Death Be Not Proud

Rating:
Summary: A Book of Love
Review: Written by his father, this book is an ode of love to a courageous young man who died of a brain tumor in 1946 at the age of 17. Although divorced, Gunther also writes with great love about his ex-wife and her part in caring for their son.

This was a grueling reading experience as John Gunther takes the reader through his son's life from the time of diagnosis until his death a year and a half later. I cannot believe I had never read this book before. I am sure that many readers would not find this book to be comfortable reading, but it does deal honestly with sickness, death, and the emotions surrounding the ending of a young life.

I found the book to be both dated (in relation to how medicine is practiced) and eternal (in relation to the grief at the loss of a child).

For me, the most moving part was Johnny's graduation week at Deerfield with all of the activities and ceremonies that went on. The strength of character that it took for him to participate in all of these, just a month before his death, was extraordinary, as was the compassion shown by the school and his classmates.

Rating:
Summary: Every teen wishes to have the strength that Johnny does
Review: I also attended a private school near deerfield (the school Johnny went to). John Sr. tells an amazing story of his son's strength through a terrible brain tumor during the 1940's. John explains the positive attitute that young Johnny poses even after he finds out he is sick. Johnny keeps up his spirits and instead of worrying about dying, his main concern is getting back to deerfield academy as soon as possible so he can see his friends and graduate. Its always great to read about the Gunthers ride up through western massachusetts and to talk about the famous Mr. Boyden- who was the beloved head master of the school at that time and a legend to the old deerfield community.
This book makes any teenager want to cherish life to the fullest as Johnny did and also makes adults who read this show much sympathy to the parents because losing an amazing son like John is devistating.
This book is easy to read and definitely makes you want you thankful for the small things in life- as Johnny did!

Rating:
Summary: A bit tedious
Review: Death Be Not Proud is a memoir written by John Gunther about the death of his seventeen-year old son. Johnny Gunther was a bright and spirited boy interested in everything from chemistry to religion. It was a shock when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor at sixteen, but Johnny dealt with it with grace and hope. He continued to take a lively interest in science and the arts, even keeping up with his schoolwork. After more than a year of harrowing treatments, Johnny died on June 30, 1947, shortly after graduating with his class.

Throughout this book, the author continuously explores the themes of hope and death. Unfortunately, these insights are clogged by many needless details, ranging from Johnny¡¯s dinner that day to his latest scientific experiment. These seem to imply that the author did not really know his son very well. The book reads rather slowly and tediously. In addition, the journal entries and letters at the back seemed to serve no purpose besides filling up space.

However, Death Be Not Proud would be an excellent book for someone suffering the death of a beloved one. The author, instead of focusing on his own grief, wrote fondly on his many memories. Instead of dwelling on the unpleasant aspects of Johnny¡¯s illness, John Gunther spoke poignantly on the almost normal times in-between. Death Be Not Proud would help many channel their grief into remembrance of the richness of life.

Rating:
Summary: Death be not Proud
Review: Hope v.s. Brain Tumor
The book Death be not Proud is a story about a 16 year old that was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The story is written from his father's point of view. Johnny was a high- spirited young man that wanted to live life to the fullest. His mother was always there to help him enjoy he fifth teen months in the hospital. Johnny got out of the hospital and said hello and good- bye all his friends in high school before graduating. He was fine for a couple months taking meds and having help. Things got bad when Johnny couldn't remember how to tie his shoes or button up his shirts. Johnny started to feel a lot of pain in his head so they re-admitted him to the closest hospital and he passed away a few days after. All of his life he dreamed of going to Harvard University and if there was anyone that could have taken this away it would have made a difference in his friends and family's life. If you are looking for a touching story read Death be not Proud.

Rating:
Summary: The Classic Story
Review: Beautiful. This is the best book I've ever read. John Gunther tells the story of his only child's death in a non emotional, moving way. Johnny Gunther died from a brain tumor when he was only seventeen years old, and yet he had the most optimistic outlook on life there possibly could be. Every word in this book, every phrase, is quotable. I especially like the way John Gunther attempts to understand why his son, who was a child genius, would be struck down with cancer of the brain, because his brain was his gift. He reminds us that Beethoven became deaf, and a certain opera singer got cancer of the vocal chords. In other words, people are affected most by the thing that matters most. When he arrives at this conclusion and accepts the inevitable, it is the single most moving thing I have ever read. Even though Johnny dies, strangely enough, I didn't find this book sad. To me it was a story of courage in the face of evil, lawless, unfair things. John Gunther constantly points out that there are some things even death cannot take from us. He even flung that principle in death's face at Johnny's grave. On Johnny's tombstone, it simply reads "Death, thou shalt DIE!"

