Diminished Capacity

by Sherwood Kiraly

Book Overview

Dimished Capacity from Sherwood Kiraly tells the humorous story about an unlikely trio who hatch a plan to sell a rare baseball card--the basis for the motion picture starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, and Virginia Madsen.

The townsfolk once voted him the strangest man in Missouri, but he turned the honor down, claiming it was "just a popularity contest." He has baited hooks connected to the keys of an old typewriter by...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312387032
• ISBN13: 9780312387037
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Diminished Capacity

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Diminished Capacity. If you want a "laugh out loud" fun time, take an afternoon off to read this book. While the plot is intriguing, it is not the best thing about this book. Sherwood Kiraly writes with some of the most hilarious little zingers that can catch you off guard. You have to read this book slowly, or you might miss some of the subtle humor that will just send you guffawing when you take the time to enjoy the playful writing. I save this book to read again and again, when I need a "pick-me-up" as it always leaves me chuckling for days when I think of some of the wonderful "way with words" that Mr. Kiraly shares with us.

Forgetful hero tells unforgettably brilliant tale!

Diminished Capacity is one of my alltime favorite summer cottage reads.Wacky but loveable characters abound in a story that has laughs and wit in every paragraph.Although our hero believes he suffers from diminished capacities, his sweet nature and clever means of coping provides a strong,funny and moral guide to any helpless souls trying to navigate lifes quirky roadblocks. I recomend reading this by the water on hot hazy day and letting your mind drift with our forgetful hero. But a warning; guard your copy because when your friends hear the quantity of your laughter they will all want to borrow it.My copy is long gone and I still here from friends who have just read or received it. In true great book fashion it is being passed along like a chain-letter and has a life of its own. ENJOY!

Rich, 3 dimensional characters and hilarious writing!

This book is so good, that you can't stop thinking about it. Kiraly's imagination and imagery are superb. This would make a great movie! Very seldom does such a book come with rich characters original writing style and have a great plot. You will fall in love with the characters and become genuinely involved in their lives. This story is a true joy - I didn't want it to end. I'm staying tuned for the sequel.

Baseball card and quirky characters leave you laughing.

A whack on the head and a rare baseball card start a chain of events that bring together the Zerbs, uncle and nephew, to save themselves and their card from misfortune, greedy card dealers, and an assortment of thugs. Their parapetic course stimies the bad guys and wins the girl while showing us all our own Dimished Capacity. Memorable, quirky characters, evocative of Confederacy of Dunces, populate the novel and eventually our own lives and acquaintance. Loving reverence for the national pasttime permeates this story. Extra base hit for Cubs fans.

Not to be missed - comic genius with a heart.

Pity the poor humorless soul who fails to appreciate this delightful story. Kiraly's gentle comic genius shines at every level, from the inspired lunacy of Uncle Rollie's fish poetry to Cooper Zerb's addlebrained, Don-Quixote-like quest in aid of his equally sanity-challenged relative. While you howl with laughter, though, you also smile in sympathy with these deftly-drawn creations, and ultimately find your faith in your fellow man subtly restored as Cooper discovers, at the end of his quest, that his true fortune lies in his undiminished capacity to love. A true gem of a book.