Synopses & Reviews
An endearing, often outrageous blend of fable, tall tale, and page-turner,
The Watermelon King returns to Ashland, Alabama the fictional town immortalized in Daniel Wallace's enormously popular
Big Fish the entire identity of which is based on the long-ago abundance of watermelons.
Thomas Rider knows almost nothing about his parents, only that his mother died the day he was born in Ashland the Watermelon Capital of the World. He goes there in search of his past, learning of the town's bizarre history. Most important, he learns about the once annual Watermelon Festival, for which the town nominated a male virgin to be the Watermelon King and orchestrated his performance in a fertility rite for the following year's crop. Piecing together the details with the help of an offbeat, utterly unforgettable cast of characters, Thomas finds himself immersed in a series of events that turns everything he knows upside down.
Comic and poignant, and wholly original, The Watermelon King is a magical novel, steeped in the power of identity, myth, and good old-fashioned southern storytelling.
Review
"This is a unique and spellbinding novel, an unforgettable southern tall tale with extraordinary characters." Meredith Parets, Booklist
Review
"Part novel, part legend, this work is beautifully sensual, thought-provoking, and stunning in its originality. Highly recommended." Library Journal
Review
"Overall, this is a slight misstep from an author with much more potential than is demonstrated here." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Heavy-handed....For a fable, Wallace strikes a completely wrong tone, narrating his tale in short, ponderous, testimony-like recollections by various townsfolk. The result: heavy, pompous, and dull." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The Watermelon King brings readers to Ashland, Alabama immortalized in
Big Fish a fictional town whose reputation is based on its long-ago abundance of watermelons.
Thomas Rider knows almost nothing about his parents, only that his mother died the day he was born in Ashland. He travels there and interviews the townspeople, learning of the town's bizarre past. Most important, he learns about the Watermelon Festival, which at one time occurred annually and would symbolically ensure the continued fertility of the crop that sustained the townspeople and how his mother came to destroy the festival. Piecing together his own identity as well as that of the town, Thomas finds himself immersed in a series of events that turns everything he knows upside down.
Synopsis
An endearing, often outrageous blend of fable, tall tale, and page-turner, The Watermelon King brings readers to Ashland, Alabama -- the fictional town immortalized in Daniel Wallace's Big Fish -- whose reputation is based on the long-ago abundance of watermelons. Thomas Rider knows almost nothing about his parents, only that his mother died the day he was born in Ashland. He travels there in search of his past, learning of the town's bizarre history. Gradually with the help of an offbeat, utterly unforgettable cast of characters, Thomas finds himself immersed in a series of events that turns everything he knows upside down. Comic, poignant, and wholly original, The Watermelon King is a magical novel steeped in the power of identity, myth, and good old-fashioned southern storytelling.
About the Author
Daniel Wallace is the author of the novels Big Fish and Ray in Reverse and is also an illustrator. His books have been translated into eight languages. The film version of Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton, will be released later this year.