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Trutor and the Balloonist |
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Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9781878448743 Edition: First Edition ISBN: 1878448749 Label: MacAdam/Cage Manufacturer: MacAdam/Cage Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 288 Publication Date: May 01, 1997 Publisher: MacAdam/Cage Studio: MacAdam/Cage |
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| Customer Reviews | ||
 - Truman Capote would have Loved this BookA long time ago, when Johnny Carson, Truman Capote and Jacqueline Susanne were still alive, Truman and Jackie were guests on the Tonight Show. Truman was first, talked about one of his books, I don't remember which one. He did his bit, told a few jokes, they went to commercial, then Jackie came out. She was promoting her new book, THE LOVE MACHINE, but before she got a chance to say anything, Truman piped up with something like: "When I start to read a good book, I might spend an hour on the first paragraph, longer if it's really good. I can take up to a week on a fair book, a month on a good book and a really good book could take me up to a year, as I savor every word, enjoy every thought." Then he turned to Jackie and said, "I read THE LOVE MACHINE in twenty minutes." The audience burst out laughing, Johnny too, Jackie as well. She was a good sport. And you know, I liked her book, but Jackie's book isn't the subject of this review, Debbie Lee's is and if she would have been on that show way back then, instead of Jackie, and if she'd've handed a copy of TRUTOR AND THE BALLONIST off to Truman, he wouldn't have had enough time left in his life to finish it. Mr. Capote graced this planet for many years after that and he'd've spent many a long night savoring and enjoying this book, only to pass away without knowing whether or not Michele Trutor finishes her biography of Caroline. He would've gone to his maker wondering if Debbie Lee's batch of humorous and very real misfits ever come to terms with her, her life, her forgeries. He'd've missed out on Halloween in Derbysville, on Roberta's not so very good meals, on riddles that will tickle any mystery lover, on oh so much that this book has to offer. They would have shoveled an unfulfilled Truman into the ground with one of Debbie Lee's riddles still pinging around in a brain that would have refused to die. Truman's ghost would have become legendary, haunting the library nearest to where he expired, refusing to cross over to the other side, still wanting to savor each and every sentence in this masterpiece of a novel. Well you know what, I've read Truman Capote. He was a masterful writer, a dealer in prose extraordinaire, and I'm telling you now and I'm telling you true, Truman would have loved this book as much as I do, as much as you will if you give it a chance. Rating: - "When beauty leaves you, you simply never recover".Debbie Wesselman write another book! I enjoyed the eccentric New England characters in 'Trutor and the Balloonist' but the real magic existed in the detailed painting of words that described New England. Like a jewel colored painting of autumn leaves New England shines bright in the pages of 'Trutor and the Balloonist'. Filled with wonderful writing that was perfection. Some writers' give an air that is above the reader but Debbie Wesselman invites you into this eccentric world with her words. At first you think this is just another story of a woman escaping a terrible relationship but then the story turns to the one character that has no direct words in the book: Caroline Wharton. So much of the character development of Caroline Wharton is second hand and that was compelling. What a wonder device to use with a character that is the object of everyone's obsession and she never speaks directly to us. I could tell you all about the book but since it's a mystery you should read it yourself. Debbie Wesselman takes you on an intriguing journey of theft, fraud, lies, and self-discovery while her characters Trutor and the Balloonist search their own hearts for personal peace. You'll find it all in this book: art, wonderful characters, riddles of life, and a character that you too will be come obsessed. I got the distinct feeling Caroline Wharton existed in more than Debbie Wesselman's book. Usually that longing need to know more doesn't exist in a lot of fictional characters. Debbie Wesselman tells us just enough to want more. girldiver:) Rating: - Characters Quaint and Quirky Who Deserve a Second Life in Trade PaperIf ever a book cried out to be re-released in trade paperback format, to be made available for under fifteen dollars, this is it. I browse the shelves of Target all the time (can't help it, my sister works there) and I see so many inferior works. I don't know who picks 'em and I should, as I was sort of raised in the entertainment business, but I suppose the music business and the book business are very different, but