Between the Bridge and the River

6 x 9 in; 336 pp ; includes Reader's Guide
Paperback
Published in March, 2007
ISBN 0811858197
ISBN13 9780811858199

$13.95  

Between the Bridge and the River -- Bawdy, joyous, messy, hysterically funny, and guaranteed to offend—regardless of religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, or profession—Between the Bridge and the River is the debut novel by Craig Ferguson, host of CBS's The Late Late Show. Two childhood friends from Scotland and two illegitimate half-brothers from the American South suffer and enjoy all manner of bizarre experiences which, as it turns out, are somehow interconnected—and, surprisingly enough, meaningful. An eclectic cast of characters includes Carl Jung, Fatty Arbuckle, Virgil, Marat, Socrates, and Tony Randall. Love, greed, hope, revenge, organized religion, and Hollywood are alternately tickled and throttled. Impossible to summarize and impossible to stop reading, this is a romantic comic odyssey that actually delivers—and rewards.

Craig Ferguson was born in Glasgow and moved to the United States in 1995. He worked his way through the entertainment industry as a drummer, comedian, actor, and director, and has written three motion pictures, The Big Tease, Saving Grace, and I'll Be There. He lives in Los Angeles.

Quotes

" . . . a talk show host who can hold his own as a literary storyteller . . . [An] impressive debut novel . . ." —The Los Angeles Times

"Witty, furiously paced, and frequently hysterical." —People Magazine

" . . . particularly sharp—and funny. . . a caustic yet ebullient picaresque that approaches the sacred by way of the profane." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

". . . filled with many surprises . . ." —The New York Times

". . . [A] strange, funny, profane, surreal, and surprisingly moving first novel." —Booklist

". . . fresh, ribald, incisive, and a fine read." —The Baltimore Sun

". . . often says more about love and life in one paragraph than some books say in 100 pages. After reading it, you will know Craig Ferguson is not a talk-show host moonlighting as an author—it might be the other way around." —Mitch Albom

"An unequivocal whoop of enthusiasm . . . Buy this book. Read it. You'll thank me." —Lawrence Block

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Surprising

2009-11-25 | 1:01 AM | Travis McClain

Fraser, a Scottish TV evangelist, leaves for America ahead of a career-destroying scandal. George, an estranged friend of his from childhood, is dying. Leon and Saul are transient brothers, trading on the former's charisma and talent and the latter's conniving to break into Hollywood. Uniting them are a series of events, the full meaning of which is only revealed to the reader. First-time author Ferguson weaves a fascinating tale of what he calls, "unexpected redemption." The pace of the novel is brisk, helped along by the brevity of the chapters (some are a mere two pages). In fact, at times it feels more like a collection of vignettes than a traditional novel; one can easily see Ferguson dashing off a chapter here or there, as his schedule and inspiration permitted. Given the philosophical and emotional density of some of the passages, it's actually nice to be able to turn the page and find a conveniently placed stopping point. There are some distractions throughout; Ferguson replaces real-life names of entertainment people and businesses with fictitious knock-offs (for obvious reasons). It might be impractical to cast either Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts in the novel, but the fictitious name Meg Roberts (an "America's sweetheart" type actress) is a bit of a speed bump in the middle of this story. In fact, I found myself frequently wishing to get through the passages devoted to Leon and Saul and return to those relating to George and Fraser. George's self-examination in light of impending death (and his unexpected affair with the alluring and captivating French Claudette) touches on one of the most important themes of them all: potential. Fraser, meanwhile, has his own epic story (including a recurring dream in which Carl Jung appears to him to analyze what's going on with him). In many ways, Fraser's story recalls Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and that's never a bad thing.