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Discontents: The Disappearance of a Young Radical

James Wallace Birch

Start date: September 10, 2011

Finish date: September 23, 2011

Why we're reading this: This book is a great read, and defies conventions and your expectations. Discontents are young, disaffect…more
[close] This book is a great read, and defies conventions and your expectations. Discontents are young, disaffected middle-class people who protest against materialist society before consuming the same materials, using their parents' money. A very thoughtful thriller.

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Oct 01, 2011 Scott Bury rated it really liked it

Discontents is the second independently published ebook I have read, and I am impressed.

There is a lot to like in this story. Birch demonstrates his own social awareness and a little of his politics. He’s sympathetic to the same ideals that I am, but also skeptical and a little cynical—like me. And he’s realistic.

This is a political thriller from a different perspective. The main character is not a super-spy, a cop, a politician or a reporter. He really is an outsider, an overeducated, underemp ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 06, 2018 James Birch rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: must-read-indie-books, psychological-mystery, neo-noir, transgressive

I’ve received many emails asking to get this work into print now that Amazon can do it on demand. I’m excited to say that this is now available in paperback.

I decided to add a new, more descriptive subtitle.

The life and disappearance of Emory Walden is a fascinating story that has affected my life. It is a story that I come back to again and again. I still wonder, where Emory is and how he’s doing. It has been 7 years since Emory disappeared and I have not heard from him since the summer of 201 ...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Gail Baugniet rated it really liked it

During the Labor Day Book Blowout, sponsored by Independent Book Collective (IBC), I discovered and purchased DISCONTENTS, written by author James Wallace Birch. The “Legal Stuff” posted at the front of the book mystified me: Were the great many notices presented on this page issued out of fear . . . or did they mirror the paranoia of the story’s protagonist? With some trepidation, I finally proceeded to read the published version of Emory Walden’s ordeal.

The eras covered in Emory’s story are t During the Labor Day Book Blowout, sponsored by Independent Book Collective (IBC), I discovered and purchased DISCONTENTS, written by author James Wallace Birch. The “Legal Stuff” posted at the front of the book mystified me: Were the great many notices presented on this page issued out of fear . . . or did they mirror the paranoia of the story’s protagonist? With some trepidation, I finally proceeded to read the published version of Emory Walden’s ordeal.

The eras covered in Emory’s story are twofold, presented in a seamless blending of the politically sizzling 1960s and the current, high-tension situations in which Emory Walden becomes enmeshed. Entertaining and action-filled, often edged with the paranoia and fear reflected in the opening disclaimers, the book held my attention with its effortless transitions between vital backstory and unfolding “news-at-five” style present.

Sometimes it is the unexpected, tightly-written phrases utilized by an author to “show, not tell” that add power to a novel. Shortly into DISCONTENTS, I realized protagonist Emory Walden would not be receiving his fair share of respect anytime soon. As a steakhouse hostess watches the “half-sober backpacker” that is Emory enter the restaurant, Emory interprets her reaction: “. . . she gave me her disappointment with a shift of her weight.” As I experienced the waitress’s reaction of disapproval through the eyes of the protagonist, I developed empathy for Emory that carried through to the story’s end, granting credence to the story and offering me, the reader, investment in the outcome.

That empathy was put to the test, though. One instance is the street artwork Emory plasters around town, along with his opinion that the streets belong to the people and it is okay to use the outer walls of public buildings for personal commentary. If the streets belong to the people, what are the rights of the people who do not want to see graffiti?
Many who read this book will feel the urge to express an opinion: about politics, personality conflicts, oil prices, or even about current protests via the Internet. It’s that kind of story.
...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB marked it as to-read

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Aug 02, 2011 James Birch rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: must-read-indie-books, activism, social-movements, social-issues, political-mystery, psychological-novel, psychological-mystery

2 likes · Like

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