The Last Speaker of Skalwegian by David Gardner

271 Pages
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Release Date: September 28, 2021

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Dramedy, Massachusetts

Professor Lenny Thorson lives in a defunct revolving restaurant atop an insurance building. The owner left him all the food. Unfortunately, it is only lobster and boysenberries. He teaches French at Ghurkin College and is trying to get tenure. The dean calls him to the office after Lenny fails two-star football players, Tom and Titus Sprocket. Lenny is not willing to change their grades. As part of his punishment, he had to drive around with Gerry the Gerbil, the college mascot, on his car.

Lenny is helping his friend Charlie Fox write a book about the Skalwegian language. Since Charlie is the last survivor of the language, he promised his uncle to make sure the language would not die out. Lenny gets a federal grant of $200,000 but when the check comes, the dean only gives him $3,000. He may get more if he changes the football players grades but he doubts that would happen.

This reminds me of watching Pink Panther movies. Things happen around the main character but is he unaware of them. He is a lucky guy and survives the accidents that happen around him. It is comedic and goofy. The pace is steady, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. If you like dramedies, you may like reading this book.

I have so many good things to say about "The Last Speaker of Skalwegian" that I'm not even sure where to start!

Why did I love "The Last Speaker of Skalwegian" so much?
First, because it's unique. I'm always drawn to books that offer me something different and unusual, and this one definitely fits the bill. It tells the story of Lenny, a quirky college professor who is helping his friend document the almost-dead language of the Skalwegian people. While this may not sound like a delightful premise for a novel, I can assure you that it truly is.

Lenny is the perfect character to headline the story. I loved every single peek into the inner workings of his mind that that author shared with us. His backstory is interesting, and I felt that it helped me understand the man Lenny has become by the start of the book. His development during the course of the story is interesting, and I was pleased with where he ended up. I adored Lenny so much that I'd happily read a sequel, even if nothing much happens in it. I just want to learn more about Lenny and his linguistics projects, present and future.

Other characters, particularly Daniella, Charlie, and Henri, add humor and life to the story. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention The Widow Bahr and Angel Warrior/Warbler...this pair were both hilarious and (ultimately) quite useful. Of course, there were also the "love to hate" characters like Dean Sheepslappe, Luther, and Elspeth. Without them, there wouldn't have been a story, and each brought their own special brand of dislike-ability to the table.

The story itself was wonderful. Although I would happily read about Lenny and Company in any scenario, I very much enjoyed the Skalwegian plotline, along with the question of Charlie's inheritance and the various dangers that come into play for the characters. By the last few chapters, I knew I wouldn't be able to put the book down until I knew how everything ended up. Thankfully, the author gave us a solid conclusion that left me feeling happy for everyone, but sad that the story was over.

I also enjoyed Mr. Gardner's clever naming of certain characters, which called to mind the genius that is Jasper Fforde. Throw in some Forrest-Gump-ish moments where things happen around our hero to which he is mostly oblivious, and perhaps you can begin to understand why I was so delighted to have had the chance to read this book.

So many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am a non-fiction reader almost exclusively so this was a departure for me. I was possibly surprised by how much I really loved this one. It was a non-stop twisting plot and terrific characters. Really enjoyed this. I would 100% read this author again. Funny, quirky, unpredictable. Highly recommend this one.

It was okay but very unmemorable. I just recently read it and I’m struggling to remember some parts. Fine but ultimately forgettable.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian is witty, sarcastic, and smart. I enjoyed the crazy shenanigans of the characters, especially Lenny. It was a fast read full of interesting language bits and a lot of mayhem.

I absolutely loved this book, it was enthralling from the start and I was dissapointed when it finished, I would definitely recommend this book, one of the best mysteries I have read this year

Was this written in the 1970s or 80s? Was it not edited? Because it's one of the most sexist and gender-stereotyped and ugly things I've read in a while. The author's bio says he has a PhD, but seems not to know at all how academia works. He certainly doesn't know how to write anything without leaning heavily on double entendre, outdated and stale descriptions of women's bodies, or cliches. I can't believe anyone liked this.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian is the second novel by American author, David Gardner. It’s only after he has been working on the Skalwegian language for three months, after he has applied for and received a hefty government research grant, that linguistics professor Lenny Thorsen realises that Charlie Fox, the last speaker of Skalwegian, might not be the real deal. And that’s a problem.

After three years of teaching French at Ghurkin College in the small Massachusetts town of New Skalvik, where he is expected to issue As for football jocks despite non-attendance, Lenny jumps at the chance to document a dying language. Skalwegian was spoken on the tiny island of Skalvik, near Norway, until the population migrated to New Skalvik over two hundred years earlier, and learned English.

Documenting Skalwegian, as Lenny explained to Daniela Fox, the gorgeous co-anchor of News at Noon on local TV station WDRK, might just prevent the extinction of a language, should help with securing tenure, and he just loves the work. But if this counterfeiting of a language is revealed, his career and reputation are ruined.

When Charlie gives a (partial) explanation of why he is virtually creating a new language, Lenny faces a dilemma: the motive is pure, but the consequences of failure or discovery are unthinkable. Before the year is out, Lenny will be the target of four or five assassination attempts, there will be a murder, a kidnapping, and blackmail with regards the stipulations of a lucrative will. And Lenny will, mysteriously, acquire the apparently fearsome title of The Lobsterman.

Gardner’s plot is sometimes a little convoluted and involves an element of slapstick and plenty of absurdity, especially with the character names, where there’s a bit of nominative determinism going on. There are few ordinary people in this story: almost every character is quirky, weird, strange, odd, or eccentric.

Our linguist is caretaker of a revolving ex-restaurant which sporadically, and quite unpredictably, rotates, where he dines on a frozen cache of lobster tails, boysenberries and ginger and citrus tea, while avoiding cases of mediocre wine. He is easily distracted by words, his thoughts shooting off in tangents as he puzzles over their derivations. And plagued by a guilty secret from his past…

The supporting cast includes an ageing Godiva, a corrupt Police Chief, a money-grubbing college dean siphoning off funds for his personal gain, a local businessman with underworld connections, several hitmen named Bob, and a resourceful army vet. Readers in the mood for silliness, with occasional laugh-out-loud moments and some sweet romance will find this one entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Encircle Publications/Books Go Social.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian was an amusing read. Well written, evenly paced and fun to read. I really enjoyed the shenanigans in this book.

This was a perfect mix of humour and of course mystery. I loved it. I really do appreciate it when authors create the perfect balance between humour and mystery because I don’t think we see much in books and this well and truly satisfied my craving. I thought the characters were really well written and the mystery kept me on my toes! 5 out of 5 stars!