As thi
s is Christmas featuring THE FAT MAN by Ken Harmon seemed the best way to go. But be warned this is not the usual Christmas book of good cheer and peace on earth. While it might get to the same end with its messages, the ride is dark and if that is not enough there is satire galore.
As I read this during the week leading up to Christmas, my mind went to who I would pick up for and the list that repeated in my head was: men, grinches and too cool teens or a TWO AND A HALF MEN or FAMILY GUY fan. While this tale is dark and somewhat unexpected for this subject, it is laugh out loud fun at the same time. This is a tale noir of the North Pole and perhaps the end of Christmas as we know it and Santa too. There is mischief a foot and behind the scene doings that set the stage for corruption, mystery and murder who done it.
Additionally, no Christmas treasure is safe from the pen of author Ken Harmon. Such holiday classics like: A CHRISTMAS STORY, RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE REINDEER, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS and THE GRINCH are included. Harmon takes bits and pieces and weaves them into his tale in a very clever way but so not for the true Christmas purist, oh no. Ralphie from A CHRISTMAS story is trapped in the body of the boy from the movie and his dream weapon, the Red Ryder BB gun, is implicated in a killing. There is a Potterville from IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE and the Island of Misfit Toys from RUDOLPH has taken over. I don’t want to give it all away because half the fun is the surprise of these holiday treats as they pop up.
I gave this book to my husband, nephew and brother-in-law in their stockings and as I suspected they started to read and before long all were laughing out loud. They took it among themselves to see who could identify the references incorporated by Harmon from other books, movies or tv, it was such a “guy thing”.
Pick up this book for a little christmas break activity and who knows it might go on sale at your favorite book outlet or retailer during the bargain days tomorrow and Monday. To think everyone that I bought this for has reached out to tell me how fun this was, that is not always the case with the books that I have gifted especially to the men and boys in my life. And I myself thought it was a most clever book and spent many moments wondering what spending a day with Ken Harmon would be like. In the end Harmon found a way to deliver the magic of the season in this pages of this book.
