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GOTHAM TRAGIC relates the stories of three different people: Kyle Clayton, Erin Wyatt and Lonny Tumin. Somehow in the craziness of New York their lives intersect. Kyle Clayton is a novelist. He has converted to Islam in order to marry a Turkish woman, which causes some changes in his life. This marriage means his freewheeling life is now over and also his stock as a novelist is worth less than before. Clayton plans on changing this by writing a humorous yet poignant account of a man's conversion to Islam and the problems he faces. Erin Wyatt is one of Clayton's one-night stands from his bachelor days. She is a struggling actress working as a waitress. She must confront the curse of her family name as she helps her aunt move. The Wyatts have always been dreamers and artists; yet, very few of them made it on their talents. For example, her aunt has been writing a book for the last 30 years proving the existence of God; yet, no one has seen the manuscript. Lonny Tumin is a mover and shaker, who is slowly losing his power over society. He is no longer the richest man in America and this loss threatens his own mental stability. Tumin plays mean and for keeps. Clayton and Wyatt both come under his scope and he changes their lives drastically. GOTHAM TRAGIC is very similar to BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES. While this book is not a complete copy of BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, Wenzel's ability to mimic another writer's style and drive is impressive. The biggest flaw with this type of book is that it is hard to relate to a single character. None of them are appealing or engaging. In fact the most interesting character of the book was Wyatt's aunt who is a minor character. Writing a book about peoples' ability to destroy their own lives and the lives around them is nothing new to the genre - even though many find it appealing. Regardless of my own dislikes and personal taste, GOTHAM TRAGIC should be successful with fans of books where big fish try to ruin the lives of little fish, who in turn end up the happiest. GOTHAM TRAGIC is Kurt Wenzel's second book.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, January 2004
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