Characters in Search of a Novel: A Review

Pin It I just had the pleasure of reading a book written by one of my sister-bloggers, whose path recently crossed with mine on the internet. Molly Campbell is a two time winner of the Erma Bombeck writing award, and is also the author of the blog Life With the Campbells (View From the Empty Nest).

I knew I had found a kindred spirit almost immediately when I recognized her love for dogs.

But our sister-connection has potentially just gone deeper: I discovered she hailed originally from my home state of West (by gosh!) Virginia, which endeared her to me even more. Two of my formative years (none of which I remember, since I was a baby at the time) were spent in Morgantown, WV, where my father worked as the assistant principal of Morgantown High School,  the school from which she graduated. And judging by the year she graduated, she might even have attended the same elementary school and been in the same class as my brother!!! Holy It's-A-Small-World, Batman!!!

Or not.

But that's really neither here nor there for YOU, is it, gentle reader?

You want to know about her BOOK! Her book is entitled Characters in Search of a Novel, and what a fun read it is! Her book is populated by a large cast of characters: around forty different individuals, if I counted correctly. Each of her characters has his/her own short section in the book.

Molly's characters seem to come alive. I'd almost swear I've met some of these folks, before, in my own life: that's how vividly she describes them. Some seem like they might have been unmet members of the town populace of Mayberry, on The Andy Griffith show. Some of her characters are far more big city than Mayberry folk. Some are like characters I might have run into on old episodes of The Twilight Zone: just a leetle bit left of center, But whether big city or small town dweller, Molly transports me by her descriptions into each character's own little world.

Each vignette is practically a short story on its own. The characters painted by Molly's words come to life in just a few short paragraphs, almost like Athena springing into life from Zeus's head, fully formed. My only regret is that they fail to meet and interact with each other. (Amos Cargill, the cowboy dermatologist, and your buddy, Chris the electrician with a fondness for sequins? Fellers, I hardly knew ye.)  I find myself longing to know more about each of these multi-faceted folks, and to watch them interact with each other!

In MY perfect world? Good Golly,  Miss Molly Campbell,  I'd have you create me an entire Campbellville, and a visit to your berg would be mmm-mmm, good! Take a few of those deliciously quirky characters you've  created, and let them hang around together a bit longer, and before you know it, they'll have found that novel they're in search of, and we'd all get the pleasure of enjoying even more of your wonderful writing.

But until my dream day comes, I sure did enjoy my visit with each of your Characters in Search of a Novel.