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Some Can Whistle

Jason Squire Fluck Fiction
July 6, 2017

Some Can Whistle

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When I stumbled across Buffalo Girls on my to-read shelf, Some Can Whistle was stocked beside it—though I have no idea its provenance. Nonetheless, reading McMurtry feels like putting on your most comfortable lounging gear, familiar and safe, so I figured I’d go for two in a row. Without checking the jacket for storyline, I plunged right in and was brought up short because the narration was first person circa 1989 ex-Hollywood-I had expected a 19th century western. Offended by my own “idiotness,” I reviewed McMurtry’s entire canon to educate myself and then, after discovering his wide range of story, felt even dumber.

In Some Can Whistle, the narrator Danny Deck is a lottery Hollywood success, having struggled as an obscure writer in Hollywood for years only to write what becomes the most successful television show in history. By the time we meet him, he has taken his money and become a total recluse in Texas. His emotional commitments do not extend beyond the phone calls he has with the many movie star ex-lovers he’s collected over the years. He seems well on his way to living a life of emotional obscurity when a phone call from his twenty-one year old daughter T.R., whom he has not seen since her birth, kickstarts his life, and the story. When T.R. brings her two young children and her boyfriend to live with Danny in his Texas mansion, Danny’s life catapults into emotional overdrive.

The book moseys along, just like Danny’s life, without a lot happening and I was prepared to give this book an uncharacteristically 3 stars when I was a little more than halfway done. But then the story kicked into high gear, as did my interest, and I read the last chapter with a feeling of contentment. I hope you will too.

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Jason Squire Fluck

Born in California and raised in Pennsylvania, Jason spent most of his childhood with his nose in a book. After graduating with honors from college, Jason moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and writing. He has written numerous film scripts and stage plays and recently released his debut novel titled Jon Fixx. Read more about Jason, his writing, and his book reviews at jasonsquirefluck.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. P. J. LazosP. J. Lazos says

    July 7, 2017 at 5:39 pm

    Great review. I’ll check it out.

    Reply
  2. Ken KlemmKen Klemm says

    July 7, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    Thanks for posting this. I’ve been a McMurtry fan since Lonesome Dove, which my Dad gave me to read, and I was hooked. I’ll have to dig around a bit to find this but I am sure it will be worth it. I think the fact of picking up a book without knowing what it is about would make a very good exercise, as way of getting out of the “comfort zone” and bringing the reader into a world they may or may not have gotten into otherwise.

    Reply

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