And Nothing But The Tooth
Whether attending decidedly awkward dinner parties or hayseed weddings complete with karaoke and inebriated attendants, or risking life and limb to aid the impoverished in Belize and Peru (with near-drastic results of misspoken Spanish), there’s a story for everyone in this third installment of Dr. Carroll James’s series of rollicking and touching memoirs.
And Nothing but the Tooth offers up a continuation of bizarre episodes during Dr. James’s forty-plus years of dental practice—including perhaps the worst hires in employment history. On the personal side, we catch a glimpse of some questionable family lineage, a hilarious first ski trip, amateur sheep herding, and a soggy camping trip sure to test a marriage. As always, we get to tag along with young Carroll as he gets into summer mischief with his cousins at his grandparents’ home in the backwoods of Nealy Ridge, VA, this time toying with a treasure chest of found explosives and almost—but not quite—getting away with it
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 10 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 9.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: James's episodic collection of adventures is wonderfully entertaining and offers delightful insight into one dentist's irreverent mind. The author's profession is only one of many sources of the comedy and drama in this rollicking journey through a life that embraces the unexpected.
Prose: A wordsmith's agility with language and a comedian's easygoing wit combine to create an engaging, upbeat collection of laugh-out-loud tales.
Originality: Memoirs of dentistry may not be a popular subgenre, but James's offering challenges that. Each story is genuinely original, unexpected, and often absurd without becoming preposterous.
Character Development: James is an endearing subject of his memoir, gamely greeting adventures large and small and enhancing each with his wickedly funny inner voice. He is generous and gentle in his depictions of family, friends, and fellow travelers, making the tales of his life a most enjoyable and satisfying journey.
Blurb: James's delightful storytelling and irreverent wit come together to create an engaging, upbeat collection of laugh-out-loud tales.
Date Submitted: June 24, 2017
