Ramsey Hootman

In the play, Cyrano de Bergerac (portrayed by Jose Ferrer and Steve Martin in film adaptations) has such a large unsightly nose that it prevents him from wooing the woman he loves. We ache for him to admit his true feelings to her. But what if Cyrano’s nose was fine—only he is a foul-mouthed obese ex-con? Would you still root for him then? Ramsey Hootman knows how to make unlikeable characters who are so hapless, funny, and determined that you find yourself eagerly turning the pages and hoping they succeed. In this sequel to Surviving Cyril, Cyril is out of jail after five years. Soon he is trying to teach a fatherless boy how to create Dungeons and Dragons characters, playing piano, lying through his teeth when necessary, and pining for Robin always. The novel is structured around stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and finally, a surprising and glorious acceptance.… (plus d'informations)

What is more delicious than staying up all hours to finish reading a captivating novel? The morning bleariness is utterly worth it when the book is as good as Courting Greta by Ramsey Hootman. I was intrigued and pleased to read a romantic story that has no flowing locks of hair, no milky skin or brimming eyes, no heaving bosoms, no impossibly attractive characters. Instead, there are pimply teenagers, self-absorbed teachers, damaged (but not broken) souls, and passages that had me laughing out loud. A delightful read, highly recommended.

The tale is told from Samuel's point of view: a small, "crippled" computer scientist who has left his Silicon Valley company to teach high school keyboarding and computer skills in a small northern California town. There, he meets Greta, the girls' basketball coach--who is taciturn, ten years older and a hundred pounds heavier than he is--who is the most unlikely object of his affection. But somehow he is attracted to her beyond reason, and Samuel bravely and tenaciously pursues Greta despite the fact that she refuses to call him anything other than "Mr. Cooke," seems to have no social skills and appears not to need him--or anyone else.

The blurb on the back cover says: "He teachers computers. She coaches gym. All they need is chemistry." No, what these quirky, shy, scarred characters need is to learn that trust allows us to share our vulnerability--but sometimes you have to show the vulnerabilities first in order to earn the trust. They need each other--and readers need more characters like Samuel and Greta.… (plus d'informations)