2021 Larry Prater Award for Best Read
2021 Larry Prater Award for Best Viewing
The first ever Larry Prater Award for Best Read goes to Tomahawk, by J. David Osborne. The third volume of the Black Gum cycle earned itself one of the rare perfect grades on this site like its predecessor A Minor Storm did in 2019. Is it a perfect novel? It depends on what you’re looking for, but it is EXACTLY what I’m looking for as a reader. Would have I taken 500 pages of it? Absolutely, but could it have been a better version of what it actually is? No, Tomahawk is what J. David Osborne does best.
The race was close with B.R Yeager’s most excellent Negative Space, but Tomahawk stood out by its simplicity and its myriad of symbolic meanings. The narrative of this very slim novel is rather simple and straightforward, but it is also a prism through which you can analyze your own life. It discusses morals, human connection and personal values in a very subtle and graceful way, on which you can reflect. This is a book that creates a connection with you. It demands that you participate actively and enthusiastically.
Tomahawk is better enjoyed at the tail end of Black Gum and A Minor Storm because it is the narrative culmination of these two novels, but you can perfectly enjoy it on its own if you’re in the proper mood. It is a book best enjoyed with your mind opened and receptive to any oddity the universe can throw your way. You have to be willing to have your perception altered by Charlie, Shane and our narrator. Larry would’ve loved Tomahawk, just like he loved Black Gum and A Minor Storm. It is more than just a book.
If you’re a fan of J. David Osborne, I strongly suggest you check out Agitator, the podcast on Japanese cinema he co-hosts with other favorite of this site Kelby Losack.
