Published in 2004 by Moody Publishers, Gun Lake by Travis Thrasher collects a group of misfit characters at a Michigan resort lake and entwines their lives.
The Stagworth Five escape the Georgia prison under the leadership of one Sean Norton— the man with the plan and a guy who fancies himself a clone of Jim Morrison (of The Doors). Accompanying him are four other men who’ve committed various crimes. The most offensive of these five is a loosely reined in rapist named Lonnie who only adheres to Sean’s instructions. Hand-picked by Sean for various reasons, Lonnie eventually becomes a liability. Wes, the tattooed muscle, Kurt, the mostly steady thinker, and Craig, the nice guy who loves movies and making lists of his favorites, make up the rest of the five, most of their activities and associations being told through Kurt’s and/or Sean’s viewpoint, and Kurt has no use for Lonnie. Sean takes them through Texas and up to Michigan where he rents a cabin at Gun Lake posing them as youth pastors on a retreat.
An alcoholic deputy forfeits his wife and two sons because of his refusal to quit drinking in spite of all the promises to do just that. His illusions of finding respect generate a bonehead move to take down the criminals.
The pretty young Norah fleeing her abusive fiancé who never plans to marry her winds up at Gun Lake near where she grew up.
Michelle and her husband Ted have run out of ideas on how to reel in their rebellious teenage son. Church, grounding, and every other method of parenting they’ve tried have all failed miserably, and Jared has become a thoughtless punk. Michelle takes him up to Gun Lake in one last effort to right his flagging ship.
Paul leaves his casino bartending job to go settle down at Gun Lake, grieving private mistakes and the death of a woman he wanted to be his girlfriend.
Ossie made a promise to one Sean Norton a long time ago while spending 27 years at Stagworth, and now he figures he’s obligated to keep that promise when Sean comes knocking at his apartment door. He’s a solid working ex-con who loves the Lord Jesus, but he’s stuck making good as a man of his word.
I don’t know how exactly Travis was able to keep me interested in this novel since the only character I found remotely sympathetic was Ossie. His dilemma fit him well, and because he kept earnestly trying to do the right thing but faced one conundrum after another, he managed to generate empathy.
Quite frankly, all the rest of the guys and gals came off as losers. Sean’s attraction could be understood because his looks and charm were played up. Kurt showed both sorrow and remorse until Ossie gave him chances to warm up to the gospel. His ire increased as his conviction worsened. Lonnie was a plain sociopath. Wes was short on smarts and impulsive but willing to place his loyalty and trust in Sean. Craig seemed simple, perhaps that’s what got him into the pen in the first place—a lack of reasoning.
Michelle came off as inept and without faith or much compassion, legalistic. Her son Jared was just an uncommunicative punk until he got the you-know-what scared out of him. The instant transformation seemed a bit forced.
Norah’s beauty was her beacon and she didn’t seem to know how to rise above her looks or her desire to be with a man.
Don the deputy was a typical drunk who refused see beyond the next bottle or glass.
Paul’s the misguided loner escaping life’s responsibilities and a private fear.
It’s one thing to demonstrate unlikable people and show the reader that they could be us if just a few things had happened differently in our lives. But in order to do that we really do need to care about them. I couldn’t muster up the ability. That’s where fiction remains separated from real life. I don’t have to care about them in a novel. They have to touch that tenderness in me before I can invest in them. And, sorry, only Ossie managed to do that. Maybe it’s because when you paint these ugly pictures of humanity, we’re forced to look at our worst selves. Since we must do that sometimes daily, who wants to spend an entire novel repeating it? The truth is we are all without excuse, but all these people did was make excuses for their behaviors or blame a God they claimed not to believe in for their lots in life.
This novel is really a multi-character study of a bunch of lost people—not just spiritually. Their reasoning skills center on themselves and their needs (which I know is typical of us all when we don’t know the Lord, and even many times when we do). They’re weak, simple, and most of them fail to see themselves as they truly are and argue with themselves and a solicitous voice that tries to help them see how it really is in their lives.
The climactic scene works in bringing this brood together and finalizing the depravity of some and the almost heroics of others.
Song titles were used as "parts" divisions which is a favorite tool of Travis Thrasher—and an often very fitting commentary on what’s to follow.
Father, you’ve given Travis a widespread imagination. Keep filling him with stories to honor you, and he’ll write them. Bless him for staying firm in his writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
