I do like the way Will Ferguson writes. I really enjoyed his other novel "419" probably more than this one but this one is good too. Ferguson writes with humor and insight into people. It's a wonder how he can bring humour into a sad and terrible story about homeless men with delusions about being Jesus. Our main character Thomas has to face his own sanity and his past. There are many allusions to his childhood. He was raised by his father as an experiment for a novel he wrote called " The Good son". Yet the reader never learns too much about this time in his life. Into the story is woven some mystery and who done it which is fun too. Will Ferguson explores the depths of the human mind, in a beautifully written story that carries with it a certain sense of madness throughout. ( )

A fast but intriguing read about a Neuro-med student dealing with his own crazy childhood, tries to win back the love of his life and ends up conducting a wild psychological experiment with three men who have Messiah complexes (they really think they are Jesus). The book is an interesting mix of neuroscience, psychology, theology, and fiction. What is madness? What is belief? Is there a cure? All with a bit of tongue in cheek: how far can we go with experiments? ( )

Once the Boy in the Box, now on the other side of the wall, Thomas studies three men all claiming the same identity. Trying to win back his ex-girlfriends love by curing one of the men, her brother, proves to be harder than originally anticipated.

Will Ferguson explores the depths of the human mind, in a beautifully written story that carries with it a certain sense of madness throughout.

I haven't read any of Ferguson's previous works but will be picking up more in the future. I did not want to put this one down. It challenged my linguistic comprehension in a way that was stimulating, yet still entertaining.

I will be recommending this one to friends and family. ( )

The tone of this novel is almost whimsical and it took me a while to figure out the seriousness of the story. I suspect that it was the author’s intent to keep the reader slightly off-balance while he established the underpinnings of the plot.

Amazon calls this “the startling, funny, and heartbreaking story of a psychological experiment gone wrong” and says that “The Shoe on the Roof is an explosively imaginative tour de force, a novel that questions our definitions of sanity and madness, while exploring the magical reality that lies just beyond the world of scientific fact.” ( )

I really enjoyed this book! I like the quirky premise: take three subjects who each believes he is the Messiah and bring them together in a form of group therapy: they'll have to confront the reality that they can't all be right, won't they?

Thomas is a medical student whose father rose to fame in the psychiatric field by writing a detailed book about Thomas's upbringing. Thomas became known as "the boy in the box" because his entire childhood was an experiment on the effects of various stimuli on him. Thomas has just broken up with Amy, and in an attempt to get her back, decides to "cure" her brother who thinks he is Jesus Christ. When Thomas discovers two other men claiming the same thing, he launches his group therapy idea. Dad takes over, and things take a downward spiral.

This book is funny at times (did you know that Connecticut is mentioned in the bible?) but also very thought-provoking as it explores the nature of human emotions and beliefs. Thomas and the three patients are wonderful characters and the ending is near perfect....just the right amount of wrap up and ambiguity for my tastes. ( )