In An Exile’s Perfect Letter, the sequel to Larry Mathew’s
The Artificial Newfoundlander, sixty-two-year-old English professor Hugh Norman
is simply going through the motions on his way to retirement. But when he
learns of f long-lost friend’s sudden death, and then shockingly discovers a
dead body in a city park, Hugh is compelled to deal with resurfacing memories,
a cast of eccentric characters, and a police detective who has taken a sudden
interest in his life.
With its flawless sense of comedic timing and Hugh Norman’s
consistently entertaining interior monologue, An Exile’s Perfect Letter is a
sharp-witted look at how we create meaning amid the turmoil of random events.
This is an elegy for lost youth, a send-up, a love letter, and a portrait of a
man coming of age all over again.
