‘Reason You’re Alive’ is a feel-good experience – Arizona Daily Star

The Reason Youre Alive by Matthew Quick; Harper (240 pages, $25.99)

In The Reason Youre Alive, Matthew Quick performs a nifty literary magic trick.

The author of The Silver Linings Playbook introduces readers to David Granger, a politically incorrect Vietnam veteran who takes pride in the fact that hes basically too ornery to die. By books end, everyone will wind up loving the camouflage-wearing, knife-carrying sociopath.

Turns out hes really not such a bad guy once you get to know him.

The Reason Youre Alive (Harper, $25.99) is Granger telling his life story: going rogue and committing atrocities in the Vietnam jungle, coming home to a military psychiatric facility, marrying a woman more unstable than he is, and always at odds with his now-grown ignorant liberal art-dealer son.

Our protagonist ultimately goes on a mission to atone for an old transgression. He feels compelled to return a knife he stole nearly 50 years ago from his Vietnam nemesis: Clayton Fire Bear.

When readers make it to the Capra-esque final pages, they are almost certain to shed a feel-good tear or two. Our hero would bust their chops for all the boohooing and girly-man behavior, but so be it.

Quick is adapting his book into a screenplay. Film rights were sold last year to Miramax.

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'Reason You're Alive' is a feel-good experience - Arizona Daily Star