Pagan Babies

Rating:
Summary: Dysfunction Junction...
Review: As if proving the old cliche that you can't judge a book by its cover, Greg Johnson's book promises much but ultimately delivers very little.

Pagan Babies is the story of a long-standing hyper-dysfunctional relationship between protagonists Clifford and Janice. Johnson deftly begins their relationship as Catholic school "refugees" and accurately portrays the many times harsh realities of early 1960s Catholic education.

As the decades progress, however, both the relationship and the narrative begin to fray, and Pagan Babies ends up sounding like an episode from MTV's current nighttime drama "Undressed" (Clifford gets Janice pregnant, then discovers he's gay. She gets an abortion, he moves to Atlanta and turns tricks in Piedmont Park. Janice also moves to Atlanta and gets engaged, Clifford sleeps with her fiance. And on and on...)

At the end of the novel (and in a deeply unsatisfying conclusion), Clifford and Janice return to each other's arms and renew their dysfunctional devotion. No two people, in my opinion, deserved each other better.

While Johnson's writing is both tight and lyrical, the plot is choppy at best and terribly confusing at worst. If the book is in your library, check it out, but I would advise against purchasing a copy.

Rating:
Summary: It was like re-living entire phases of my life...
Review: From the lasting effects of a Catholic upbringing to the trials and tribulations of growing up a gay male with a female best friend, this book hit so many nerves I feel as if I could have added some chapters and have kept perfectly in tune with Clifford and Janice. Both darkly funny and deeply touching, I've read the book six times and each time it rings truer than the previous read.

On general principles Mr. Johnson has tapped into the difficulties and contradictions we all face when growing up and trying to sort out our identities and destinies. The characters could be your neighbors or even yourselves or your family members. A solid, wonderful read.

Rating:
Summary: not what I wanted, but satisfying
Review: I don't exactly know what I was looking for out of this book, but in the end, I found it. The plot line was not all that spectacular or origional, but i found myself completely adoring the characters. Janice is absolutely fabulous and 3 dimensional and many can relate to both Janice's life, as well as Cliffords.

Rating:
Summary: What were they thinking....
Review: Please, Please don't trust the reviews that have been written for this book. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Trust me, I have read just about every type of fiction there is now. The writing was wonderful. And, most importantly the characters were so drawn out that by the end of the book I felt such an affinity to the plight of the characters hoping that eventually Greg Johnson may write a sequel....And, I have recommended this book to an avid reader like myself, and she loved it as well!!

Rating:
Summary: What were they thinking....
Review: Please, Please don't trust the reviews that have been written for this book. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Trust me, I have read just about every type of fiction there is now. The writing was wonderful. And, most importantly the characters were so drawn out that by the end of the book I felt such an affinity to the plight of the characters hoping that eventually Greg Johnson may write a sequel....And, I have recommended this book to an avid reader like myself, and she loved it as well!!

Rating:
Summary: Missed the Mark
Review: This was a random purchase while perusing a thrift shop on a Saturday afternoon. The novel begins with its main characters, Janice and Clifford, at a catholic elementary school. I expect that the novel will end with them as adults with a host of issues resulting from their catholic upbringing. I don't know for certain that this is the case because after 100 pages of text I lost interest in the story, characters and author. Johnson doesn't offer any cleaver insight into "The Church" or how its influence affects the psyche of the characters. The writing is clear, nothing really creative, but easy enough to digest.

Those readers who have grown up or are growing up catholic, may better connect with the characters and story given their familiarity with some of the rudimentary scenes offered in the novel. As a non-Catholic, I had hoped that the author would be able to introduce and connect me to a catholic upbringing experience through his character's story. Perhaps, I had hoped, the author would offer some insight or perspective on the history of sexual abuse within the church. Well no such luck. Due to languid, flat characters and image-less writing, I could not commit to the remaining half of the novel. Unfortunately, the best part of the book seems to be the review on the back page. Can't recommend this one.

Rating:
Summary: Missed the Mark
Review: This was a random purchase while perusing a thrift shop on a Saturday afternoon. The novel begins with its main characters, Janice and Clifford, at a catholic elementary school. I expect that the novel will end with them as adults with a host of issues resulting from their catholic upbringing. I don't know for certain that this is the case because after 100 pages of text I lost interest in the story, characters and author. Johnson doesn't offer any cleaver insight into "The Church" or how its influence affects the psyche of the characters. The writing is clear, nothing really creative, but easy enough to digest.

Those readers who have grown up or are growing up catholic, may better connect with the characters and story given their familiarity with some of the rudimentary scenes offered in the novel. As a non-Catholic, I had hoped that the author would be able to introduce and connect me to a catholic upbringing experience through his character's story. Perhaps, I had hoped, the author would offer some insight or perspective on the history of sexual abuse within the church. Well no such luck. Due to languid, flat characters and image-less writing, I could not commit to the remaining half of the novel. Unfortunately, the best part of the book seems to be the review on the back page. Can't recommend this one.