Henry's List of Wrongs

Rating:
Summary: A list of what's right
Review: - Frequently hilarious
- Genuine emotion with only the tiniest bit of corniness for flavor
- Ballsy yet elegant prose ("...a gradual peeling away of the leathery cocoon Henry had wrapped himself in to ward off guilt and love and other sharp objects...")
- Hooked me enough so that I read four chapters while sitting on the bookstore floor, bought it, and then stayed up till 3am to finish the book

This book is a nice blend of humor, drama, and romance. It has a similar sensibility to the movie Grosse Pointe Blank, but with more psychology and less violence. It's the best fiction book I've read in quite some time. I look forward to reading John Scott Shepherd's future books.

Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as it could have been
Review: Henry's List of Wrongs has a lot of things going for it. The dialogue is quick and full of wit, the pace is steady, and the general acerbity of Shepherd's cast of characters is something often sought after, but rarely achieved in contemporary fiction.
However, I find myself thinking that the work could have been much more fulfilling. Shepherd tends to pull out of scenes too soon after their zeniths, leaving his reader satisfied and usually moved, but a bit put off by how quickly the story has changed focus. It almost seems as though Shepherd gets tired of each section before he's taken the opportunity to fully explore it. I also found myself thinking that some of the redemption Henry does find comes a little too easily, as Shepherd tends to rely more on physicality as a sign of wrathful disposition than the thought and dialogue he can clearly write very well if he's so inclined.
Nevertheless, I recommend the book. Not only is it a good way to spend a few hours (as it's a beautifully-quick read), it's compelling enough to make you walk around for the next few days wondering what you could do to fix things.

Oh, and to those who've purchased the movie rights:
Henry - Christian Bale
Sophie - Sabrina Lloyd

Rating:
Summary: redemption shall be his!
Review: The book starts off painting a chapter of 17-year-old Henry, living in poverty with his dying father, alcoholic monther and aunt, and overweight kid sister. He gets a prom date with his dream girl, which ends with a heartbreak that hardens what's left of him.

Fast forward 10 years later and Henry has become a Wall Street hotshot known as "the Assassin". He shows no mercy in his corporate takeovers, and business students aspire to be him. On a business deal that take him back to his hometown of Kansas City, Henry has a revelation that he is a terrible person who has trampled people over the last 10 years, because he had some idea he would return to show his prom date what she gave up. He decides to jump off the balcony but is stopped by Sophie, the hotel maid.

It turns out she is a psych student and she makes Henry list who he has trampled. Together, they fly around the country so he can ask these people for their forgiveness. (He pays her $5000 a day for her fee.)

But this story is not so straighforward as one man seeking redemption. Sophie has her own secret, and Henry is ignoring a few people from whom he also needs forgiveness.

It's entertaining enough, although this theme has been done before.