The narrative is given in an often self-deprecating, comically understated manner. Jimmy Tock writes the book, a loose autobiography of personal experience, reminisces, and second- or even third-hand accounts of events, transcribing it from a series of tapes on the eve of his fifth and final terrible day. Tock, in perhaps the one moment of heroism in his meek baker's life, convinces the mad clown his enemies have left, and momentarily quells his anger. Beezo, upon learning Natalie died in childbirth, goes insane ranting about her family sending assassins to kill her and begins shooting, killing a doctor and a nurse. However, the grief for his father's death was short-lived.
Tock is only too grateful to leave Beezo.
He speaks venomously of his father-in-law, using many colorful epithets. He speaks glowingly of his soon-to-be-born son, who is to be named "Punchinello", and will carry on the fine tradition of clowning. His wife Natalie, a trapeze artist of some renown and born of a good family, is lying in childbirth, says he, and her relatives have virtually disowned her for marrying him. Beezo is a clown for the very circus Tock's pass is for, and is a fitful, spiteful, creepy, chain-smoking individual half in his clown costume. Coherent though his bizarre speech may be, Josef Tock does not recover from this event, but expires just as the baby is born.Įarlier in the evening, Rudy Tock made the acquaintance of a strange man, Konrad Beezo. Josef also predicts five terrible days to come in his grandson's life.
Though crippled by a stroke earlier in the week, moments before his death, Josef recovers miraculously to impart on his son Rudy ten cryptic predictions: among them that his grandchild will be named James-but that everyone will call him Jimmy. James Tock was born in Snow County Hospital in Colorado and at the exact moment his grandfather, Josef Tock, a pastry chef, dies of a stroke. The plot centers on five pivotal moments in the life of a self-proclaimed "lummox" named James "Jimmy" Tock. Life Expectancy is a novel by suspense/ horror writer Dean R.
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