A novel of extraordinary emotional power, hailed as one of the most moving and remarkable literary debuts of the year. THE HA-HA is the story of Howard Kapostash, a mute war veteran who, in opening his home to a nine-year-old boy, is afforded a rare glimpse of life outside his shell-with all its exuberant joys and crushing sorrows.
Peel back the made-for-TV-movie premise of Dave King's The Ha-Ha and you'll find a shrewd, engrossing, and occasionally gritty first novel in the tradition of Jane Smiley. Howard is a brain-damaged Vietnam vet who can't speak or write, but who has managed to establish a reasonably good life in his small Midwestern hometown. In fact, Howard's chief limitation isn't his silence but his lingering romantic attachment to his high school girlfriend, Sylvia, now the drug-addicted single mother of a nine-year-old boy named Ryan (not Howard's child). Accustomed to Howard's devotion--and equally accustomed to rejecting his love, like a campfire she pees on again and again--Sylvia more or less dumps Ryan on him when she is forced to enter rehab. Yes, the handicapped vet must forge a relationship with the sullen fatherless boy. With material as Hallmark-tinged like this, it's only through vivid, honest, and far from syrupy characterization that King keeps sentimentality at bay. You can predict what happens when the gruff Howard begins to coach Little League (aw, shucks), but not his ferocious reaction to Sylvia's eventual betrayal. A skillful debut with several surprises. --Regina Marler
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Very Disappointing:
Howie, the protagonist of this book has not spoken in thirty years. He came back from the Viet Nam war suffering wounds that left him speechless. He also has so much trouble reading that he usually avoids it.
He narrates his story, which begins with his high school sweetheart, Sylvia, calling him and asking for his help. She is going into rehab and needs Howie to watch her nine year old son, Ryan. Howie, still smitten with her, agrees, and brings Ryan to his home, where he and his tenants learn to... more info
Engaging story, well-executed audio:
I was not quite sure what to expect from this book, which I received from my sister, who reads everything. The story was very engaging, very well told. At times a little raw, but not gratuitously so. Recommended. AND, the narration of the Audio CD, by actor Terry Kinney, was well performed.
A very different sort of book:
This book was an easy listen and held my attention. My only complaint is that it seemed to only brush the surface of the complex emotions boiling beneath. This may not be the fault of the author as this version was abridged and I typically avoid abridgements for this reason (and the fact that I hate to miss anything when listening to a novel). I found it interesting to read a book from the point of view of a character who cannot communicate with others via speech or writing and who has isolated himself... more info
The Ha-Ha A Novel:
This is a really interesting book and how it would feel to be "of normal intelligence" and unable to speak. The author takes you inside Howie and his body and mind damaged by a land mine. I kept trying to figure out how it was going to end and was pleased with the author's compromise between idealistic and realistic.
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