Frankland

A Novel

By: James Whorton Jr.

Narrated by: Nick Landrum

With droll humor and biting wit, critically acclaimed author James Whorton, Jr. pens enjoyable novels in the tradition of John Kennedy Toole and Walker Percy. In Frankland, a socially challenged young man named John H. Tolley aspires to be a prestigious historian despite his lack of a college degree. To that end, he embarks on a journey to east Tennessee to track down 17th President Andrew Johnson’s secret papers, which may or may not actually exist. When he arrives, he meets a quirky group of people who inadvertently serve to obstruct him from his more scholarly pursuits.

©2005 James Whorton, Jr. (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Good

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I enjoyed it. The "serve to obstruct him" is not locals protecting secret Johnson papers as I'd guessed. The main character inadvertantly gets involved in some local doings with the quirky locals. The main character is also quirky and an individual, with particular interests and traits, too so that he reminded me of the Dexter from the first few novels in that series (but without the dark passenger psychosis and killing aspects). I guess that's what I found entertaining about the book; unusual characters, doings and mysteries, and ending. I would say it is less a drama than some mysteries.

What does Nick Landrum bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Nick gives most of the characters a sound that helps bring them to life. I've known people like some of the ones in this book and he captures them well.