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To Be Honest
Chester K. Eddy isn’t completely honest. But he’s trying to be. When the struggling New York stage actor decides being totally open and honest is exactly the change he needs in his life, Chester doesn’t expect being so obnoxiously transparent will only make things worse. After his brother kicks him out, his favorite bar cuts him off, and his best pal Melissa tells him she needs a break from their friends-with-benefits relationship, Chester quickly has few people left who still want to listen to him and his self-professed Honesty Movement. Along his way to newfound self-discovery, Chester will finagle his way into the tenuous role of Director’s Assistant for a small-time theatre’s production of an unknown play; he’ll accidentally attend Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings; he’ll find himself in the company of suspected serial killers; he’ll drink a bit too much. And he might even have an eye-opening encounter with a talking dinosaur. But there’s one truth Chester realizes he hasn’t been capable of he’s in love with Melissa. And he can’t be completely honest until he’s ready to tell her as much.
322 pages, Paperback
Published March 30, 2019
About the author
Ryan Tim Morris
7 books89 followersR. Tim Morris is a multi-genre author of 5 novels and a number of short stories.
His books range from Psychological Thrillers ("Molt"), to Literary ("The Inevitable Fall of Tommy Mueller"), to Speculative Fiction ("This Never Happened"), to Contemporary Humour ("To Be Honest"), to Dark Fantasy/Fairy Tale ("The Lost Memories of Oceans").
Morris has also edited and published an anthology of short fiction by indie authors ("More Time").
His work can also be found in Sans.Press, Fractured Mirror Publishing, Louisiana Literature, Roi Fainéant Press, Maudlin House, Cerasus Magazine, Owl Canyon Press, Full Mood Mag, Cardigan Press, and Adelaide Literary Magazine.
He lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia.
His books range from Psychological Thrillers ("Molt"), to Literary ("The Inevitable Fall of Tommy Mueller"), to Speculative Fiction ("This Never Happened"), to Contemporary Humour ("To Be Honest"), to Dark Fantasy/Fairy Tale ("The Lost Memories of Oceans").
Morris has also edited and published an anthology of short fiction by indie authors ("More Time").
His work can also be found in Sans.Press, Fractured Mirror Publishing, Louisiana Literature, Roi Fainéant Press, Maudlin House, Cerasus Magazine, Owl Canyon Press, Full Mood Mag, Cardigan Press, and Adelaide Literary Magazine.
He lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 22, 2019
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book (which I received as an ARC), and I'm still not sure how best to categorise it, so I will simply summarise it instead and let you decide what to make of it.
The story spans five consecutive days in the life of its first-person protagonist, Chester, a self-made loser who seems to be thirty-something, single, and until recently sponging off his smarter and richer brother. Chester's a wannabe actor, who seems to have had difficulty landing parts or holding down any kind of job, in part, one gathers, because of his irresponsible and impulsive personality. When he's kicked out of his brother's apartment, he starts a picaresque adventure in New York, looking for a place to stay, sustenance, a source of funds, and female companionship.
The title of the books refers to Chester's experimental new policy of being honest with everyone about everything, a policy motivated by Mark Twain's advice that honesty is easier than keeping track of one's lies. Chester applies the advice inconsistently and with typical clumsiness, holding back about bigger untruths and pouring forth his soul about various unpleasant aspects of his personal life. (Chester is more anti-hero than hero, and some of his self-confessed honesty about his bodily functions might be off-putting to some.) He also gets his comeuppance when a chance encounter reveals that his part-time girlfriend has been at least as dishonest as he about the the lack of monogamy in their relationship.
From memory (I'm too lazy to check) I'd say around 50% of the narrative was dialogue, 25% action and 25% a mix of exposition and Chester's views on life. The book is witty and written for laughs- there is barely a paragraph without a joke of some sort. The impetus for turning the page comes partly from wondering what fate will befall Chester- will he get the girl, the acting part etc- and partly from enjoying the exuberance of the writing. I've not read enough books about down-on-their-luck actor anti-heroes in New York to know if it has any comparable titles- I certainly can't think of one. Overall, better-written and more-polished than many of the titles I've seen from big publishers on NetGalley, and a credit to a talented indie author.
The story spans five consecutive days in the life of its first-person protagonist, Chester, a self-made loser who seems to be thirty-something, single, and until recently sponging off his smarter and richer brother. Chester's a wannabe actor, who seems to have had difficulty landing parts or holding down any kind of job, in part, one gathers, because of his irresponsible and impulsive personality. When he's kicked out of his brother's apartment, he starts a picaresque adventure in New York, looking for a place to stay, sustenance, a source of funds, and female companionship.
