They Would Make Your Name Sing

As I have previously written, earlier this semester I had the opportunity to hear Stephen Carter of Yale Law School speak at an event during the ACU Centennial Speaker Series. Like most authors/speakers, Carter had some of his merchandise on sale after the event, but unlike most of the events I have attended in the past, I was persuaded to purchase two of Carter's books simply because of his presentation during the luncheon.

At first glance, it would be easy to assume that someone who has clerked for a Supreme Court justice and who teaches at one of our nation's most prestigious law schools would be a much more gifted in the realm of non-fiction versus fiction writing, but it is Carter's first fiction work The Emperor of Ocean Park that has opened my eyes to his tremendous literary ability.

It might be the fact that I have probably read one too many John Grisham novels, but when I began Emperor I was not anticipating anything special from Carter, but for those of you who enjoy the work of Grisham, prepare to be taken on a long, enjoyable ride by Carter's narrative. At times it is difficult to determine if some the editorializing that Carter's narrator, Talcott Garland, is simply window-dressing on the story or if Carter is using a fiction work as another means of continuing the national discussion on race, class, and power, but the novel twists and turns through 650 pages that are filled with a world of characters and settings that work so well because of Carter's firsthand knowledge.

The length may be daunting, but if you are looking for a legal and political mystery/thriller with more depth than you acquire in the typical Grisham novel, I would recommend Emperor in a heartbeat.