Bonk on the Head

John-James Ford
Nightwood Editions (2005)
ISBN 0889712042
Reviewed by Sondra Fowler for Reader Views (2/06)

John James Ford writes poetically, brutally, and yet almost lyrically, about the struggles of a young man searching for himself and his place in his family and the world. Herbert “Verbal” Kempt is the son of a military Colonel and his shell shocked wife. Verbal struggles to reconcile himself with a family that is fraught with eccentricity, dysfunction and trepidation.

After his wild yet lovable younger sister runs away, Verbal is left to float adrift with no true purpose in sight. He finds direction and unexpected confidence in the form of Reserve Military Service. Yet amidst all of the success Verbal can not seem to keep from sabotaging himself.

Much of this story is set at the Royal Military College of Canada. It was a very colorful depiction of life in a military setting. The situations and characters were beautifully and fully written. You felt that you were a fly on the wall through all the torments and achievements experienced by the cadets of November Flight.

While the outside world played a large role in the torment of Verbal Kempt the war inside his head was as challenging. He was a young man with much to learn, much to overcome and much to reconcile.

While some of the military and Canadian terminology was alien to me I found I lost nothing of the story. I feel that “Bonk on the Head” would be enjoyable to those interested in the military tales but equally enjoyable to those who prefer tales of the psyche. It was well written and a pleasure to read.

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