Risa Goodman Goodman itibaren Marripadu, Andhra Pradesh 524312, India
I love this guy Thom Jones but I hate his name. It looks like a really bad career move. He must have had to say a million times "no, not that Tom Jones, I'm Thom with a H, you think Tom What's New Pussycat Jones would be writing books called The Pugilist At Rest? He wouldn't be able to see his keyboard for all the panties. Okay sorry, that probably came across a little snappy. But every time, every time... Thom. With a H." And his fans like me have to say pretty much the same. It's tiresome. Also tiresome is that now I've read Thom Jones's entire work - complete! Only three books of short stories. This is very unusual for me and does not bode well because it means that TJ hasn't published anything for 11 years. In the blurb here it says "TJ is working on his first novel". We know that can take a while, ask James Joyce or Henry (not Philip What's New Pussycat) Roth but still. I'm suspecting something's happened to TJ, something of a derailing nature. Why is Thom so great? One thing is he's completely convincing about this ruff tuff guy stuff which is, usually, the very stuff I cross the street to avoid, being myself effete and dessicated and preferring an art gallery to a recon insert in Cambodia any day of the week. But TJ is all soldiers, boxers, adrenaline highs, blue collars, drugs, soldiers, boxers, testosterone aplenty, more drugs, women, recon, rehab, girlfriends cursing you to your face, alcoholic brawling, getting fired, waking up in a dumpster and more boxing after that. It's exhausting. But it's hilarious too. He has soul, he's a very emotional guy. In fact really, he's like the boxer that keeps wading through pain when he should have quit three rounds back. And you might not like boxing, you might hate it, but this guy you like, he reels you in, you get hooked, you walk in his shoes, you get left by his wife, his kids hate you, one more jab in the head and this sucker is mine, mine. If anyone knows THom Jones, out there in America somewhere, tell him from me I'm waiting for the novel, or anything really. Anything will do.