Leaving Disneyland
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Book Overview
Doc Kane is sixteen years into a twenty-year murder sentence. Days away from a parole hearing, he means to get out and start a new life as a Square John-a law-abiding citizen. Within the predatory confines of Tyburn Penitentiary, however, he has debts to pay. To start, Doc has his duties as a "heavy" in the D.C. Blacks, a gang that has protected him. Then there is his new cellmate, a young dealer doing life without parole whose ignorance of the prison's code threatens them both. Finally, there are the guards: Sergeant Grippe, who is bent on "rehabilitating" Doc, and Raven, whose intentions are veiled but no less menacing. Beyond these dangers, Doc faces a deeper dilemma, one embodied by Dead Earl, a thumbless junkie and reminder of a past Doc would deny. The experience of sixteen years surviving in a violent prison has shaped Doc as profoundly as a river does its course. And if character is fate, Doc's chances for a life on the straight-and-narrow are slim unless he can reshape himself. This, he discovers, is the real struggle. If he's to have any hope for his future, he must first confront his past.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0312278551
ISBN13:9780312278557
Release Date:October 2001
Publisher:Thomas Dunne Books
Length:264 Pages
Weight:1.00 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 6.6" x 8.7"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
So weird and so real...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Mr. Parsons knows this world. I thank him for allowing me access to it. He's compassionate and honest in his prose.
Man oh man
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
This book is incredible. The author has taken on a scary subject and shown an uncanny compassion toward the plight of his character. Language that reminds me of Trumbo's letters and a protagonist who defies cliches. A solid world created by a solid newcomer. Good work!
A compelling novel on many different levels
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
Leaving Disneyland is a compelling novel on so many different levels. On a purely aesthetic dimension, it is a pleasure and a welcome challenge read - a pleasure because Parsons' writing is beautiful and confident, a challenge because his artful language provides careful clues to understanding his characters and the layered significance of his narrative. Parsons' characters are well-rendered and subtly portrayed - many of his secondary figures are so well-depicted that they seem to deserve a short novel of their own. His dialogue is paced, energetic, and consuming; you will become so engaged, so intimately connected with the conversations in this book, that you will often feel tense, even personally endangered. Finally, as a depiction of the experiences of life in prison and the difficulties of rehabilitation, Leaving Disneyland is masterfully researched and powerfully presented. Parsons' readers will leave Disneyland wiser, a little shaken, and hungry for more from this terrific new talent.
Vivid, intense, and gripping
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
A damn fine read from a damn fine new author. The book is a vivid, intense, and gripping story of the struggles of a man trying to cope with a challenging present caused by his criminal past. Doc, the protagonist, is the most compelling and complex character I have encountered in a long time. Worthy of the honors it has already received.
A great read!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
I loved this book! It read very quickly, and I soon became engrossed in the details of Doc's life. At times this book was very funny, and at times harrowing. Moreover, Parsons shines a much-needed light on conditions in our nation's prisons. He must have done a lot of research because I really got the feeling he was telling it like it was. Good story, important subject: I highly recommend it.
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