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Rockstar’s Rainbow by Kevin Glavin
A reporter for The Interloper – a sensational Enquirer-like tabloid – was thrown out of a plane over Los Angeles coincidentally close to the time he was completing a book about the personal life of legendary rock star Rook Heisenberg.
Luckily, according to the forward, the novel-in-progress was saved and published.
Rock star’s Rainbow by Kevin Glavin is a more prolific novel than I thought it would be when first picking it up. The book begins with the story of a depressed rock icon that has a new girl every night (sometimes more than one), and he’s growing tired of the superficial nature of his sex life. After tracking his high school sweetheart to Amsterdam, he makes an impulse decision and flies there to meet with her.
Once in Amsterdam Rook the Rock star learns that his old girlfriend is not only a prostitute in a high-class brothel, but is also the mother of his child. A child that has been shipped to India by the brothel owner.
It’s almost as if Glavin had three book ideas, and smashed them all into one. I could have easily read and enjoyed a book about a depressed rock star that rekindles things with his high school sweetheart. I would have also enjoyed a book about a man who finds out he has a daughter that has been sold by a brothel owner. And I can also see a book being made of the rat-race from Amsterdam to India to Amsterdam that takes place in the last 150 pages of Rock star’s Rainbow. But when it’s all squished together, it’s tough to savor the distinct flavor of each of these stories.
This book is long – 500 pages – but the ending still felt rushed and contrived. There was a lot of story that Glavin had to end, and he quickly created surprises to help tie up some of the complicated plot lines. Parts of this book are unbelievable and absurd, but it was still a good read.
Three pretty good books smooshed together into one mediocre book.
- Hardcover: 500 pages
- Publisher: Kevin Glavin Publishing (December 21, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0982546629
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3 Comments to “Rockstar’s Rainbow by Kevin Glavin”
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Hi All,
Please pardon the authorial intrusion, but I feel some clarification is needed to prevent confusion. The novel is a quixotic satire, so please don’t take it too seriously. It is also, in part, a pastiche, alluding to elements of “Don Quixote,” “Either/Or,” “Ulysses,” “Satyricon,” “Crime and Punishment,” and other works.
I’ll be exiting now:) Thanks for the review!
Sincerely,
Kevin Glavin, The Author
After that haughty comment by the author, I’m tempted to tell you that this book isn’t worth your time. Perhaps he had lofty goals of alluding to elements of “Don Quixote,” “Either/Or,” “Ulysses,” “Satyricon,” “Crime and Punishment,” and other works….but he falls flat. Really flat.
Hi All,
I do not wish to get into a war of words with Mr. Lawson. I apologize if my comment seemed “haughty”—that was not the intent. I was simply trying to clear up his apparent oversight of the novel’s genre and allusive nature, which are fundamental to its understanding. Critically speaking, these key elements should have been included in either praising or lambasting the work.
I actually agree with Mr. Lawson. The novel’s lofty goals do indeed fall short—right through the floor. And you would be better off spending your time reading better books, or better yet, chasing your dreams. Really.
However, if the novel is to be read, it should be read in the proper context—as a satire and a pastiche, and not as something else.
Sincerely,
Kevin Glavin, The Author