Hook Man Speaks

By Matt Clark and Alex Brown

Book Overview

The Hook Man-the nightmare of romantic teens on Lovers Lanes from coast to coast-is an enduring and frightening urban legend. But what if he had a name? Fears of his own? What if he was real? He is.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425181626
• ISBN13: 9780425181621
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Berkley Pub Group
• Length: 197 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.5" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

very sweet and funny

this book is was so much fun to read. it's perfect to read on the subway or bus on your way to/from work. i actually looked forward to my daily trips on public transportation! it's light, engaging and very funny. he also has a wonderful ability to create visual images through language without being flowery or verbos. it's a shame matt clark died so young. i would have looked forward to his development as a novelist.

a quick and gentle read

Hook Man Speaks is a gentle story about the man behind the urban myth--you know= lovers parked in a deserted lane, tapping on the window, girl freaks out, guy gets mad, they drive off, get home and there's a hook on the car door handle. This is the "story behind the myth". Told in a diary/flashback method this story was a fast read with a lot of heart. It's the tale of a handicaped man and his struggle to love and to be loved. The only reason I can't rate it a 5, is because the character of the professor ( hook man's only friend)did not seem as rounded. I am genuinely saddened by the death of the author, Matt Clark; were he still living, I feel he would have become a bestselling author with much to offer.

Funny and hopeful

If you've ever parked your Ford along a dark road and then spent some heated time in the backseat with your sweetie, then this book will add to your thrill. Clark has taken the myth of the dreaded Hook Man who has tortured many young lovers and given him a life complete with personal history and a sweet love story. Other urban mythical characters are included to round out the story.

Hooked

Why do we love urban legends so much? Most of the time, they border on or far over the edge of ridiculous... yet who hasn't had the infamous "friend of a friend" who it really happened to? Hook Man Speaks is the funny, vibrant story of the Hook Man himself, a man named Leonard Gage with a fondness for magazine subscriptions, and of course, sneaking up on smooching lovers and frightening them with his legendary hook. The Hook Man enthralls with his distinctive voice as he recounts just how he lost his hand and ended up with the hook, his romance with the Kentucky Fried Rat lady, and his competitive run-in with the Axe Man, who makes fun of him for being too old-fashioned. Although the plot is improbable, anyone with an appreciation for urban legends will find the self-deprecating humor entertaining. One of the most original styles to come around lately, it is unfortunate that the author passed away at the untimely age of 31, for surely future novels would have been interesting.Reviews of this book have been lukewarm, but I don't know why. Sure, it's not War & Peace, and it probably won't be required reading for English majors anytime soon, but it is entertaining and well worth the time. I would highly recommend it as a fun, light-hearted read.