in-cheek humor. There is also a touch of mystery in the form of the young girl Annie Mae Meeham. Is she real or not? Find out for yourself!