This adult novel definitely reminded me of Forrest Gump. Why? Because it's about a mentally challenged young man who knows more about life than most of us.
"My name is Perry L. Crandall and I am not retarded." Perry goes on to talk about his IQ on the first page, just like Forrest Gump. But, unlike Forrest Gump, Perry's family is horrible except for his Gram. When Gram dies, Perry's family deserts him and takes his money. But then Perry wins the lottery. And his family wants power of attorney over him. And his family wants to invest his winnings for him. And they want his money.
But Perry discovers that he is quite the businessman. He invests in his bosses' shipping business and things take off. He learns not to take every collect call. He learns to write checks for $500 because that is how many zeroes fit in the box. And he also falls in love. Perry loves Cherry, the tattooed, pierced gas station attendant who is in love with Perry's best friend Keith.
This is a coming-of-age story, even though Perry is 31 when his Gram dies. But Perry grows up, even though his IQ is only 76. He learns to live on his own and be financially secure. And he learns to love.
No comments:
Post a Comment