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Faraway Green
Jack Young, author
One muggy summer in New England, an unemployed agrostologist–otherwise known as the Grassman–goes to work for the wealthy Bill Borrington, a “rock-hard dreamer” with a motley crew of hangers-on and a cattle farm in the Berkshires. His mission: to transform a weed-ridden field into a carpet of pristine putting green that will bring riches to Bill and win the admiration of the ravishing Autumn Bliss. To reach his goal, the Grassman must contend with hostile cowboys, inmates from a women’s prison, bad digestion, and above all the dreaded curse of the Zombini Sisters.
Semi Finalist
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 10 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 9.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Young's short, hilarious farce stays perfectly on point as Joe, aka Slim, aka the Grassman, agrees to work for zany millionaire Bill Borrington on a crazy business idea. While the jokes are occasionally predictable, for the most part the strange and sardonic narrator makes delightfully poor choices in his quest to hide his incompetence from Borrington and win the favor of gorgeous entourage member Autumn Bliss. The ending feels slightly rushed, and the frame that opens the novel might not be necessary, but overall this is a compact, fresh, and entertaining work.
Date Submitted: July 26, 2016
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