Happy Valley (Dodge novel): Difference between revisions

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* [[Downer Ending]]: {{spoiler|Alex breaks Hal's heart at the end of Happy Valley,}} however, {{spoiler|this is subverted with an [[Earn Your Happy Ending]] at the end of Scruffy's Revenge, after both Hal and Alex have become reformed-insane killers under the influence of Scruffy.}}
* [[Downer Ending]]: {{spoiler|Alex breaks Hal's heart at the end of Happy Valley,}} however, {{spoiler|this is subverted with an [[Earn Your Happy Ending]] at the end of Scruffy's Revenge, after both Hal and Alex have become reformed-insane killers under the influence of Scruffy.}}
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: {{spoiler|MRV while attempting to recruit Hal.}}
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: {{spoiler|MRV while attempting to recruit Hal.}}
* [[Evil Incarnate]]: Scruffy. See Also: [[Sealed Evil in A Teddy Bear]].
* [[Evil Incarnate]]: Scruffy. See Also: [[Sealed Evil in a Teddy Bear]].
* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]: Penny and Simon.
* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]: Penny and Simon.
* [[Hero With Bad Publicity]]: Hal and Buddy.
* [[Hero with Bad Publicity]]: Hal and Buddy.
* [[Jerkass Hero]]: Arguably Hal.
* [[Jerkass Hero]]: Arguably Hal.
* [[Killed Off for Real]]: {{spoiler|Every major villain dies by the last act of Scruffy's Revenge. Penny's Mom, MRV, OBB, and Dr. Salamander are all quite dead, with only Penny's Mom not dying at the hands of Alex and Scruffy. Scruffy's fate, however, is unknown.}}
* [[Killed Off for Real]]: {{spoiler|Every major villain dies by the last act of Scruffy's Revenge. Penny's Mom, MRV, OBB, and Dr. Salamander are all quite dead, with only Penny's Mom not dying at the hands of Alex and Scruffy. Scruffy's fate, however, is unknown.}}
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* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Constantly.
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Constantly.
* [[Moral Guardian]]: Penny's Mom in spades.
* [[Moral Guardian]]: Penny's Mom in spades.
* [[Put On a Bus]]: Gregor Smoot is the only significant character in Happy Valley to be neither seen or referenced in Scruffy's Revenge. However. At the end of Happy Valley {{spoiler|Gregor left Hal a voice message saying that he went to work for Senator Orrin Hatch,}}. But this claim has little credibility since it was strongly suggested that {{spoiler|Gregor suffered from pseudologia fantastica (aka compulsive lying.)}}
* [[Put on a Bus]]: Gregor Smoot is the only significant character in Happy Valley to be neither seen or referenced in Scruffy's Revenge. However. At the end of Happy Valley {{spoiler|Gregor left Hal a voice message saying that he went to work for Senator Orrin Hatch,}}. But this claim has little credibility since it was strongly suggested that {{spoiler|Gregor suffered from pseudologia fantastica (aka compulsive lying.)}}
* [[Useful Notes/Mormonism|Mormonism]]: Sort of. The book is more about Utah than it is about Mormonism, but the two naturally go hand-in-hand. Both {{spoiler|Simon and Scruffy}} invoke {{spoiler|Nephi's killing of Laban}} to justify murder, but {{spoiler|Hal points out that this argument is invalid unless God commands you to kill.}}
* [[Useful Notes/Mormonism|Mormonism]]: Sort of. The book is more about Utah than it is about Mormonism, but the two naturally go hand-in-hand. Both {{spoiler|Simon and Scruffy}} invoke {{spoiler|Nephi's killing of Laban}} to justify murder, but {{spoiler|Hal points out that this argument is invalid unless God commands you to kill.}}
* [[Literary Allusion Title]]
* [[Literary Allusion Title]]
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** Scruffy's Revenge
** Scruffy's Revenge
*** Act Seven: [[Sherlock Holmes|A Study In Scarlet]]
*** Act Seven: [[Sherlock Holmes|A Study In Scarlet]]
*** Act Eight: [[Watchmen (Comic Book)|Nothing Ever Ends]]
*** Act Eight: [[Watchmen (comics)|Nothing Ever Ends]]
*** Act Nine: [[Final Fantasy IX|I Want To Be Your Canary]]
*** Act Nine: [[Final Fantasy IX|I Want To Be Your Canary]]
* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: {{spoiler|Max.}}
* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: {{spoiler|Max.}}

Revision as of 20:48, 9 April 2014

Happy Valley is an omnibus novel written by Sugar Ray Dodge that splits into two story arcs. The first being Happy Valley, the original 2006 novel. The second being a trilogy of novelettes called Scruffy's Revenge, written from 2009 through 2010. The original novel is an Affectionate Parody of life in Utah and Mormon Cinema, while Scruffy's Revenge takes a much darker, yet still humorous, tone.

Plot Synopsis

  • Hal Harper is an independent filmmaker and Penny Garland is his beautiful, yet overbearing, über-Mormon fiancé. Max is her fat, dimwitted brother and Josey is her loyal minion. Penny’s Mom, who has a few screws loose, is convinced Hal isn’t good enough for her and will do anything to get between them. Simon Manners is a meddling returned missionary and Alexandra Lombardi is a redheaded distraction. Buddy Kennedy is an amoral businessman, MRV is a corrupt, jack-Mormon politician, and Scruffy is a deranged talking teddy bear with a passion for murder and cannibalism. Only in Happy Valley can these characters take you on a hilariously dark, yet touching journey that will teach you more about life in Utah than you ever thought possible.

This book contains examples of:

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