Title: Mark: A Novel
Author: Adam Darby
Genre: Literary Fiction, Action/Adventure, Men’s Fiction
Book Blurb:
Mark travels to an unexplored jungle—a strange patch of forest where uncontacted tribes still exist. He goes for adventure—for escape—for his psychological well-being after a difficult divorce. But when he’s suddenly surrounded by barefoot hunters—men with spears and bows and arrows—Mark realizes that some adventures—some trips to far-off places—might not be worth the risk.
For years he’s kept as a slave—used by the tribe in more ways than one. He tries to escape but is never successful—guarded by the tribe’s stone-faced medicine man every night. As time passes, Mark starts to lose his grasp on reality—his sense of time and truth blurring.
But he still remembers the people and places he left behind—the family and friends. He dreams of leaving his jungle prison one day—of taking his children with him—emerging from the wild to tell the world how he survived—how he escaped. Mark wonders, however, if attempting such a dangerous journey—such a lonely trek through the deadly maze of green and black—is even worth the risk.
My Review:
This is a uniquely formatted book. Set up in three different parts, the reader has to work through three different stories to get the jist of this book. I was unable to grasp the overriding concept. It may be 'be careful what you wish for'. It may be 'sometimes getting lost is really getting lost'. Maybe the central theme is 'hey, I'm a shiftless loser, here's my story'.
The three parts are:
1) jungle life
2)dreams that are simple reflections of previous life
3) interview about jungle life.
If the book had started with the interview segment, this would have been a much easier read. The reader is instead thrust blindly into a scene and it is very hard to follow. Once I got to know Mark, I immediately detested him. This guy can't be considered an anti-hero as there is little I would deem heroic about any part of him.
That he never should have been in that part of the jungle, he pretty much got what he deserved. If within six months the state doesn't take his kids from him as an unfit parent, I would be surprised. In sum, Mark had a pretty worthless life, tried to jump out of that life, led a pretty dismal life, jumped out of that and went back to a worthless life but with two kids.
This story will appeal to the vast audience who enjoys suffering and human pain. I recommend it to conceivably the fans of This is Us and Modern Family. A book unlike any other I have read. If only it had been put forward in a better format, it would have been 5 stars.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy it Now:
Amazon Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XWMP5KD
Author Biography:
Adam Darby is the author of four books: MARK, The River Snakes, The Beacon Brothers, and Duct-tape Bandage. His work ranges from Action/Adventure to YA and always moves quickly with efficient prose and punctuation. Several of his stories contain a fair amount of humor (they’re supposed to, at least) and his protagonists always have a romantic entanglement or two (or more).
Adam has climbed the world’s largest ball of twine, jumped off waterfalls in El Salvador, seen a six-legged cow, fled from bears down switchback trails in California, and recently officiated a wedding in a Kansas barn. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Kansas City, MO.
For more information on Adam’s books or to contact him directly, please visit AdamDarby.com. Thanks!
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @AuthorAdamDarby
Reviewed by: Mr. N