When Melvin Morrison dies, things don’t go quite the way he expects. He finds himself in an in-between land, still able to see his wife and friends, but unable to interact with them or influence their actions significantly. In Twice Melvin, by James Pumpelly, Melvin is guided in the afterlife, by his long deceased Aunt Martha, who explains to him the whys and wherefores of being dead. Much of what Martha discloses to Melvin will come as a great shock to him and he begins to realise he has a decision to make, one that will impact on everyone in his life and their futures, including future generations. Melvin’s ex-law partner George and both of their past philandering will play a significant part in Melvin’s future both in the afterlife and also back in earth’s reality. George has secret designs on Melvin’s wife and Melvin is none too sure how he feels about that. Add in to the mix an incompetent sperm bank and the scene is set for a true comedy of errors.
Twice Melvin is a comedic, slightly off-the-wall view of relationships, friendship and human interaction. James Pumpelly’s characters are uniquely drawn so as to emphasise their quirkiness, their eccentricities and, of course, their biases and prejudices. It was a really pleasant surprise for me, as a reader, to depart from the common language of genre fiction and return again to the eloquent, more refined use of the English language, as one might expect from a nineteenth-century novel. This book is contemporary literature and Pumpelly displays both his artistic ability as a wordsmith and a poet. The story is at times, very humourous, but very much in that shy, British style of self-deprecating humour. That it was set in and around New England amongst the stuffy, ‘old money’ society just gave the story a richness and depth that I haven’t read for some considerable time. The premise and the exploration of morality, choices and self-awareness were intricate and well-handled by the author. This is the type of work that demands a reader explore more of this author’s portfolio. It was a pleasant change to my usual reading fare and one to be recommended, from time to time.
Twice Melvin is a comedic, slightly off-the-wall view of relationships, friendship and human interaction. James Pumpelly’s characters are uniquely drawn so as to emphasise their quirkiness, their eccentricities and, of course, their biases and prejudices. It was a really pleasant surprise for me, as a reader, to depart from the common language of genre fiction and return again to the eloquent, more refined use of the English language, as one might expect from a nineteenth-century novel. This book is contemporary literature and Pumpelly displays both his artistic ability as a wordsmith and a poet. The story is at times, very humourous, but very much in that shy, British style of self-deprecating humour. That it was set in and around New England amongst the stuffy, ‘old money’ society just gave the story a richness and depth that I haven’t read for some considerable time. The premise and the exploration of morality, choices and self-awareness were intricate and well-handled by the author. This is the type of work that demands a reader explore more of this author’s portfolio. It was a pleasant change to my usual reading fare and one to be recommended, from time to time.
Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Twice Melvin by James Pumpelly. It'll be well worth your while.
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