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Title: Deep Thaw captures Iowa and Iowans
Review: Carl Houseman captures the classic northeast Iowan of nordic descent. A man of few words and many, many, low-fat treats, he does the right thing(s) with alacrity and calm confidence. Despite the self-deprecating humor about his massive girth, bad back, and average intellect, he gets the job done--and the chicks go for him.As a northeast Iowan for the past 50 odd years I can tell you that Harstad's depictions of the terrain, the gravel roads, the love of buffets, and the relentlessly cold January weather is spot on. Clearly, his knowledge is due to first hand experience and the quality of the narrative is evidence of a first class mind.One suggestion: Harstad's prose is best when he's just another guy telling stories about dissecting "corpse-sickles" that Houseman has found in a shed. A kind editor would whack the few lapses into purple prose and tell him to stick with what he does do so well.
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