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Ron Charles's Reviews > Open Throat
Open Throat
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Don’t let the fanged narrator of Henry Hoke’s new novel scare you off. Yes, “Open Throat� is about a queer mountain lion, but only in the way “The Metamorphosis� is about a large bug. Give this sinewy prose poem a chance and you’ll fall under the spell of a forlorn voice trapped in the hellscape of modern America.
As fantastical as “Open Throat� sounds, Hoke was inspired by a true tale of feline adventure. Around 2012, a cougar � an actual cougar � was spotted prowling around Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Over the next decade, the 123-pound cat, designated P-22, became Hollywood’s coolest, most elusive celebrity � the subject of chance encounters, branded merchandise and social media posts.
Hobbled by traumatic injuries, P-22 was captured and euthanized in December. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called him an icon and an inspiration. Tickets to his memorial service at L.A.’s Greek Theatre reportedly sold out in hours.
But Hoke’s novel is far removed from that aura of fame and adoration. When we meet the cat, he’s “a secret member of town.� He hasn’t had a proper meal for weeks and can’t remember the last time it rained. He’s thirsty and hungry � and transfixed by what he’s seeing. The park draws all sorts of people looking for refuge or stealth. Through a thicket of branches that camouflage him perfectly, he watches a woman filming an
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
As fantastical as “Open Throat� sounds, Hoke was inspired by a true tale of feline adventure. Around 2012, a cougar � an actual cougar � was spotted prowling around Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Over the next decade, the 123-pound cat, designated P-22, became Hollywood’s coolest, most elusive celebrity � the subject of chance encounters, branded merchandise and social media posts.
Hobbled by traumatic injuries, P-22 was captured and euthanized in December. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called him an icon and an inspiration. Tickets to his memorial service at L.A.’s Greek Theatre reportedly sold out in hours.
But Hoke’s novel is far removed from that aura of fame and adoration. When we meet the cat, he’s “a secret member of town.� He hasn’t had a proper meal for weeks and can’t remember the last time it rained. He’s thirsty and hungry � and transfixed by what he’s seeing. The park draws all sorts of people looking for refuge or stealth. Through a thicket of branches that camouflage him perfectly, he watches a woman filming an
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
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Reading Progress
May 16, 2023
–
Started Reading
May 16, 2023
– Shelved
May 31, 2023
– Shelved as:
to-read
May 31, 2023
– Shelved as:
environmental-fiction
May 31, 2023
– Shelved as:
guys-wandering
May 31, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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[deleted user]
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May 31, 2023 06:21AM
I read the full WaPo review. Excellent piece. I thought you might have overlooked *The Bear Comes Home,* then I recalled it’s not a first-“person� narrative. Most of the WaPo comments on the review were the usual right wing snark about the lion’s sexual “preference�. People need to hold their comments if they haven’t read a book. I’m holding mine, but I’ll check it out on the strength of your review. Thanks for the great review.
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I've read a few reviews of this now, but your Gregor Samsa analogy makes the most sense.
