The Organ Grinder and the Monkey delves into lives of characters narrated by their therapist. I believe this is a very interesting approach to literature, as the author himself as some sort of literary therapist to the reader, somehow being able to benefit more from this relationship then the reader themselves.  Seymour Petrillo, Irving Hart, Constance Powers all share problems that many of us deal with throughout our lives. The retelling of these narratives to their extreme, lets us see how our lives would have been different had we made decisions differently. I believe this literary devise to be very profound as I read the stories of these characters and realize how close these experiences are to mine. Without the humor that seems to invade and lighten each page, this would almost seem a little allegorical. What kept me coming back was trying to figure out the link between these three characters, and why did I feel so close to these characters? The obvious link is New York City, but I could not help but to search for more, and to read on.

       The New York motif plays into the humor of the American dream in this story, and fits perfectly with the humor and insight that the story provides. Each character is described and developed masterfully, that throughout the novel I was moved by their struggles and triumphs. Even though, I feel like I have been or I have met each of these characters, they always seem to surprise me throughout the work. The language is funny, insightful, and at times vulgar, but flows together very nicely. The therapist is an interesting spin of the nature of storytelling, much like a Nick Carraway. With this novel I believe Sam Moffie establishes himself as a strong literary voice in American fiction.

Reviewed on 11/13/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Grant Glass

Reviewed for Review the Book
Published by Xlibris

I found this book unsettling, not in my comfort zone, although I can see there is humor, angst, poverty, imagination, unique characters, believability and hope. The story is mostly either in conversation or thoughts, Although I found the one-liner by Constance got tired very quickly, it seemed to fit. I loved the comical efforts to keep the memory of Dean Martin alive, Seymour's father's obsession. Seymour's Italian parents are divorced, his father gay and his mother fixated by the fact. It is very uncomfortable for him as a child to have overnight visits with his father, and yet daytime visits run fairly smoothly. The scene in which the character of Seymour is traumatized was difficult for me to read.

What I liked about the book was the building and shaping of the three main characters, Seymour, Irving, and Constance, from their struggling beginnings in the small, decrepit towns of Ohio and Massachusetts, to their lives in New York. The connection between Seymour and his "Papa" (grandfather) is a great comfort to this young impressionable boy, and a steadying influence for him. From him, Seymour became well-versed in the history of the town. With a chance to get away from Steubenville with an inheritance, Seymour's goal is to become a veterinarian, for which he has a special talent.

Irving, the son of radicals, mother Jewish and father Irish, gets assistance from a policeman in his old town, and decides to set his goal on being the "best cop in New York", a handsome goal that certainly has it's pitfalls in a world of corruption, but as a person who believes everything is a conspiracy, he has a better chance at keeping clean than most. Constance's ambition from her earliest days is to be a dancer with the Rockettes. Constance, raised by her mother alone, is both talented and beautiful. Her beauty plays against her in New York. These three innocents have never been out of their small towns before.

All three of our unlikely protagonists are very different with simply small town life and college as their connection. The novel is complex, informative, and shows us a slice of life that is almost impossible to overcome. Sam Moffie is definitely an exceptional author with his own style. Events throughout the book will take the reader through hilarity, tragedy, and determination against the odds.

Even the therapist is not altruistic, she is expecting to get a best-selling book out of her sessions with Seymour. He has now been diagnosed with split personality. Complications and changes soon begin moving thick and fast. Irving attends Al-Anon as well as therapy, trying to deal with his drug and alcohol addicted wife. Constance has everything she needs to be a Rockette and/or stand-out actress, but with no resume, she is now the victim of playing small parts off-off Broadway, and full-time dancer at the strip-club, S.T.R.I.P. It is hard not to become involved in the lives of these characters, a sign of a good author. This is definitely not a "feel-good" book but the intricacy and readers' fascination with every aspect of life, it is one of the best of its type. The book is intense, raw, with acts of deviant sexual extremes, and politically incorrect; shocking yet insightful. It speaks to a time of corruption, desperation, and victims of circumstance.

The characters, their dreams, their trials, their achievements all stand up to the test. The changes in Seymour's life midway through the book, build the story to the final outcome, as the story's focus speeds up. Interestingly, it seems at this point much like a thriller with cheat sheets, the reader knows who, but the characters don't. Few people other than the therapist come out ahead. “The Organ Grinder and The Monkey” was a "Best Books, USA Book News" Award Finalist. In the version I read, there are some Reading Group Questions and Topics for Discussions in the back.

Reviewed on 10/03/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Betty Gelean

Sam Moffie has gifted readers with a really outstanding and unusual read.  In great detail and marvelous characterization, he shares a wealth of imaginative and unique life stories of three fantastically eccentric characters.  All three of these characters share the same therapist.  This therapist has a great impact on all of them, in most unexpected ways.

The stories told by our characters range from hilarious, sweet, sentimental to horrifying and heartbreaking and every feeling in between.  Seymour, Constance and Irving come from three different cities (Steubenville Ohio, Boardman Ohio and Brookline Massachusetts) and three extremely different family backgrounds and dynamics. 

Totally original and somewhat complex, the tale takes readers to an ending in New York City.  Moffie is a talented storyteller, and brings all the gifts of his craft to this wonderful work of fiction.  I can't recommend it highly enough!

Reviewed on 10/28/2009 by ReviewTheBook.com Member LAURI COATES