Layman's Report
Fred. An ordinary man. Repairs office copiers by day, works on his own inventions by night. Fred. Builds a better electric chair, patents a lethal injection machine, corners the capital punishment market. Fred. Looks for love, finds it in the arms of the Holocaust-denial movement--for better or for worse. Inspired by the life of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr., subject of the Errol Morris documentary, Mr. Death, Layman's Report starts with the truth and takes it where only great fiction can.
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Really an odd book! I believe I saw a review of this in the NYTimes a few weeks ago and thought it sounded interesting, but forgot everything about it except the name. I picked it up in my local bookstore's summer sale based on that and the cover art, which makes it look like a spec-fic. Needless to say the first 50 pages were pretty unexpected.
Parts read like a fever dream. I had no concept that this was based on / inspired by / referencing a real person until about halfway through. Not sure what to think of that.
In some ways it reminds me a lot of Stoner, in that it follows a person who is sort of stumbling through his life. This character is less endearing.
I enjoyed the writing. I might have more to say on this after I let it digest.
