Quiray, David R.

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An American Stranger
Artists live by different rules
A story of maturing people seeing love for the first time.
Outstanding book about a teen coming of age.

Fun With Dick and Jana
David R. Quiray
Manufacturer: Kawika Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964779501

Book Description

Literary Fiction. Existential, angst-riddent, agnostic, Asian-influenced philosophy/religion, ethnic/supraethnic, voter apathetic, sexual encountering, wanderings of a post-graduate photographer still living in his quaint little college town in Northern California.

Customer Reviews:

An American Stranger.......1999-09-02

Maybe it's because I just got finished reading Camus' "Stranger", but this book seems a lot like it. It's told from the point of view of Dick and the narrative seems very existential, grounded right in the very moment, with only little concern for the future. Also, there is the 'tough-guy" style of narrative which Camus confessed to using. Very truncated sentences. Very narrowed point of view which results in a sense of isolation. It's ultra-modern because it seems to go beyond issues of ethnicity, right down to the very basic necessities of all human life. The author goes out of the way to point out things like breathable air, and water and food and shelter. It's a very short book and very difficult to put down. Disturbing, fascinating and entertaining at the same time. I don't know why I should say this but it gives me confidence that there are actually other people out there who think. Is the author coming out with anything else soon?

Artists live by different rules.......1999-08-15

Having been acquainted with the author now for some years, I have the sneaking suspicion that his intention in "Fun With..." was to shock us with the zeal of an emerging agnosticism, to render modern angst through the perspective of an intelligent yet simple character. If anything, Quiray is honest. And this honesty comes through in the inescapable theme of multiculturalism. In a world of western freedoms tempered by puritanical heritage, chaotic diversity is the rule. The final truth: Dick is brown, and Dick can't possibly know what this means. In conversation Quiray has spoken often of dramatic scenarios, `writing styles' and other various artistic devices (musical, visual, gastronomical) which transcend loyalty to friends, family, ethnicity and country. I won't say that he has failed at such a burdensome task. On the contrary, I have spoken to a few mutual friends who have read the book and they candidly reported that they were somewhat repulsed by what they perceived as apparent misanthropy. A jobless, appetite-driven photographer who takes pictures of roadkill? But, I would quickly append that Quiray also does a surprisingly decent job of exposing a slew of complex philosophical, sociological and psychological modern-day dilemmas armed only with one and two-syllable words in simple declarative sentences. And I believe the greatest thing about this book is that, despite ourselves, we come to love this character although we know very little about him. Living his spartan-like, stark existence, Dick is us--without the commercial insulation each of us have erected around ourselves. And despite the lonesome weariness he shoulders in his pursuit of transcendence, it is his desire for intimate spiritual connection with his neighbor which captures our heart and preserves his dignity. Artists live by different rules, and sometimes it is justified. If we're lucky, everybody benefits.

A story of maturing people seeing love for the first time........1999-01-15

Remembering my reading of Quiray's second novel from a distance of almost a year, I realize that "Fun With Dick and Jana" gives voice to the mutual attraction of two adult friends struggling to express their complex, and intense, affection in a dead-end world where that affection is threatened by boredom and dis-ease about the future. Their lives unravel in a small college town filled with their own barely audible disappointments and too many memories of growing through adolescence into their early 20s. Quiray's main character is a man of confused ambitions, mixed emotions and striking intelligence who works odd jobs to pay constantly truant bills while wandering into various confrontations with other nomadic souls. As these situations unravel, including a car crash, a variety of landlord avoidances, a wedding photography session, numerous thoughts on modern multi-culturalism and brushes with casual sexual contact, "FWDJ" becomes more a character study of early adult struggle than it is a love story, drama, adventure or moral tale, although it contains aspects of each. Instead "FWDJ" circles in the difficulty of maintaining a forward course in life as it is set upon by the striking need to "just grow up" and the simultaneous conflict of not knowing what growing up means. By novel's end, Quiray's lovers, and their ambiguous relationship with their small town, realize a tenuous balance between happiness and sadness that fills them with hope for a future that holds excitment and accomplishment as the carrot sticks prodding adult maturation. "FWDJ" is a story of transition and companionship, and realizing that all futures begin with first steps through who we have been into who we want to become.

Outstanding book about a teen coming of age........1998-12-08

Found the characters closely paralleled my own personal experiences. Somewhat of a coming of age story about Dick and friends trials with life, friends, parents, females, morals etc. Anyone who's ever been confused about life will appreciate the book and the message it offers.

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Justice done to Generation X

Samurai's Son in the New World
David R. Quiray
Manufacturer: Kawika Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Literary Fiction. Reagan-era, suburban, multi-cethnic teens growing up in Southern California (San Diego County).

Customer Reviews:

Justice done to Generation X.......1999-01-20

Writer's, pundits and other know-nothings have tried for a good many years now to explain Generation X. This they have done in a variety of ways, and they have failed. The have failed because they are not of our generation and they understand not our pressures, fears, hopes and aspirations. Quiray however captures the essence of our generation in Samurai's Son in The New World. He is on of us, and he has broken new literary ground for our generation with his first novel. Anyone seeking to gain an insight into the mind of a neglected and misunderstood generation will find here in this novel what they are looking for. Generation X'ers will find themselves looking into a mirror.

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Dick's Tumble in Mexico
David R. Quiray
Manufacturer: Kawika Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964779595

Book Description

An ambitious weaving of the tales of Gilgamesh, Buddha and Jesus, centered around the unlikely character of Dick Quick, a newlywed photographer struggling with intimacy, his art and his identity. Surrounding him are the women who unfortunately support his idealism and the roughshod men with whom he keeps company in Mexico. This is a tale of a downfallen man who, in his quest for immortality, finds redemption in mediocrity. Set in various locales of California and ultimately in Mexico City, this is the story of a failing Filipino photographer.

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