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Gone for Good (1998)

by Mark Childress

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1192232,055 (3.46)2
In his fifth novel, the author gives us the wild, comic, and ultimately moving odyssey of a 1970s folk-rock star, Ben 'Superman' Willis. Superman has been riding a wave of success in the years since the Beatles broke up and rock and roll wore itself out. But stardom is not what he thought it would be: the only time he's truly happy is when he's up in his plane, flying alone to the next concert, his son Ben Junior stashed at home in L.A., and his wife Alexa -- a former Miss Southwest Louisiana -- following along in a bus down below. One night, after a show in El Paso, he flies head-on into the adventure of his life. A fierce thunderstorm, an emergency landing in Mexico, and some mind-blowing dope send him thousands of miles off course to a perilous crash landing on a beautiful, mysterious tropical island -- a vision of Paradise, and, on the beach, a remarkable female apparition. Back home, Alexa and Ben Junior are stunned by the news of Superman's disappearance. The out-of-this-world memorial concert at the Hollywood Bowl is no more than a brief distraction from the cataclysmic changes that occur when a man vanishes from the face of the earth. What they don't know, and what Superman will learn only slowly, is that he's very much alive, trapped against his will in a place where famous people go to disappear.… (more)
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German (1)  English (1)  All languages (2)
This book tells the story of Ben Willis, a rock musician and amateur pilot known as Superman, who loses his way while flying solo to his next gig in El Paso, Texas. He ends up in South America, on a secluded island, where life as he knows it is slowly dismantled. Meanwhile, his young son begins to piece together his father’s disappearance, and in time goes in search of him. This is typical Childress: multiple viewpoints include a man, a woman and a young adult; music is treated with unusual skill; there’s a nod toward southern small-town life and the wise older woman; a slightly quirky gothic touch is treated with gentle and compassionate humor. On the other hand, Childress’ attempt to add a heavier than usual blast of magical realism didn’t work for me. Without the subtle Latin touch, or the larger dose of thoughtful realism found in his other books, the completely improbable realities of the island come off as fantasy gone ridiculously awry. Nonetheless, Childress succeeds in maintaining his usual swift and entertaining pace, developing some charming minor characters, and producing another story that – with all its flaws – is neither easy to put down nor devoid of laughs. ( )
  kambrogi | Apr 6, 2008 |
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In his fifth novel, the author gives us the wild, comic, and ultimately moving odyssey of a 1970s folk-rock star, Ben 'Superman' Willis. Superman has been riding a wave of success in the years since the Beatles broke up and rock and roll wore itself out. But stardom is not what he thought it would be: the only time he's truly happy is when he's up in his plane, flying alone to the next concert, his son Ben Junior stashed at home in L.A., and his wife Alexa -- a former Miss Southwest Louisiana -- following along in a bus down below. One night, after a show in El Paso, he flies head-on into the adventure of his life. A fierce thunderstorm, an emergency landing in Mexico, and some mind-blowing dope send him thousands of miles off course to a perilous crash landing on a beautiful, mysterious tropical island -- a vision of Paradise, and, on the beach, a remarkable female apparition. Back home, Alexa and Ben Junior are stunned by the news of Superman's disappearance. The out-of-this-world memorial concert at the Hollywood Bowl is no more than a brief distraction from the cataclysmic changes that occur when a man vanishes from the face of the earth. What they don't know, and what Superman will learn only slowly, is that he's very much alive, trapped against his will in a place where famous people go to disappear.

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