Review: A Great Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2012
When I started reading the Squirrel That Dreamt Of Madness by Craig Stone I was at first intrigued by the idea of the story of a homeless man living in a park. The way the story unfolded reminded me of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in that the main character took it upon himself to demonstrate that one's life didn't have to be as constricting and lifeless as it seems.The character, named Colossus Sosloss, walks away from his job, home, and friends to prove that one doesn't need society to make something of themselves. While living in a park for ten days he meets quite a group of characters Including a midget groundskeeper that doesn`t like him, Moonface an insane man that follows him everywhere, and Matt, the lone groundskeeper that treats him with any dignity.From the beginning of the story the author shares the random thoughts and quips everyone has throughout their daily lives but few, if any, confess to it. While funny and entertaining it also helps keep the feeling of the book light instead of the potential depressing nature of the material. As it progresses further those comedic thoughts turned into hilarious actions as Colossus is caught in, or a part of, several acts that aren't bad alone but when combined with the predicament he finds himself in prove to be hilarious. I was very pleased to find that some of the seemingly random side stories serve an important purpose to the conclusion.This was a very good read that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone that enjoys a good story. At times you'll feel for Colossus and at others you'll agree with his self-assessment of being an idiot. You'll laugh and may even cry, but in the end you'll be happy you read it.