Written by James Magnuson
SUMMARY:
In 2014, W.W. Norton & Company published this 313-page paperback by novelist James Magnuson. The author is a retired director for the James A. Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin.
In December 2002, federal prison convict Frankie Abandonato flashes back five years before to a fateful lottery ticket scam he was running with his long-time cohort, ‘Barry.’ Forced to escape the New York mob on literally the first flight out of town, fifty-something Frankie notices someone resembling him abruptly choosing not to board the same plane. Upon arriving in Austin, Texas, the swindler soon finds himself the beneficiary of mistaken identity due to that would-be traveler’s choice.
Conveniently resembling legendary recluse V.S. Mohle – author of the classic coming-of-age novel, Eat Your Wheaties, Frankie initially plays along. For starters, it lands him a cushy overnight hideout in a private bungalow owned by the University of Texas. Finding out that Mohle is scheduled to earn $75,000.00 to supervise an elite workshop showcasing collegiate writers at the university’s Fiction Institute, Frankie opts to lay low and quietly earn Mohle’s paychecks.
Soon enough, Frankie senses a far bigger payday, if he can successfully rip off the workshop’s world-famous founder: elderly novelist Rex Schoeninger. A quarter-century before, Schoeninger had infamously feuded with Mohle, but it appears that he is now attempting to make peace with his former arch-nemesis before it is too late. Continuing his impersonation of Mohle for months, Frankie ingratiates himself into Schoeninger’s low-key world. He even finds they share unexpected parallels re: life’s most lingering regrets.
Yet, the walls are closing in on Frankie. Despite his best efforts, inevitably, he senses somebody will deduce his brazenly fraudulent scheme, let alone should the real Mohle ever find out. He also must quickly contend with a rival shakedown chasing Schoeninger’s considerable wealth. Worse yet, a vengeful mob faction hasn’t forgotten him either, as Frankie finds out that they are even hassling his estranged family back East.
Ultimately, Frankie must go for broke if he intends to stay one pivotal step ahead of all the other players shooting for the greatest score of his life.
REVIEW:
Given the inauspicious title and cover image, one is likely thinking it is Magnuson’s low-key memoir reflecting upon his encounters with various literary peers. Gratefully, that isn’t so, as he brings to life the unscrupulous world of small-time East Coast hustler Frankie Abandonato.
Through Frankie’s unfiltered voice, Magnuson brilliantly (not to mention, hilariously) satirizes the author’s own real-life academic surroundings. Told in a streetwise vernacular reminiscent of Jerry Orbach’s snarky TV sleuth ‘Harry McGraw,’ Frankie’s incessant scheming exudes welcome unpredictability pitting him against the unsuspecting marks he is baiting on a proverbial hook.
Making it look easy, Magnuson nails visual details and character traits in perfect depth, in terms of as much down-to-earth reality as possible given this contrived premise. Readers, accordingly, will feel like they are in the conference room with Frankie fake-teaching his students … or with the impostor out of his urban element on scenic trips exploring some obscure corner of Texas with Schoeninger and his assistant, Ramona.
Magnuson doesn’t miss a beat building seemingly inconsequential scenes into a likable framework where Frankie’s fraudulent tactics blur with the role he enjoys playing. Hence, finding out what consequences emerge from the fake Mohle’s influence over others is the kind of fun the climax generates bringing Frankie’s narrative plausibly full circle.
It could have been hinted that one of Frankie’s Texan friends smells a rat and opts to say nothing, which might have made an intriguing plot twist. Instead, Magnuson takes this unrepentant swindler on a vivid journey finding a new perspective, even realizing why his own sordid conscience parallels the far older Schoeninger. What’s better is that the author satisfactorily winds up all the loose sub-plots and still never wears out Frankie’s abrasive welcome.
It’s no doubt deliberate irony that Famous Writers That I Have Known presents an ideal choice for any English major’s contemporary literature coursework, let alone worthy of a cinematic adaptation. Suffice to say, Magnuson’s novel is a witty literary gem for adults confirming his title is as deceptively clever as Frankie Abandonato.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Included are two-and-a-half pages of complimentary feedback from various critics and Magnuson’s peers. Magnuson also graciously offers his acknowledgements.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
