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Title: Bluesman : A Novel by Andre Dubus III ISBN: 0-375-72516-4 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 13 February, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (12 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A wonderful, sometimes haunting read-highly recommended.
Comment: A finely-written novel which is both a coming-of-age tale and an examination of the human spirit in all its shame and glory, Bluesman is the story of Leo Sutter, and boy on the verge of being a man in a sleepy paper mill town. Leo is coming to terms with the usual problems which beset all young men-love, sex, responsibility-against the background of a mostly redneck town in Viet Nam-era America. Through Leo's interactions with those close to him-his girlfriend, Allie, her communist father, Chic, Leo's father Jim and-most importantly-his dead mother (through her poetry and diary)-Dubus delicately and expertly examines the human condition. The book draws brilliantly on the blues music Leo so loves, and the strength of his bond with both his mother and father, to create genuine melodrama and subtly compelling plotlines. Dubus has spare, delicately understated style which is far more descriptive than a thousand pages of Danielle Steele could ever be. An enjoyable, potentially life-changing book which had me dusting off my old Lightin' Hopkins records, and which begs for a sequel.
Rating: 4
Summary: A coming of age story
Comment: Bluesman by Andre Dubus III
A beautifully written novel by the author of HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, this coming of age novel takes place during the Vietnam War era of the mid to late 60's. Young Leo Suther is about to turn 18 and is getting ready to find out what life outside of school is all about. He's got a new girl, Allie Donovan, who he's desperately in lust with. Her father, Chick Donovan, soon becomes his mentor and he's offered a job to help Chick build houses. It's Leo's first "real" job, and it makes him feel like a man. With Allie by his side and a great job, life is looking good.
His home life isn't all that bad either. He and his father live side by side, sharing their love of the blues every night and playing music along with their family friend Ryder. Katie Faye, Leo's mother, had died years ago from cancer, and his memories of her have faded, but are being kept alive by his father's love for her. Throughout the novel, references to Katie's life are made, and her story unfolds as Leo learns about a mother who loved poetry and whose biggest desire before she died was to go to Paris. Her story helps shape Leo's future, as the reader soon finds out.
Leo is at a turning point in his life. With only one more year left of high school and a good job with Chick, Leo is ready to leave school and start a family of his own. He fantasizes about living with Allie and their many kids. This fantasy life of his puts blinders on Leo, as he finds out too late how Allie feels about him. And with problems of her own, Allie soon turns her back on Leo, leaving Leo feeling alone and frustrated. As their relationship hits rocky ground, Leo's life starts to fall apart, and he soon sees that not only has Allie's feelings for him have changed, but all around him friends and acquaintances are moving on. Change is in the air, and Leo isn't sure if he's ready for it.
I can't really say enough about BLUESMAN. It's a complex story composed of many layers. Leo's issues with Allie, with her father, and even his mother, are at the root of Leo's story. Political issues of the day are not the main focus, but help add to the story line. Communism, the Vietnam War, the attitudes of the late 60's, are all underlying themes of this book. It's not an easy read but I would definitely recommend this for it's beautiful prose and descriptions throughout the book. It's a great coming of age story, and if nothing else will leave with the reader memories of a time in history that has left a mark on many today.
Rating: 5
Summary: An entrancing story
Comment: I have no idea why the Kirkus reviewer essentially trashed this book. I found it entrancing. Dubus is a great storyteller, and he made me care about the characters. His prose is amazing: without the usual descriptive tricks (adjectives and adverbs), he creates a living, breathing world populated by well-realized characters.
If it matters to anyone...as a former resident of western Massachusetts, I can assure you that Dubus perfectly evokes that part of the country. Those little mill towns are as claustrophic today as they were in the 1960's.
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Title: The Cage Keeper : And Other Stories by ANDRE III DUBUS ISBN: 0375727744 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 09 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III ISBN: 0375727345 Publisher: Vintage Books Pub. Date: 16 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: In the Bedroom by Andre Dubus, Andre Dubus ISBN: 1400030773 Publisher: Vintage Books Pub. Date: 29 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: Adultery & Other Choices by Andre Dubus ISBN: 0879232846 Publisher: David R Godine Pub. Date: June, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Dancing After Hours : Stories by Andre Dubus ISBN: 0679751149 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 04 March, 1997 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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