The title of the books refers to Chester's experimental new policy of being honest with everyone about everything, a policy motivated by Mark Twain's advice that honesty is easier than keeping track of one's lies. Chester applies the advice inconsistently and with typical clumsiness, holding back about bigger untruths and pouring forth his soul about various unpleasant aspects of his personal life. (Chester is more anti-hero than hero, and some of his self-confessed honesty about his bodily functions might be off-putting to some.) He also gets his comeuppance when a chance encounter reveals that his part-time girlfriend has been at least as dishonest as he about the the lack of monogamy in their relationship.
From memory (I'm too lazy to check) I'd say around 50% of the narrative was dialogue, 25% action and 25% a mix of exposition and Chester's views on life. The book is witty and written for laughs- there is barely a paragraph without a joke of some sort. The impetus for turning the page comes partly from wondering what fate will befall Chester- will he get the girl, the acting part etc- and partly from enjoying the exuberance of the writing. I've not read enough books about down-on-their-luck actor anti-heroes in New York to know if it has any comparable titles- I certainly can't think of one. Overall, better-written and more-polished than many of the titles I've seen from big publishers on NetGalley, and a credit to a talented indie author.
October 7, 2019
This was a funny, comically irreverent read.
Sure, you might take offense at some of the jokes (which are mostly the main character's thoughts), but you should remind yourself that...
On second thought, do take offense. Our main character - Chester - is, after all, a bit of a douchebag.
But, you see, he's trying. And at the end of the day, that's all any of us can really do.
This book was bizarre, humorous, quirky. I loved the insanity of the dialogues. I also loved how the author even makes fun of himself when the main character thinks in a dream that all the things that have happened to him are too far-fetched, the chances of them happening in the real world very slim.
I also happen to be a bit of a grammar nerd, and I have to note that this book was very well edited, with nearly no errors/typos. Everyone who has self-published knows how hard this is.
Sure, you might take offense at some of the jokes (which are mostly the main character's thoughts), but you should remind yourself that...
On second thought, do take offense. Our main character - Chester - is, after all, a bit of a douchebag.
But, you see, he's trying. And at the end of the day, that's all any of us can really do.
This book was bizarre, humorous, quirky. I loved the insanity of the dialogues. I also loved how the author even makes fun of himself when the main character thinks in a dream that all the things that have happened to him are too far-fetched, the chances of them happening in the real world very slim.
I also happen to be a bit of a grammar nerd, and I have to note that this book was very well edited, with nearly no errors/typos. Everyone who has self-published knows how hard this is.
April 1, 2020
What I Did Like:
-Antihero. It won’t surprise anyone who knows I love morality questions that I’m big on anti hero stories. Give me an MC who is a terrible human being and make me care about their success or failure and I’ll love it. This MC is just that. He’s obnoxious, dark, and broken… but somehow you want him to succeed anyway.
-Honesty movement. Chester’s idea (although it may not have worked the way he wanted) is noble. I applaud him for trying.
-Funny. This one is accidentally funny on a lot of occasions. Chester’s life is a mess. He’s a mess. But there are times when the mess is so ridiculous you’re laughing. It works in a weird way.
Who Should Read This One:
-Contemporary fans who like anti heroes.
-Readers who like to laugh at the misfortune of characters who make huge mistakes.
My Rating: 3 Stars. Contemporary fans who like anti heroes will like this one.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/py5rgtW-m24
-Antihero. It won’t surprise anyone who knows I love morality questions that I’m big on anti hero stories. Give me an MC who is a terrible human being and make me care about their success or failure and I’ll love it. This MC is just that. He’s obnoxious, dark, and broken… but somehow you want him to succeed anyway.
-Honesty movement. Chester’s idea (although it may not have worked the way he wanted) is noble. I applaud him for trying.
-Funny. This one is accidentally funny on a lot of occasions. Chester’s life is a mess. He’s a mess. But there are times when the mess is so ridiculous you’re laughing. It works in a weird way.
Who Should Read This One:
-Contemporary fans who like anti heroes.
-Readers who like to laugh at the misfortune of characters who make huge mistakes.
My Rating: 3 Stars. Contemporary fans who like anti heroes will like this one.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/py5rgtW-m24
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews