Sleeping Father by Matthew Sharpe

This isn't just another quirky, witty book about a dysfunctional family (and yes, I realize that term is probably redundant), this is a tour de force dissection of several psychological types prominent in our hyper-neurotic age. Sharpe is finely attuned to the secret machinations of the human mind and can write about them with an economical lucidity that makes one want to stand up and cheer: Lets hear it for articulateness! Sharpe has enough psychological insight that I'd hire him as my analyst in a heartbeat. (Unfortunately, he's not available as he's busy teaching creative writing in the Bronx.) But here's the thing: when he wants to be (which is about every thirty pages or so) Sharpe is way funnier than my current shrink... or just about anyone writing in the English language today. He's laugh-out-loud hysterically hilarious - and never in a tasteless or a contrived way, either. His humor is always compassionate and wise. And though the plot meanders a bit, it never bogs because the believable, lovable characters keep the reader so deeply engaged. If you're looking for comparisons, I'd say he's a bit like J.D. Salinger or Dave Eggers and the equal of either. High praise? You bet, but I'll stand by it!