Burying Ronald by Keith Malinsky (2006, Paperback)

For any fans of author Keith Malinsky, this book will exceed your expectations. In his own signature, irreverent, lyrically-discordant voice, author Malinsky takes us on his roller-coaster odyssey from dysfunctional middle class, Long Island childhood through the wildly erratic adult years of his 20s and 30s, particularly insightful is the Author's examination of lead character, Mortimer Pentowski's self-doubt, sexual ambiguity and experimentation. Mortimer struggles against strict Catholic, middle-class familial restrictions to find a sense of self and to be acknowledged not just as a respected writer and artist of prose but ultimately arrival at self-discovery through purging the demons from his past and most significantly, by doing away with his boyhood/manhood idol-Ronald Templeton; the focus of this book. This quest begins in Kings Park, Long Island, where Mortimer Pentowski attends school with Ronald Templeton. As the years progress from the late 70s to the early 80s, the hero worship on the part of Mortimer Pentowski, grows into something deeper and more obsessive and yet that love is not returned by Ronald Templeton. Mortimer seeks Ronald's company, approval and love. A less-significant, yet CRUCIAL influence in Mortimer's life, Ronald's cousin Barry from Lake Ronkonkoma, is a much more richly textured, multi-dimensional character and this reviewer had wished for even more details on HIM, for he, Barry was the understanding friend, the "tell-it-like it is", (but lovingly) type of best friend, that one hopes for. Barry likes to get naked, toke up and "chill" to Pink Floyd's, 'Dark Side of The Moon' and yet Barry is also an artistic genius-a painter of the abstract with demons of his own, whom he had long purged and thus WAS emotionally available, even at 20, to be able to help Mortimer discover self, and yet Mortimer casts him aside for the mediocre, at best, Ronald. Barry also tries to lovingly shatter Mortimer's false illusion of his cousin, Ronald, but in vain. The character, Barry also is the impetus in Mortimer's life who truly brings him out of his shell and his closet, brings him along to all the hot 70s and 80s gay nightclubs to meet some more exciting and avant garde people than Mortimer was previously used to, and it is Barry who encourages him to go West to California and pursue his artistic dream to become a writer, which Mortimer eventually does. Some unresolved issues I had with the book were A) Why is an insightful, budding artist like Mortimer in love with an emotionally-bankrupt child-man who can't even put 2 words together (and who is dating Mortimer's pretty sister whom he also treats like dirt-take the hint)? In other words, not enough of why Ronald is so extraordinary is truly examined; not even physically does he sound appealing (bulbous nose, bald spot, fat ankles) and B) When Mortimer eventually finds true love in Barry II The Sequel, why is he referred to as such?; No comparisons were made as to why he was called Barry II, after Barry [I] is inexplicably out of the picture. Aside from a few technical glitches, however, this is an extremely worthwhile book and highly recommended for mature readers. One's appetite is teased for Mr. Malinsky's future works.