Outrageous: The Legend of Zesty Sundrops - Book Review

Outrageous: The Legend of Zesty Sundrops

Author: William Mark
Genre: Fiction - Historical
Date Published: August 23, 2018
ISBN-10: 1684331048
ISBN-13: 9781684331048


GoodReads Rating:
5.00

Book Review of :  Outrageous: The Legend of Zesty Sundrops



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Outrageous – The Legend of Zesty Sundrops by William Mark is a fictional account of the life of a man named Zesty Sundrops.  Mark recounts the fantastical deeds of this legendary war hero and occasional gun for hire.  Zesty is a very simple man, crafty, resourceful and very enigmatic. He lives his life in a madcap, screwball way through fighting Indians, being a soldier in World War II, doing prison time and as a family member.  By the end of the book, Zesty deeds are as legendary as the escape of Hitler to South America, Icarus flight into the sun, and the fanciful exploits of the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan.

Right from the first few pages of the book, Mark immerses you into Zesty’s incorrigible life as he and his brother Hoot decrease earth’s population by two with the help of a shotgun. The brothers want to leave their life of contract killers and become respectable businessmen in the truffles trade. They are both looking for “happiness,” and the truffles market just seemed to offer them the chance to experience “happiness.”  That dream would not be realized because war breaks out and Zesty joins the service and is soon in Europe fighting the Germans and Italians.  He is very patriotic and has a fierce desire to kill and frighten the enemy. Soon he becomes a scourge to the Germans as he repeatedly sneaks into German encampments and booby traps much of the equipment.  His techniques are barbaric yet effective. Soon, however, the enemy complains about the savagery of the attacks and Zesty’s commanders feel he is operating outside of the rules-of-engagement.

The effect of Zesty’s endeavors on weakening the enemies’ morale is astonishing, yet his commanders feel they have to rein him in. Eventually, he is captured by the enemy, and a new fantastical chapter of his life is played out.

To his comrades in the foxholes, Zesty, is a lovable, surprisingly savvy hero who single-handedly inflicted heavy damage against their enemies.

His life in the 1930’s is recounted; a time where he sought revenge on renegade Indians for the murder of his mother and father.  William Mark writes, “It was second nature – killing came easily to Zesty Sundrops.”  It was the harshness during that early stage of his life that molded him into the formidable fighter and killer he became as an adult.  

Zesty has redeeming qualities, however. He is loyal to those he holds dear, his brother, Hoot and later his love of his life Gwen.

The story of Zesty is delivered by Mark in a very original way. He tells his story through the third person, then a purported manuscript penned by Ernest Hemmingway and finally a stage play by a Henry Hall. It all coalesces into a story that you’ll find yourself pondering over trying to decide what is true and what isn’t.  

Will the Legend of Zesty Sundrops withstand the test of time as has the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, tales of the Vanishing Hitchhiker or the stories of King Arthur? Well, only time will answer that question.

 


About William Mark


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Born on a sheep farm in Kansas, William Mark has written novels, TV movies, motion pictures and has opened on stage in Europe and on Broadway. He lives in a small town north of Los Angeles with his family. In The Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary American Writing: Gina Macdonald writes that "William Mark's novels, writing as John Rester Zodrow, gives a highly detailed sense of place and character; they provide fast-paced, gripping entertainment with intriguing plots, multilevel action, and perilous encounters, and yet they have a strong underlying moral base with tough-minded analyses of the dual nature of man."




Visit http://www.johnresterzodrow.com for more information on William Mark


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