April 15, 2023
Harold is a third-grader who "loved living in the circus of his head." He pictures countless tiny birds in there, each a thought; so when a bird, of species real and imagined, flies through the little open rectangle in his brain, that's what he thinks about. Such as: what if people kept growing taller and taller like trees? He sits at his desk on a typical school day in the early 1960s, alert to his crush, Elizabeth; enamored of and enraged by his teacher; winging off into reveries and daydreams, his surprisingly edgy sensibility shaped by classic black-and-white movies and his affectionate, iconoclastic grandfather. His elaborately surreal and provocative inner journeys take him beneath a cemetery and to the moon. His wildly pivoting yet incisive commentary is spiked by his ire over war and dictators; he muses on the nature of time. "Harold was a wondering machine." Readers enthralled by stand-up comedian Wright's uniquely brainy, topsy-turvy, metaphysical, and epigrammatic humor will revel in Harold's uncanny, sharply funny, and profound ponderings in this sardonic yet tender tale of life's mysteries and the mind's marvels.
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May 12, 2023
DEBUT This first novel from the brilliant mind of legendary deadpan comedian Wright is a funny and poignant story of a day in the life of a precocious 1960s third-grader. The questions never cease in the mind of seven-year-old Harold. As he sits in the classroom listening to his teacher, his mind begins to ponder the enigmas of the world. Oftentimes, Harold perplexes his teacher with one of these inquiries. He sees these fleeting thoughts as "birds flying through an open window" of his mind. His thoughts comfort him as his home life is contrasted with an aloof mother and an adventurous grandfather. His grandfather spurs his interest in the wide world outside of the classroom, while his mother's troubled mind may factor into his own brain's disquiet. A day in the life of Harold will never be dull. VERDICT The world as seen through the title character's eyes is full of awe-inspiring wonder and fascination and is very relatable. The sincerity of Harold's thoughts is often coupled with a cynical sense of humor that make for a droll and thought-provoking read that never ceases to prove enjoyable.--Philip Zozzaro
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