Rating:
Summary: Death Be Not Proud
Review: John Gunther's only son, Johnny Gunther, died in 1947. Death Be Not Proud is the remarkable and compelling memoir of the death of his son, Johnny Gunther, who suddenly developed a brain tumor at the young age of seventeen. The tumor emerged, seemed to be almost gone, and then suddenly came back and killed him fifteen months later. By the book's title and the first few pages, the reader knows that Johnny will not survive. This makes the story even more tragic as the reader turns every page knowing that even if things are getting better, they are about to go wrong again.
Johnny's brain was possibly the most important thing in his body, as he was a very intelligent person. The subject Johnny loved the most was science; if he had survived he probably would have been able to develop a cure for his very own tumor. He was deciding between two occupations at the time of his sickness: a physicist or a chemist. During the fifteen months of Johnny's illness, he was optimistic about living - the disease hurt his brain, but never his spirit. He went through much pain, but he never complained and kept up with his schoolwork while he was in the hospital or, sometimes, at home. Although he missed his entire senior year at Deerfield because of the tumor, he was allowed to graduate with the rest of his class. As his father wrote, "He died absolutely without fear, and without pain, and without knowing that he was going to die." Unlike most people with a deadly disease, Johnny lived his short life victoriously. Johnny "...did not die like a vegetable. He died like a man, with perfect dignity."
John Gunther writes about his son's struggle with death in a vivid and intriguing way. As the book was written in the late 1940's, the writing is also a little stilted - although it is still very interesting. Part of Gunther's writing style is to use exclamation points at the end of many sentences for emphasis. For example, when he wrote about the early days of Johnny's illness, he used many exclamation points: "That first spinal tap!-the first of many, and spinal taps can be frightening as well as painful. All the other tests!...And the doctors! So many doctors!"
I admire John Gunther for writing this book about his son's death, probably with tears in his eyes during the entire process of writing it. Johnny's parents divorced when he was young, but Gunther still talks about his ex-wife fondly throughout the book. There is also a section written by Johnny's mother at the end of the memoir allowing the reader to view Johnny's struggle against death from both his father and mother's perspective. John Gunther concludes the story by writing in his vivid, lucid style: "I felt his arms, cupping my hands around them, and warmth gradually left them, receding very slowly upward from his hands. For a long time some warmth remained. Then little by little the life-color left his face, his lips became blue, and his hands were cold. What is life? It departs covertly. Like a thief Death took him." The memory of Johnny remains with the reader past the moment of his death. I would recommend this book to all parents who have seen their children suffer, or those who simply enjoy a well-written (although heartbreaking) book.

Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: This is a really well written book. It is really sad, but insipring how this family is always on the son's side during all the treatments for the son's brain tumor.

Rating:
Summary: A Death
Review: This book was very well written I won't deny that for it had all the justifying characteristics of a tragedy. Johnny, an incredibly smart kid, has a deadly tumor that will revolve around the rest of his life. This book was written by Johnny's loving father and this memoir shows how deep their relationship was. This is a wonderful book but the reason why I rated it so low was because I felt it was unbelievebly slow.

Rating:
Summary: Heartbreakingly Beautiful
Review: DEATH BE NOT PROUD is the unforgettable story of Johnny Gunther, who died of a brain tumor in 1947. At that time, a brain tumor meant certain death, for doctors were only then beginning to understand such things well enough to treat them at all. Today, someone with Johnny's illness has a far better chance of surviving. But Johnny faced his diagnosis and the terrible outlook with patience, courage, and humor. This is a strangely uplifting and triumphant story, told in a straightforward, honest manner by Johnny's father. He tells not only of what it was like for Johnny, but what it was like to watch his own son slowly slip away. Most of the time, people with brain tumors would ultimately lose all function and die like 'vegetables', but this didn't happen to Johnny. In the end, he had a cerebral hemmorhage and died peacefully, without really knowing that his time had come. Johnny was a brilliant boy with great abilities at science and math. Had he survived, he himself may have become a doctor and found the cure for his disease. There is no way of knowing what would have been; the book tells only what was. It is more objective than would ordinarily be expected. John Gunther was fully aware of his son's shortcomings, but, like everyone else who knew Johnny, he was impressed by the fortitude and bravery with which he faced illness and death. Please buy this beautiful book! You'll never forget it! Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: Death be not Proud
Review: A wonderful, thoughtful, and courageous book.
I recommend this book for everybody, it is a lesson of life. Written wonderfully. I read eating it up. So brave. So sad. So brilliant. So lovely. So pure!