GUN CHURCH by Reed Farrel Coleman

Finished Fr 1/25/13

My post on Good Read-


Kip Weiler was a 'superstar' author of the 80's, but that was a few decades ago, and now he is teaching writing at a fourth-rate community college. He's sleepwalking through life until he meets Jim and Renee, and they induct him into the radical fringe of the gun culture.

The characters are well-written, and the story is powerful and compelling. And, this novel begs(Please!Please!Please!)to be made into a film. It would be like Rupert Pupkin joins FIGHT CLUB.




Kenneth James 'Kip' Weiler was a 'writing superstar' of the 80's but blew it all in a haze of alcohol and drugs. Now he teaches at third-rate Brixton County Community College in a mining and lumber town. Frank Vuchovich holds students hostage.
Renee Svoboda (St. Pauli Girl)- Kip's beautiful and much younger girlfriend. She is Jim Trimble's ex, and he is the instigator of nearly all of the action.
BEATNIK SOUFFLE
CURLY TAKES FIVE
GUN QUEER
CLOWN CAR BOUNCE
THE DEVIL'S UNDERSTUDY
ROMEO VS. JULIET

Kip holds on to Frank's revolver and prevents the cylinder from turning so Frank can't fire.

Jim invites Kip to shoot out at an abandoned air force base. These sections of the book are like FIGHT CLUB. Jim's father was an abusive colonel who used to beat him. Jim is completely crazy, yet idolizes and knows most of Kip's works by heart. He gets Kip in shape by running.
"Do you believe?" "I will be blessed by gunfire." "Then be blessed."

Terry McGuinn is a character in 'the novel within the novel'. This novel is in italics and is called GUN QUEER. Kip is confused and thinks that McGuinn is his alter-ego.

Stan Petrovic- Ex-football player and works at the local diner. He hates Kip and also a member of the 'shooter's club'.

Amy- Kip's artist ex-wife who he still loves. She married a man, Peter Moreland, who was Kip's friend and did it just to get back at him for all of the Hell he put her through. Deep-down, she has always loved The Kipster.

Meg is Kip's lesbian agent who always believed in him, but never trusted him. He just burned too many bridges.