Kicking Ass and Saving Souls: A True Story of a Life Over the Line
Release date: 2011 / 255 pages
Synopsis (from the jacket cover): Stefan Templeton was born a child of extremes. He spent half his childhood with his African American philosopher father in the decaying ghetto of Baltimore in the 1970s. The other half was spent with his Norwegian mother in the wealthiest enclaves of Europe. His father was a brilliant academic, an intense disciplinarian, and a lethal martial artist. His mother, an aristocrat by birth was a mystic and healer. By the time Stefan was nine, he spoke four languages. By the time he was seventeen, he had a black belt and could take apart a .45 automatic in the dark…
First Sentence: Stefan Templeton pulled the eviction notice from the door and crumpled it in his fist.
Review: Kicking Ass is one of the most unusual works I’ve read. Not only are the events of the “protagonist’s” life super-sized versions of what most of us expect to find only in James Bond movies, but the narration is quite unique as well. The genre is “biography” — David Matthews is the childhood friend of Stefan Templeton and spends 255 pages recounting the adventures of someone Matthews clearly looks up to and admires. In the Epilogue, Matthews writes “I wanted to make whatever I wrote about Stefan as honest as I could. Hagiographies bore me, and illuminate no truths about the human heart.” Unfortunately, in his attempt to avoid glorifying his friend, Matthews telling becomes reportorial, almost robotic, even when Matthews is editorializing a bit or trying not to seem syncophatic:
“He was a quitter. At great expense to his family, he’d gotten his IB — with the intention of going to university — but had wound up at AIDP instead. And he’d left there, no closer to being part of the Calypso than any yob walking the street. After taking the train from Marseille to Paris, and then a flight from De Gaulle to Heathrow, he’d arrived in London with one goal: he needed to prove to himself that he could finish something.”
As a reader, I never felt as if I got to know who Templeton truly was, beyond his CV of unusual adventures. I must admit that gender may be a factor in my lack of enjoyment. Kicking Ass is a bit like watching James Bond — flashy and exciting, but with little emotional depth. So, as a result, this biography felt a bit “male” in its telling — perhaps if Matthews had included himself a bit more or if Templeton had written his own life story, an emotional context would have been more evident.
But, if you enjoy tales about lives less ordinary, you may enjoy this unique biography! If so, please leave a comment and I will choose a winner this week!
Wednesday, July 20: Among Stories
Thursday, July 21: A Fanatic’s Book Blog
Friday, July 22: The Whimsical Cottage
Monday, July 25: Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Housewife
Tuesday, July 26: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms
Tuesday, August 2: Chaotic Compendiums
Wednesday, August 3: Debbie’s Book Bag
Thursday, August 4: Book Club Classics!
Wednesday, August 10: The Bodacious Pen
Tuesday, August 23rd: A View From the Cave
Tuesday, August 30: Wait…What?
TBD: Tales From the Hood
This sounds like a VERY different sort of book, I am interested in reading this one. Thanks
This DOES sound like a unique book
I’m sorry you didn’t end up loving this one but thanks for being a part of the tour.