<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Perceptive and thrilling
Review:
Here's a review I just read from the prestigious Library Journal about 'Brain and Body':
"After a brutal attack at a public toilet for being gay, 17-year-old Jip is left severely brain-damaged and must rebuild his life. Since Jip can barely remember his own name for more than five minutes at a time, his guilt-ridden housemate tells his story. Jip makes friends, works out, gets a job, and finds a lover despite his severe handicap yet remains incredibly vulnerable to the manipulation of others. He, his family, and friends and even the shadowy, unnamed narrator are clearly drawn characters, complete with the quirks and complex motivations of real individuals.
This quick debut novel is at turns ominous and optimistic, highlighting the ability of people both to heal and to harm others grievously. First novelist Frost uses foreshadowing to build suspense about Jip's ultimate fate. The reader can be certain it won't be a happy one but will be compelled to keep turning the pages. Recommended for all public libraries." Devon Thomas.
Jane Price, Editorial Team, ...
Rating:
Summary: Perceptive and thrilling
Review:
Here's a review I just read from the prestigious Library Journal about 'Brain and Body':
"After a brutal attack at a public toilet for being gay, 17-year-old Jip is left severely brain-damaged and must rebuild his life. Since Jip can barely remember his own name for more than five minutes at a time, his guilt-ridden housemate tells his story. Jip makes friends, works out, gets a job, and finds a lover despite his severe handicap yet remains incredibly vulnerable to the manipulation of others. He, his family, and friends and even the shadowy, unnamed narrator are clearly drawn characters, complete with the quirks and complex motivations of real individuals.
This quick debut novel is at turns ominous and optimistic, highlighting the ability of people both to heal and to harm others grievously. First novelist Frost uses foreshadowing to build suspense about Jip's ultimate fate. The reader can be certain it won't be a happy one but will be compelled to keep turning the pages. Recommended for all public libraries." Devon Thomas.
Jane Price, Editorial Team, ...
Rating: 
Summary: An Incredible First Novel!
Review: Here's an incredible debut novel direct from Holland by author Richard Frost. This is a page turner that's hard to put down, from the brutal beginning to the shocking ending that will leave any reader stunned. It's about 17-year-old Jip, who the night before he plans on telling his parents he's gay, goes to a public toilet and becomes a victim of gay bashing. He suffers a fractured skull, emerges from a coma, brain damaged and can't remember anything of what has happened or who did this terrible deed to him. Now he must learn the simplest of tasks over and over again. He isn't able to remember people he already knows from day to day, so he writes everything down on a board to remember. Therapy doesn't help him, so he meets Kasper who befriends him and suggests he take Karate lessons. Kasper takes Jip to live with him & help rehabilitate him. Jip's parents are frustrated with Jip, and decide Kasper may be their only hope now to help their son. The karate lessons are a failure so Kasper suggests weight training. Jip meets closet case bodybuilder Axl at the gym who will be his weight lifting trainer. Axl's new dependence on steroids becomes very destructive, and it slowly overwhelms him, changing his personality completely. Jip and Axl's friendship turns into a sexual relationship, which causes many problems, especially with Kasper. It's at this point the story, as told by the narrator (who is a neighbor & a gay ballet dancer), accelerates quickly bringing this book to it's shocking conclusion.
Although this story was about a very serious and horrible turn of events it was never depressing. Yes, it's brutal and tragic, but the narrator keeps it's light in a black comic sort of way. Believe it or not it's very humorous at times. There's a lot of irony here, and catchy story telling. A perfect book, a quick read, and a good way to spend an evening curled up by the fire in your favorite chair. I recommend you don't miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: An Incredible First Novel!
Review: Here's an incredible debut novel direct from Holland by author Richard Frost. This is a page turner that's hard to put down, from the brutal beginning to the shocking ending that will leave any reader stunned. It's about 17-year-old Jip, who the night before he plans on telling his parents he's gay, goes to a public toilet and becomes a victim of gay bashing. He suffers a fractured skull, emerges from a coma, brain damaged and can't remember anything of what has happened or who did this terrible deed to him. Now he must learn the simplest of tasks over and over again. He isn't able to remember people he already knows from day to day, so he writes everything down on a board to remember. Therapy doesn't help him, so he meets Kasper who befriends him and suggests he take Karate lessons. Kasper takes Jip to live with him & help rehabilitate him. Jip's parents are frustrated with Jip, and decide Kasper may be their only hope now to help their son. The karate lessons are a failure so Kasper suggests weight training. Jip meets closet case bodybuilder Axl at the gym who will be his weight lifting trainer. Axl's new dependence on steroids becomes very destructive, and it slowly overwhelms him, changing his personality completely. Jip and Axl's friendship turns into a sexual relationship, which causes many problems, especially with Kasper. It's at this point the story, as told by the narrator (who is a neighbor & a gay ballet dancer), accelerates quickly bringing this book to it's shocking conclusion.
Although this story was about a very serious and horrible turn of events it was never depressing. Yes, it's brutal and tragic, but the narrator keeps it's light in a black comic sort of way. Believe it or not it's very humorous at times. There's a lot of irony here, and catchy story telling. A perfect book, a quick read, and a good way to spend an evening curled up by the fire in your favorite chair. I recommend you don't miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Jip's on the verge of coming out to his parents, when he's brutally attacked. Emerging from a coma, he has no memories of his life and must rebuild from the beginning. He's befriended by the androgynous Kasper (a karate instructor) and Kasper's friends, and by some other guys at a local gym. Among this group of friends lurks the man who attacked Jip. This thoroughly engrossing story is told from the point of view of one of Kasper's (and Jip's) housemates who is piecing together Jip's story. It's an amazing book that I couldn't put down even once after I began. This would make a brilliant movie, too, rather like "The Vanishing" (Dutch, not American, version).
Rating:
Summary: My favourite read, in certain moods
Review: Once again, literature has proven its resilience to bounce back from the abyss of banality with Richard Frost's excellent new read. What makes this book stand out is its sensitive treatment of homosexual identity in Holland, and the way that it conveys the crisis facing many men who opt for this unique form of relationship. Written with passion and verve, this is a book to herald a new era in discussion of this subject.
<< 1 >>
|
