Crack-Up

May 12, 2010 | By In Movie |

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5 Comments so far

  1. K. Holmes on May 13th, 2010

    I saw a really enthusiastic review (5 stars) from a respected reviewer, so got this book.

    After reading it, I find I’m not nearly as enthusiastic as the others have been; I’ll give high marks for the formatting. After having just finished a book that was full of typos & misused words, this one was a pleasure to at least not have that to contend with.

    I found the story to be just so-so; I really wasn’t on the edge of my seat ever, and found myself wishing it would just be over. In fact, it was actually a bit hard to try to follow. When the end finally came it was just a relief. I hate to write a review that’s negative, but sorry, that’s the way it struck me.

    I just couldn’t give it an honest recommendation.
    Rating: 2 / 5

  2. Kay on May 13th, 2010

    This was a great fast paced book. I originally bought it due to the cheap price but was immediately hooked. I would love to read something by this author again.
    Rating: 5 / 5

  3. J. Chambers on May 13th, 2010

    I don’t know exactly what propels a book into the NYT bestseller list, but I genuinely believe that if “Crack-Up” was published in print by a major publisher, it would be a bestseller. I also think it would make a splendid movie, but more about that later.

    One issue that I think a major publisher might have is how to market the book. It’s a thriller, definitely a psychological thriller, maybe a murder mystery. If I had to assign it to only one genre, I would go with psychological thriller. If you don’t know much about paranoid schizophrenia, you’re in for an education, since the main character, Argus Ward, suffers from this disease, which when active, causes hallucinations, strange voices, and delusions. Often, the reader has no way of knowing whether what he’s experiencing is real or just paranoia. He apparently killed John Helms, a very wealthy and influential CEO of a Microsoft-like company, but even though found standing over Helms’ body splattered with Helms’ blood, he doesn’t remember a thing. This happens pretty early in the book, so I’m not giving away any spoilers. For the rest of the book, after escaping from confinement after being arrested for murder, Argus tries to solve the mystery of who killed Helms and why.

    To say much more would give away too much of the plot. As I worked my way through the book, I kept expecting some kind of M. Night Shyamalan twist or something like the ending of “Shutter Island,” where nothing was as it appeared. But to the author’s credit, the ending is perfectly logical, and looking back, I saw where he dropped enough clues that a sharp reader might have picked up on it.

    If a movie is ever made of “Crack-Up,” I can see Russell Crowe playing Argus Ward. A few years ago in the movie “A Beautiful Mind,” Crowe did a fine job playing mathematician John Nash, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia during much of his life. So while I was reading “Crack-Up,” I envisioned Crowe as Argus Ward.

    My verdict: Five stars and two thumbs up!
    Rating: 5 / 5

  4. bklvr on May 13th, 2010

    This book is very well written, lot’s of plot twists and unexpected things happening.

    I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Can’t wait until Mr. Christopherson writes another. He definitely goes on my list of good authors.

    The only thing that didn’t ring true for me was his feelings and his need for his wife. She is mentioned, but it’s at least 2/3 of the way into the book before he states how much he misses her and his daughter. I would think anyone on the run and away from home would dwell on this more than this guy did. It’s a small thing, but it made a difference to me.

    This book is nicely formatted for the Kindle and I never found a mistake in it.
    Rating: 4 / 5

  5. George Angus on May 13th, 2010

    As I read this, I found myself trying to guess where the twists were, what was real and what was just plain paranoid. I liked the story well enough and the writing got the job done.

    I’d say for a leisure read, it’s worth picking up.
    Rating: 4 / 5

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