They just don't write them like this anymore! Michael Farrell's Thy Tears Might Cease is the perfect embodiment of the novel form. It is reminiscent oThey just don't write them like this anymore! Michael Farrell's Thy Tears Might Cease is the perfect embodiment of the novel form. It is reminiscent of novels of the nineteenth century, a golden age when novels were more than short blocks of dialogue and action and when a reader's attention span was stretched and held by the poignancy of the themes, depth of the characters, and the beauty of the prose.
Thy Tears Might Cease is a classic novel of Ireland's "Troubles" and the coming-of-age story of the protaganist Martin Reilly. Set in the early twentieth century, Martin grapples with the pressing issues of his day, some of which have remained shockingly and sadly relevant in our own time. He loses his once sacrosanct Catholic faith and his budding atheism; he is victimized by the sexual advances of a priest; he struggles with his identity as the out-of-wedlock product of a Catholic and Protestant couple; and he finds himself a freedom fighter/terrorist, depending on which side of the Troubles one is on.
If your in the mood for an old-fashioned, lost classic, read Thy Tears Might Cease by Michael Farrell....more
Feed is a fantastic word in every sense of the word "fantastic!" It is simultaneously prescient and contemporary. I loved it on every level.Feed is a fantastic word in every sense of the word "fantastic!" It is simultaneously prescient and contemporary. I loved it on every level....more
The Disease Called Life My favorite novel of recent months has been Joshua Ferris’s The Unnamed. The protagonist, Tim Farnsworth, is a successful New YThe Disease Called Life My favorite novel of recent months has been Joshua Ferris’s The Unnamed. The protagonist, Tim Farnsworth, is a successful New York City lawyer, who, despite the best efforts of both medical and psychiatric specialists to diagnose and treat his illness, finds himself plagued by a mysterious “disease” that strikes in intermittent phases and compels him to walk – for days, weeks, months, and eventually, years. In our GPS-obsessed world, Farnsworth walks with no destination in mind, nor does he walk for a purpose. There’s no “a-thon” attached to his walk. He walks for neither fitness nor weight loss. He walks because he has to. His addiction costs him the life of materialistic comfort he has earned, his career, his family, and ultimately any attachment to society. Regardless of this heavy price, he walks. Ferris’s “unnamed” disease – which, he has explained, is a fabrication of his own imagination – is a simple yet poignant metaphor that operates on multiple layers. An obvious interpretation is that the reader, at least at first, empathizes with Farnsworth’s mid-life desire simply to leave behind all the choices made and responsibilities borne that have not lived up to the sense of fulfillment once thought inherent in them: spouses, family, career, adulthood, in general. However, by the story’s close, that reader is challenged to appreciate those very things in his/her own life and to confront the often destructive effects of walking away. On another level, the walking is a clear metaphor for any all-consuming addiction, often inspired by healthy motives, that grows to Frankenstein’s monster proportions and turns on its onetime master: the sensible dieter who in his/her obsession with weight control contracts an eating disorder; the fitness freak whose once-healthy exercise routine now trumps all other concerns, activities, and people in his/her life; the social drinker who falls victim to alcoholism; the once recreational poker player or online investor who quits his steady job to chase the dream of fast, easy, and copious cash, etc. The examples are countless, but the outcomes frequently the same: ruin. This leads to one more metaphorical interpretation of the walking; although, I have certainly not even come close to exhausting its potentialities. The collateral damage incurred due to Farnsworth walking is extensive. The fact is, Ferris illustrates, that none of us live in a vacuum in which the impact of our decisions and actions effect no one other than ourselves. Whether we like it or not, we do not possess the freedom to act in any manner that does not have immediate and often drastic outcomes for those in our work, social, and private lives. For many readers on first thought, Ferris’s walking disease appears nonsensical, yet how often have we thought the same of a seemingly innocuous mole or swelling found cancerous? Perhaps it’s for all of us as the eighteenth-century English poet, Alexander Pope, described his own existence: “This long Disease, my life.” Despite our best efforts, life, including its responsibilities and absurdities, like an incurable disease, can only be accepted and endured not conquered and, most certainly, it cannot be walked away from simply. ...more
