Retirement provides the opportunity to read books only because they are being recognized the critics. "Man Gone Down" is Michael Thomas' first book and had been well received.
In summary, it deals with a black man in a biracial marriage who is struggling to overcome a history of addiction to become the success his education and intellect warrants. The problems of trying to live according to standards primarily established by his wife include financial and marital discord.
What makes the book worth reading is the author's style of writing. While I found it very confusing, it surely captured the complexity of his life. His writing is like a stream of consciousness. There is no thread clearly connecting each portion of the book. He toggles between his past (childhood, college, addiction), present, and future aspirations without notice.
In a sense, I find myself doing such toggling, often frustrated by my brain's constant meandering between the reality at hand and the plethora of other matters that float into my consciousness. For this reason, reading the book at least provided some support that I am not crazy!
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