Talk to Me Review

Entertainment Weekly, New & Notable New York Post, Best Book of the Week By the author of the New York Times bestseller, Love Poems for Married People, and the Thurber Prize-winner Truth in Advertising comes a wry yet tenderhearted look at how one man’s public fall from grace leads him back to his family, and back to the man he used to be. It’s a story that Ted Grayson has reported time and time again in his job as a network TV anchor: the public downfall of those at the top. He just never imagined that it would happen to him. After his profanity-laced tirade is caught on camera, his reputation and career are destroyed, leaving him without a script for the first time in years. While American viewers may have loved and trusted Ted for decades, his family certainly didn’t: His years of constant travel and his big-screen persona have frayed all of his important relationships. At the time of his meltdown, Ted is estranged from his wife, Claire, and his adult daughter, Franny, a writer for a popular website. Franny views her father’s disgrace with curiosity and perhaps a bit of smug satisfaction, but when her boss suggests that she confront Ted in an interview, she has to decide whether to use his loss as her career gain. And for Ted, this may be a chance to take a hard look at what got him to this place, and to try to find his way back before it’s too late. Talk to Me is a sharply observed, darkly funny, and ultimately warm story about a man who wakes up too late to the mess he’s made of his life… and about our capacity for forgiveness and empathy.

Review

An e-copy of the book has been provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House International, in exchange for an honest review.

“My boss says there are no lies. Just what people are willing to read and accept as the truth.”

Ted Grayson is a 20-year veteran news anchor. It’s his 59th birthday yet he is having an awfully bad day. In his annoyance, he screamed profanity-laced misogynistic rant at a young woman. The incident, luckily, wasn’t shown in live television. Unfortunately, it was recorded and spread across for the world to see.

‘Talk to Me’ is a social commentary of our current day and age where social media is not only powerful but dangerous. It reveals society’s hunger for scandal and the media’s obsession in exposing everyone’s errors and mistakes as they merrily drag the person’s entire life down the drain. Most importantly, though, it illuminates the importance of proper communication.

The characters have been given depth in an interestingly introspective way. They were placed in situations that will instigate an irritable personality; but with the circumstances and perspective given to readers, the characters were crafted with such a pulling sense of humanity.

As this is literary fiction, it can get quite boring and dragging. I believe it’s more of the sense and nature of genre due to their focus on thematic rather than actual plot. However, the sequences in the story are absolutely meaningful and beautiful when appreciated for the message it tries to convey.

John Kenney was effective in writing this humorous and poignant story of a man as his entire life and career freefalls right in front of him with the reality of our new social media engrossed society—uncovering the very nature of a culture so bent to destroy. His layered characters are raw, electric, and flawed yet empathic. A truly wonderful read and a powerful reminder that we should always give people the chance to talk!

1 thought on “Talk to Me Review”

  1. Pingback: Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Books of the Year - Wander with Jon

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