Matterhorn is hands down the best novel of war that I have ever read. But, it's more than that. It's a novel of existential complexity, universal themMatterhorn is hands down the best novel of war that I have ever read. But, it's more than that. It's a novel of existential complexity, universal themes, and great adventure. ...more
I enjoyed The Passage very much and would recommend it highly to devout readers of apocalyptic fiction. I do not feel, however, that it breaks any newI enjoyed The Passage very much and would recommend it highly to devout readers of apocalyptic fiction. I do not feel, however, that it breaks any new ground or transcends a bar already set quite high by others in this genre of fiction....more
Although Green and Levithan are two of my favorite authors, I liked but didn't love Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I greatly appreciated their frank treaAlthough Green and Levithan are two of my favorite authors, I liked but didn't love Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I greatly appreciated their frank treatment of teenage sexuality and their courage to make appropriate use of crude language. As a teacher, I spend my life around teenagers; I know how they talk. Green's and Levithan's characters speak the way my students do when they don't think I'm listening. The main characters were engaging but, maybe, a little too-over-the-top for me to identify with. Still for the fun and humor of the novel and its willingness to address issues most YA authors shy away from, I would recommned this novel....more
As a high school teacher and the author of the young adult novel, So Shelly, I found Lauren Oliver's "Before I Fall" to be beautifully written, emotioAs a high school teacher and the author of the young adult novel, So Shelly, I found Lauren Oliver's "Before I Fall" to be beautifully written, emotionally poignant, and an accurate representation of high school life - especially as it is manifested in small town, public high schools. Oliver tells the story of a popular high school senior girl (Samantha), who dies in an automobile accident after leaving a house party. Her death is a "wake up" call that arrives too late, for she finds herself in a sort of Purgatory in which she must relive the tragic day of her death for seven straight days. During this time, she is forced to confront her heretofore unrealized status as a "mean girl." Each new day allows her the opportunity to redeem herself and, perhaps, to earn her way out of her perpetual nightmare by bettering the lives of those she has alienated and tormented.
Oliver's prose is polished and often lyrical. Her use of short paragraphs and copious dialogue pushes the narrative pace, as with each repeated day, Samantha draws closer to getting the last day (and her life) right. The nearly five hundred pages turn at an alarming rate while seductively luring the reader into a love/hate relationship with Samantha. In the process, Oliver proves to have a keen ear for "teenspeak," as the voices and conversations echo those I hear regularly in the halls of my school.
Much of the poignancy of the text emanates from Oliver's frank treatment of the core themes of death and love in both of their many forms. She rightly reminds us that death comes in many forms and at all ages, and we ignore its inevitability and omnipresence at our own risk. No one, even teenagers, are beyond its reach. From this sobering fact the central theme emerges the central theme: Get your life in order, no matter what your age. Many types of love are also explored including friendship, romantic love, love between parents and children, love between siblings, maybe most importantly, the love of self. Although she's very careful with her word choice and there are no "sex scenes," Oliver does not shy away from addressing her teenage characters' sexuality. She skillfully addresses this sensitive topic head-on and in a frank manner that neither romanticizes sex nor zealously condemns it.
If forced to nitpick, my only criticism might be the somewhat flat male characters; however, before I fall is about girls. The cardboard cutout boys serve to advance the plot and function as flashpoints for moments of self-awareness for the female characters. To fully explore the boys' psyches and motivations would require another five hundred pages.
Although the novel breaks no new ground in YA fiction, it is more than a worthwhile read. Entertaining, educational, and enlightening, I recommend "Before I Fall all as a "must read" for young adult females and those (parents, teachers, young adult males) who would like to better understand and appreciate them....more
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