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A review by runningbeard
Arkansas by John Brandon
3.0
“Finished with a tight flourish, yet meandered throughout. Some comical and memorable scenes but lacks the clean focus of his newer releases. Think, "Charles Portis meets Coen Brothers."
Notable quotes:
"Kyle smelled the grease and the dust. A clock ticked behind him. He had attempted working in the straight world and doubted he'd ever attempt it again. He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily? Was that so enticing, getting a tiny check made tinier by taxes every two weeks for the rest of your life, continually voicing the same stale complaints that working stiffs have been voicing for centuries, that the people in Kyle's apartment complex voiced each evening? Alarm clocks, layoffs, cigarette breaks, backaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, company parties, and always the steady little checks."
"She was a great lady," said Kyle. "Great lady." He ate a chip.
"When people act sappy after someone's dead, that means they feel guility."
"What do I feel guilty about?"
"How would I know?"
"I was always good to her."
"Not guilty about how they treated the person; guilty to have life and not know what to do with it."
"Your neighbor in the next condo is your best customer. His day job is carving cedar elves. A big company bought him out of his copyright, but they still sell a select line of elves hand-carved by the inventor. This man hates sleep. He hates to let time pass while he's not watching, and does not want to say, one day, that his life was short. He measures time in elves."”
Notable quotes:
"Kyle smelled the grease and the dust. A clock ticked behind him. He had attempted working in the straight world and doubted he'd ever attempt it again. He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily? Was that so enticing, getting a tiny check made tinier by taxes every two weeks for the rest of your life, continually voicing the same stale complaints that working stiffs have been voicing for centuries, that the people in Kyle's apartment complex voiced each evening? Alarm clocks, layoffs, cigarette breaks, backaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, company parties, and always the steady little checks."
"She was a great lady," said Kyle. "Great lady." He ate a chip.
"When people act sappy after someone's dead, that means they feel guility."
"What do I feel guilty about?"
"How would I know?"
"I was always good to her."
"Not guilty about how they treated the person; guilty to have life and not know what to do with it."
"Your neighbor in the next condo is your best customer. His day job is carving cedar elves. A big company bought him out of his copyright, but they still sell a select line of elves hand-carved by the inventor. This man hates sleep. He hates to let time pass while he's not watching, and does not want to say, one day, that his life was short. He measures time in elves."”