Was it because he was bullied in school? Because his parents died when he was so young? Because of a head injury he suffered as a boy? You'll never pin down one answer, of course, but the sum of these tragedies is the subconcious mystery of Henry Walker.Īlthough it is difficult to blame any one thing for Henry's downfall, the book does highlight a recurring idea that Henry was left to "fall through the cracks," so to speak, of traditional society. However, those elements serve as important clues for the reader, as you witness Henry's psychological declines and try to figure out where it all went wrong for him. This is not a book for the faint of heart-from the start, vulgarity and violence play primary roles in Henry's life. It's a compliation of short stories that transcribe the turbulent life of Henry Walker from his early teenage years, through his mid-thirties.
I don't like dark-and-depressing just for the sake of being dark-and-depressing, but I DO like books that explore the mental journeys that characters make to get to that point.īackground Noise is more novella than novel-I read it in less than a day. Yes, it sounded dark and depressing-but it also included an interesting psychological bent that roped me in. When Peter DeMarco asked if I'd be interested in reviewing Background Noise, I read the description and immediately was intrigued. But does the justice he metes out make him a popular hero or an enemy of the people? In razor-sharp prose reminiscent of Haruki Murakami, Peter DeMarco startles the mind while touching the heart. Written as a collection of interwoven short stories, told in sparse, piercing prose, this haunting novel examines Henry Walker’s transformation from the misfit and the victim- to vengeful retaliator. As Henry immerses himself in his past, memories become guilt, guilt becomes regret, and regret becomes obsession-until violence seems to be the only logical response. While suffering the loss of close family members and friends, desperately seeking companionship in the form of unconventional friendships, and becoming a victim of extreme bullying and violence, Henry ultimately becomes an outcast in the only town he knows. From an alienated adolescent to a frustrated young adult, Henry encounters one disappointment after another. Troubled young suburbanite Henry Walker is on a one-man mission to clean up his town, protect his property, and chase after fantasies of a better life ahead. Source: e-copy provided by the author for an honest review
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