Telephone -- Percival Everett

 

There are three versions of Telephone, and since I read a library eBook, I'm not sure I will hunt down the other two to see the differences. The version I read was oddly moving. The novel follows a college professor whose 12 year old daughter is dying of a neurological disease. That's distressing enough, add in that his marriage is problematic, there are dilemmas at work, and he goes on a quest to rescue Central American women from the slave trade. In spite of all that, I found the book engrossing. I was bothered by the Latin and German phrases thrown in with no definitions, and found the savior segment unbelievable, but, I really liked Zach Wells, the main character. And, unlike the trip to save the women in New Mexico, I found his relationship to  his wife very believable. On the whole, I was confused, but happily so. 

The more I think about how there are 3 different versions of this book, the more uncomfortable that makes me. How can a library offer 3 versions of the same book and let patrons know that is the case? How can a bookstore do that? To get the full impact do I need to buy 3 books? It seems indulgent on the author's part to me.