A review by alanfederman
Exley by Brock Clarke

4.0

This was a sort of meta-novel - a fictional character (a 9 year old boy) tries to find a real author (Frederick Exley) to save his father who may or may not have been injured in Iraq and is recovering at a VA hospital in Watertown, NY where the real Exley lived. It's actually not quite as complicated as all that - a very enjoyable book, but perhaps a little narrow in its scope. I have read all of Exley's three books, though "A Fan's Notes" stands head and shoulders above the rest, and one of my favorite books I have ever read. Exley may not be one to admire or even emulate, but is writing is amazing and I like the way the author paid homage to him. That said, if you don't know or haven't read Exley, I'd suggest doing so before reading this to really get the full context.