Publisher's Synopsis
Meet Charlie Zero, an unassuming man whose chief focus lies in chasing a reality which doesn’t exist. Follow the lengthy machinations of his mind, and his dichotomous internal dialogue, which seethes with unrest. If there were laws in place for what the content of a consciousness holds, they might very well arrest, and throw away the key on Charlie Zero, for his perception on women, love and success are skewed to such an extent that at times one might conclude the character is delusional. However, while this character may be easily judged, one can also feel Charlie’s torment. At times Havel’s character sees his own suffering with pristine clarity. He longs for, These desires to be pulled like spools of spaghetti from his minda hand that tugs out the soft, diseased tendrils of desire that had warped him so thoroughly,” and understand the particular slant with which he perceives his world, the lens with which he views women and love and success, for indeed they mirror certain components and underlying messages from the society in which we live. After all, in the end Charlie wants what most of us want: Success, happiness and love. Charlie Zero is an unsettling story, a richly textured food for thought book, with images close enough to touch, and surprisingly, laugh out loud moments.”
Bonnie Law, Author of On the Edge of a Rainbow
Charlie Zero is not so much a zero as he is a man whose of lack self-esteem and socially isolated perceptions govern his quest for fulfillment, camaraderie and love. His exploits read at times like a victim of the modern world's materialism, money, and sex. There is rejection of a man who is certainly unusual but not unique. This is a tale that begs a second glance because, whereas, Charlie can be every man faced with the harsh demands of a fitting into a society that often derides the dreamer and rewards the schemer, Charlie does try, often with disastrous results. Charlie is not just jaded in his observations, he approaches epiphany, yet even that seems out of reach, as his real motivation is finding love and redemption. This tale is complex, but revealing and despite challenging at times, a story about a man who is flawed, but fundamentally human. I recommend it for the sheer adventure one takes through Charlie Zero's perceptions and trials.”
Robert Milby, Hudson Valley, New York, Poet and Author of Ophelia's Offspring, (Foothills Publishing, 2007)
