Rating: 
Summary: A lousy, exploitive novel about the most neglected minority
Review: ...in the US today--and over the past 30 years. Another in a seemingly endless series of novels, plays, and movies that exploit the suffering of the most neglected minority in this country for cheap effect--to make a dime, jumpstart a writing career. This is absolute dreck--obscene garbage--the moral equivalent of a mystery that uses lynchings and slavery purely as a plot device and to give a miserable piece of writing a facile sense of depth and character. I write this as a family member of someone who was homeless with schizophrenia and as an award-winning author who takes seriously--unlike Mr. Green--the social and moral responsibilities that come with authorship. For those reviewers who think this is art, harmless entertainment, and/or about the "human condition," look closely at the next homeless mentally ill man you see dying in front of you while you walk to work or shop for Christmas gifts. If you have any honesty and eyes that work--you should feel ashamed. As for Mr. Green, if there were justice in this world, he would wake up one day on the street, suffering from the disorder he has exploited so cavalierly.
Rating: 
Summary: So good, it's become my #1 recommendation
Review: This book is so good that it has risen to the top of my recommendation list. Romulus Ledbetter is the most unusual protagonist I've encountered. The author's portrayal of this man who chose to withdraw from society rather than fight his paranoia, and "Stuyvesant", is so well done that my perception of a raving street person will never be the same.
Humorous, cagey, cunning: Romulus Ledbetter has it all. One can't help but cheer him on. This is one character I'd like to see more of, and if not, well, I'm glad I meant him in THE CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE. You should all be so lucky.
Rating:
Summary: It grabs you right from the start and never lets you go.
Review: A mind-boggling novel with the most unusual protagonist I have
ever read about. Romulus Ledbetter is definitely in control, despite
his rages of Stuyvesant and his Y rays. The twists and turns in
this in this murder mystery kept me out of breathe and in constant
touch with all my sensibilities. The writer, and Romulus, is
definitely in control of this exceptionally written literary work of art. A must read for those who like mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Hysterical and brilliant!
Review: A very fine debut novel by an up and coming new author. The Caveman's Valentine has great characters and a great story. The central character, Romulus Ledbetter, is one of my favorite characters of all time. He's a bum, a vagrant, an intellect, a psychotic, a father, a hero, and just about the most interesting person you'd ever meet. His visions of Stuyvesant as the evil white controller are especially funny. But what really impressed me about this book was Green's impressive ability to move the mystery along without taking away from Ledbetter's conflict with the world around him and with himself. Green does not detract from the real story that interests every reader: what really goes on in the character's head. We read Valentine and feel sorry for Romulus and want him to succeed in whatever he sets out to do. Much of what he says is frank and to the point, which is a way in which we would all like to be. The dialogue and actions of this man are often times d! ownright hilarious. This is a character impossible to forget. While I have gone on endlessly about character and how it plays a great role in this novel, it is important to know that the plot aint to shabby either. George Dawes Green's "The Caveman's Valentine is a definite "must read" for those of you who like great characters, humorous situations, and lively dialogue. Buy it, read it, and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Well Written, Compelling Novel
Review: Although it's been a few years since I've read this novel, I still remember how fond I was of it and of the author's writing style. The characters are believable, lovable, and one can certainly relate to the feelings expessed throughout the book. Overall, an outstanding read!
Rating: 
Summary: OK
Review: An interesting novel written from the point of view of a homeless man. For some reason, I just didn't like it. Maybe it was the short chapters, maybe it was the vivid descriptions of a homeless person's day or the thoughts of a paranoid man. I didn't like the swearing which sounds prudish and inappropriate since swearing is one facet in the everyday life of someone who lives in the streets. Almost like modern art - you like it or you don't.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating tale on the human condition
Review: At one time, talented musician Romulus Ledbetter was a loving spouse and father until he went insane. Rom now lives in a cave in Upper Manhattan's Inwood Park. He grocery shops in garbage cans and alleys. Rom is so gone he believes in an evil presence, Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant, who is responsible for destroying mankind with the evil Y and Z rays. Rom's weird outlook is intruded upon when he finds a corpse just outside his home. Rom believes the forces of Stuyvesant killed the victim and begins his own brand of investigation, especially when the police write off the case as the death of a frozen homeless loser. His inquiries take the schizoid lunatic meandering throughout the elite of the city's most "civilized" neighborhoods, who would not mind leaving another homeless corpse in Inwood Park or some other woody environs in Manhattan. Readers will quickly understand why THE CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE is an award winning novel filled with an amusing indictment of society's ability to push the needy out of sight and thus out of mind. The story line is cleverly written, but clearly belongs to its weird superstar, as strange of a an amateur sleuth as a reader will ever find. Rom never becomes a huggable as his paranoid comments leave the audience wondering if he is dangerous to any of them. That sense of a maniac wandering the streets of the city adds to the overall feel of absurdity yet plausibility that makes the novel work. George Dawes Green heads to the top of the irony amateur sleuth tale with this Valentine gift to sub-genre fans, who will want to read his second novel, THE JUROR. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book and the character Romulus Ledbetter
Review: George Dawes Green has created a marvelous, 3-D, real but unlikely hero--Romulus Ledbetter, a homeless man living in a cave in the heart of Manhatten. Romulus is a tortured genius who is sucked unwillingly into solving a murder. The book was absorbing and the characters unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels of the last 25 years
Review: I am a fan of Samuel L. Jackson. He is one of the few actors whose movies I will watch no matter what they are. That is how I stumbled on the film adaption of this book. I loved the movie, and so I went to read the novel. This book is fantastic. First of all, hats off to the film's director for making such a true adaption. And hats off to the author for writing such an increadible book. The character is hysterical and tragic and truely one of the most intriguing people I have ever read about. I wanted this book to go on and on. The characters are complex and the writing style is sharp and unique. The author made me care about what was happening, and that is rare in modern literature. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I am defiantly going to read more of the works of George Dawes Green.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels of the last 25 years
Review: I am a fan of Samuel L. Jackson. He is one of the few actors whose movies I will watch no matter what they are. That is how I stumbled on the film adaption of this book. I loved the movie, and so I went to read the novel. This book is fantastic. First of all, hats off to the film's director for making such a true adaption. And hats off to the author for writing such an increadible book. The character is hysterical and tragic and truely one of the most intriguing people I have ever read about. I wanted this book to go on and on. The characters are complex and the writing style is sharp and unique. The author made me care about what was happening, and that is rare in modern literature. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I am defiantly going to read more of the works of George Dawes Green.
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