"Going Home" by Cole Parker

[Rutabaga]

Someone needs to do it, so I will.

Cole has a new novel here that just started posting.  It promises to have a touch of Hollywood glamour.   Now that the hero has been turned loose by an idiot studio executive, where to next?

R

[Nigel Gordon]

Cole said this was different from his usual fare, and it certainly has a different feel about it. For a start, the writing seems stronger, more edgy than Coles usual style, which, if anything, is usually somewhat mellow. It will be interesting to see where the story is going to go.

[Merkin]

Well put, Nigel.  I'm getting that too, plus realizing that Rory is the ultimate catch.  He's gotta have a flaw somewhere!

[Rutabaga]

On 4/4/2023 at 12:48 PM, Nigel Gordon said:

For a start, the writing seems stronger, more edgy than Coles usual style, which, if anything, is usually somewhat mellow.

But see "Distorted Perspectives" for something pretty darn edgy . . .

R

[Nigel Gordon]

7 hours ago, Rutabaga said:

But see "Distorted Perspectives" for something pretty darn edgy . . .

Yes Rutabaga, it's an edgy story, but the writing style is not edgy.  In my opinion the writing does not have the sharpness, the crispness that "Going Home" has. Not that surprising, it was written fourteen years ago, and in fourteen years any writer of talent will develop their style. One thing I think we can all agree on is that Cole is a writer of talent.

By the way, thanks for the link to "Distorted Perspective", have not read it for ages and it is certainly worth re-reading.

[Rutabaga]

It’s one of the stories I “facelifted” earlier this year. 
 

R

[Camy]

'Going Home' is bloody marvellous!

Props to the Retriever. 

[Cole Parker]

Thanks!

 

C

[dlgrantsf]

My word, Cole, this is good.  Oh, it is.  It has captured me.  And to so completely engage someone as a reader - is there anything else we can ask?

I don’t know where it is going.  I’ll be following.

Hugs to you!

[Cole Parker]

Thanks so much!  I feel honored.

C

 

[Nigel Gordon]

This just keeps getting better.

[Cole Parker]

Thanks so much, Nigel.  I love the reception it's getting.

Hey, and I hope you're feeling better.

c

[Camy]

I think I'm in love with Morris.

[Cole Parker]

Me too!

[Altimexis]

Skipping the Grand Canyon? Tired of all the driving and sightseeing? Good Lord, I’m glad Rory was never my trip planner. Cumulatively, I think I’ve spent months hiking the trails of the national parks in the ‘Four Corners’ area. There are eight national parks within a 200 mile radius, and that doesn’t even include the national monuments and recreation areas.

Rory and Cary could have hiked the wilderness area of the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, or spent a week in a houseboat on Lake Powell - before it disappears. If they were lucky and someone else canceled, they could have ridden the mules into the Grand Canyon. They couldn’t have driven through Yellowstone in a day, let alone seen anything. It’s huge. And what about the Grand Tetons, which you have to drive through on the way from Salt Lake City? We’re taking hundreds and hundreds of miles of driving here. BTW, the bear jams in Yellowstone have been gone for some fifty years now. The bears have been relocated to the backcountry and encounters are rare.

Sigh

Rory and I may both hale from Indiana, but we’re polar opposites when it comes to travel. My wife and I spend months or even years planning each trip. My parents did too. I know most people don’t do that and there’s something to be said for the spontaneity of just taking off and seeing where the road takes you, but travel’s expensive and it pays to plan.

Anyway, I’m loving the story, Cole, even if the sites being skipped along the way are driving me nuts.

[Cole Parker]

With unlimited time, all that's mentioned would be possible.  As you'll see when you continue reading, dawdling wasn't an option.

 

C

[Altimexis]

1 hour ago, Cole Parker said:

With unlimited time, all that's mentioned would be possible.  As you'll see when you continue reading, dawdling wasn't an option.

 

C

I didn’t say it wasn’t possible - the drive from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City and then to Old Faithful in Yellowstone via the west entrance can be done in about 12 hours, plus stops, but it bypasses some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. I understand that there isn’t time to dawdle but damn, it’s criminal not to at least spend a few days seeing the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce National Parks. I brought up Lake Powell because it’s shrinking and much of it won’t be navigable by boat much longer. Believe me, I’m just talking about the absolute highlights. An introductory trip to the Four Corners region (so named because 4 states meet at one point) takes a good two weeks.

To put it another way, if I need to go from L.A. to San Francisco on business by car, I’ll take I-5 to I-80 and head across the Bay Bridge. However, if I’m on vacation, I’ll take the Pacific Coast Highway and make several stops along the way. The drive from the Rockies east  to Indiana is 90% boring, so why not spend time in the national parks? Not that there aren’t some spectacular sights to see in the cities along the way, but why not see both?

 I guess we just have different priorities in what we believe a boy should experience during a first trip away from home.

[Camy]

Yes, but... but... but (quivering lower lip)... where was Morris?

[Altimexis]

7 hours ago, Camy said:

Yes, but... but... but (quivering lower lip)... where was Morris?

Maybe one of the bears ate him. Sorry to even think that, but the National Park Service does have rules about not letting pets on trails or in outdoor public areas, and for good reason. Most dogs don’t know not to chase small wild animals and many wild animals see pets as food.

My mother used to travel with her cat - the airlines used to allow one small pet per cabin, kept in an under-seat carrier. She took the cat hiking with her in a harness on a leash, but only in state parks where pets were permitted on the trails. When it came to the national parks, she had to make special arrangements in advance for her cat to stay in her cabin during the day and for housekeeping to stay out until she left. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon actually has a kennel and pets must be boarded there while in the park. At least cats don’t need to be walked.

 Since most in-park lodging is booked up in advance for the season, I suspect that Rory, Cary and Morris stayed outside the parks in motels that allow pets, which quite a few do for the reasons I described.

[Merkin]

Chapter Nine. ‘What a piece of work is Man…’  Hamlet.  I thought Cary was going to be the challenge, but Rory has certainly captured my attention:  “I learned from dealing with my father not to show emotions. Once you’ve started doing that, you get in the habit and it’s hard to change”.

[Nigel Gordon]

Without doubt, this is some of the best writing that I have seen for a long time. It has something of the feel of the late Chris James to it, but it is definitely Cole Parker.  If Cole can keep this this up until the end, it is going to be a masterpiece of writing and storytelling.

[Merkin]

Rory's nickname should be 'Slick'.

[Altimexis]

Nice sequence in Yellowstone National Park. Although I don't doubt that incidents like the bear encounter in the story don't happen in Yellowstone, they're thankfully uncommon. Since 1979 there have been 44 bear attacks, only two of which were in developed areas of the park. Since 1872, there have been eight bear-related fatalities, which is only slightly higher than the number killed by falling trees (7), avalanches (6), or lightning (5). These statistics come from the National Park Service website. Bear encounters declined dramatically with the installation of bear-resistant trash containers in campgrounds and picnic areas. Visitors are constantly reminded about the rules of bear safety, including the need to stay at least 100 yards away and to never feed the bears. Indeed, bears that become habituated to human food often lack the fat stores necessary to hibernate through the winter, and they sometimes have to be killed to prevent further risks to humans. Still, as per the story, there are some very stupid people who'll ignore just about everything else in the name of getting a great photo. However, in that regard, the geysers and hot springs are far more dangerous than the bears!

[JamesSavik]

This would make a great movie.