maybe they're not, because I've seen some great bands sink into oblivion for reasons that made no sense to me. In the case of "Trutor" I see that some very reputable reviewers have reviewed it and given it high marks. So why oh why have the powers that be at MacAdam/Cage dropped the ball? I don't get it. I've been to their website, they've got gobs of books on their backlist available in trade paper. This book deserves a second life and let me tell you, if they took a chance on "Trutor", did what I said, re-released it in paper, this delightful story would fly off the shelves with only just a little bit of promotion. Because in the end it's all about the story and this is a story so sublime, so engrossing, with characters quaint and quirky, who will live on in your imagination long after you've put the book on the shelf. You know, dear reader, this could be a chance for you to cast a positive vote for something with your pocketbook. Put "Trutor and the Balloonist" in your shopping cart and take it to the check out. I know it's expensive for a book that's been around since the last millennium and I know it's not being discounted, but it's worth the price, really it is. Reviewed by Stephanie Sane Rating: - My Favorite Book So Far This YearI stumbled upon this title and after savoring the final chapters, not wanting it to end, I feel incredibly lucky. This novel has everything I crave: Plot, mystery, well-drawn, eccentric characters, RIDDLES, history, art, lyrical and descriptive prose. I was transported to New England while following the unfolding story of Caroline Wharton as discovered by the somewhat reluctant biographer, Michelle Trutor. Through her main character, Debbie Lee Wesselmann paints Trutor's subject as an "intellectual enigma" and the owner of souls. As she unravels the "sticky web" left behind by Caroline, a woman who committed suicide and virtually imprisoned her family (the "Balloonist," Arthur, and his twin brother, Proctor, and their niece, Roberta) in a former mortuary, she offers riddles that one can't help but try to solve before reading further. The clever riddles pull you through this fascinating story of complicated relationships. Because of a convoluted will and a watchful attorney, Trutor was the only one who had access to the clues Caroline had left behind, which included her personal journals. I particularly enjoyed the journal entries, which intimately portray the creative and multifarious soul that was Caroline Wharton. My favorite entry: "I spent hours reading today here in the Botanical Gardens before I felt the need to write myself: the small leap from someone else's words to my own like a garden shading from lavender to deep purple." Deep purple indeed. This novel deserves the royal treatment and my highest recommendation. Michele Cozzens, Author of A Line Between Friends and The Things I Wish I'd Said. Rating: - Riddles, Maps, Art, Forgery, It Is All HereDebbie Lee Wesselmann has written a masterful novel. One so full of riddles and subterfuge, you wonder how such an imagination could come to be. This author has it all, intellect, superb mastery of the written page, and a keen insight into the workings of the kind of mind that you or I could not even imagine. Michelle Trutor comes to New Hampshire to escape a life of physical and mental abuse. She loves "Ted" so, but she knows if she stays with him in their home in Boston she will surely die. The life of an abused woman is brought to life in this novel. We can surely understand what keeps a woman in the throes of such a man. Trutor as she likes to be called is going to be an assistant to help the man she calls the Balloonist and his family reclaim their rightful dues. In the process Trutor brings to life many of he secrets that have been kept hidden by Caroline. Caroline, the wily sister of the Balloonist and Proctor. Into this household come many strange people, some of them relatives, some of them looking for no-good and some of them wanting it all for themselves. All of the charscters in this novel stand alone in the depth of their intellect and surprising insights. Trutor alone, however, begins to grasp what the riddles are really about. The trips to Boston, Portsmouth, Oxford, the Colony all bring to fruition the reality of what Caroline's life has wrought. And, Trutor also delivers the best of people. We find in this strange household and town many loving and helpful strangers. Trutor is the heroine and she must, yes, she must have the Balloonist has her, well, I don't know ,maybe her lover? There are so many twists and turns in this novel I can't and won't betray any of the secrets. They are mine to keep. I helped solve them in my reading, AHA, you must read this also to find out what really happens, what is Caroline really up to? Why was she so strange and unloving? A novel to bring you to laughter and to tears. Yes, Elvis Has Not Left The Building! Heartily recommended. prisrb |
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