The One-Eyed Man

Written by Ron Currie

Narrated by Kevin Pariseau

K., the intriguing narrator of Currie's new novel, joins the ranks of other great American literary creations who show us something new about ourselves. Like Jack Gladney from White Noise, K. is possessed of a hyper-articulate exasperation with the world, and like Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces, he is a doomed truth teller whom everyone misunderstands. After his wife Sarah dies, K. loses his metaphorical capacity, becoming so wedded to the notion of clarity that he infuriates everyone, friends and strangers alike. When he intervenes in an armed robbery, K. finds himself both an inadvertent hero and the star of a new reality television program. Together with Claire, a grocery store clerk with a sharp tongue and a yen for celebrity, he travels the country, ruffling feathers and gaining fame at the intersection of American politics and entertainment. But soon, through a conflagration of biblical proportions, he discovers that the world will fight viciously to preserve its delusions about itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Mar 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781681685960

Ron Currie

Ron Currie Junior lives in the USA.

Reviews for The One-Eyed Man

[booklove2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I swear I'm losing my marbles because every book I read is inspired by Kafka. I can't be wrong here when the main character's name is K and he mentions Kafka early in the book. But I can live with it, I like this book. K seems like he has a different mind that is more literal after his wife dies and that death is heartbreaking here. K is all about the facts and clarity after reading Einstein's biography -- especially the bit on relativity. This book seems way too prescient, as the plot takes place in 2014. I feel like most of the incredibly fist-smashing-in-face truths could only happen post November 8, 2016. The world is different now than it could have been in 2014 (though the end might place it in 2018, so there you go). Currie is not out to make friends here. Everyone is lambasted here. K doesn't take sides, neither does Currie. The book is cynical but real as hell. Currie sees the absurdity in everything, like K. Though I feel like, scarily enough, I was already half getting there with the thoughts that Currie had on the page. K's need for truth lands him a reality show confronting people with a secret camera on his glasses. This doesn't end well. But I'm not sure the book does either. A little more clear-cut like the rest of the book would have worked better. Currie says it like it is and I will be reading his other books. I like his way of thinking and I like how he constructs those thoughts.This one reminds me of: 'A Confederacy of Dunces', 'Wise Blood', 'The New & Improved Romie Futch' by Julia Elliott and 'Parasites Like Us' by Adam Johnson... and probably a few more.