Enter the dark and murky world of Manhattan's Lower East Side in the early twentieth century through the talented pen of Jerome Charyn and his novel, Ravage & Son.
Lionel Ravage, a ruthless landlord in the Lower East Side, wields his power over the community, metering out rewards and punishments as he sees fit. But he loves his beloved cat and Manya with such intensity, that when Manya bears him a son, he can't help but despise the child who captures a part of her heart.
Abraham Cahan, editor of the the Jewish Daily Forward, rescues Ben from a trade school and pays his way to earn a law degree from Harvard. But Ben's ties to his community run deep. He returns to the Lower East Side as a detective to help the police rid the community of criminals. As he works to root out a half-mad villain torturing the prostitutes of Allen Street, Ben discovers his fate will always be tied to this Jewish "Mr. Hyde."
With Ravage & Son, Charyn delivers an edgy and suspenseful historical novel of crime, corruption, and antisemitism. His keen eye for detail brings the story to life, and the reader is drawn into the world of Lionel and Ben Savage as if they stood on the streets of the Lower East Side. As with all of Charyn's novels, you can't rush through Ravage & Son. It is a story you must experience with every dark turn as the characters, whether you love them or despise them, display life in its rawest form. Ravage & Son is classic Charyn, and his fans--new and old--won't be disappointed.
Travel back to Hollywood's Golden Age for a story about Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles as told by a feisty gossip columnist.
Big Redfinds Rusty Redburn, a kid from Kalamazoo, invited into the private office of Columbia movie mogul Harry "The Janitor" Cohen. He tells her that his redhead needs a secretary, and he will pay Rusty's salary in exchange for her spying on Hayworth and Welles. With this arrangement, Rusty enters into the world of Big Red and the Boy Wonder, eventually becoming Hayworth's protector and Welles' ally.
One of the reasons I read author's notes is to get a glimpse into the story an author has written. In the case of Big Red by Jerome Charyn, my approach to the novel and my review may have changed if I hadn't understood the author's point of view.
Rusty is a starry-eyed lesbian who grew up on a farm. She doesn't have the talent for Hollywood, but she loves reading and films and has a knack for language, so she heads to Hollywood and ends up working in the basement of the Writer's Building at Columbia where she comes to the attention of "The Janitor."
Cohen, who is in love with Hayworth, hires Rusty to spy on Welles and her. Rusty's life now revolves around a woman whose shyness belied the sexual prowess she displayed with her dancing, and a man with a genius eye for the camera whose tumultuous life was marked with tragedy and missed opportunities.
As the reader follows Rusty's story, they are treated to a glimpse into the Golden Age of Hollywood. They are granted a backstage pass to a woman's life plagued by the memories of a young girl violated by her father and whose shyness made her more comfortable in the company of hairstylists and makeup girls than the political players Welles stumped for on a regular basis.
Surprisingly, though, Charyn's intention was to write a story about Welles, who he has long admired. It was as he explored the life of Welles' second wife that he learned Hayworth would play a pivotal role in this story.
The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, which explores the life of another well-known shy woman, remains my favorite novel by Charyn, but Big Red is a strong second. Charyn's writing captivates the reader, drawing them into his characters' world and never letting go even after that last page is turned. Big Red is a fabulous novel. I highly recommend it if you like historical fiction, Hollywood stories, or a creative story with unique characters.
Publisher : Liveright (August 23, 2022)
Language : English
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1324091339
ISBN-13 : 978-1324091332
I received a copy of this book from the author's publicist. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
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Just when you think Jerome Charyn has crafted the best book he could ever write, he comes out with a new one that is even better than the last.
The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King is a novel of Teddy Roosevelt, who would one day become the 26th president of the United States. Covering the years of 1862 when he was still suffering from debilitating asthma, through 1901 when Vice President Theodore Roosevelt is on his way to take a new oath after President McKinley is assassinated, the reader discovers the whirlwind that was Roosevelt.
Charyn makes this larger than life historical figure even grander through his well-researched, in-depth account of the man's tragedies and triumphs. Told in first person, every detail and each rich description draws the reader into Roosevelt's world. Lovers of historical novels will be captivated by this Cowboy King who pushed himself outside of his comfort zone every day of his life. The story is as unique as he was.
With The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King, Charyn has outdone himself. Another amazing historical figure that he brings to life in colorful new ways. A phenomenal story. A clever cover. No wonder Charyn has been entertaining readers for decades. He's the best at what he does, and he leaves readers longing for more.
Isaac Sidel returns in this superb novel by Jerome Charyn.
Former New York police commissioner and mayor Isaac Sidel accidentally finds himself in the Oval Office. Not the typical President of the free world, he upsets a lot of apple carts on both sides of the political aisle. Is there any wonder there is a secret lottery to determine the exact date of Sidel's death? With a group of unusual allies, Sidel must outrun the lottery to save himself.
Winter Warning is not my first Sidel novel. Blue Eyes introduced me to Sidel who had fallen from grace due to a corruption scandal. While I haven't read the books in the series between Blue Eyes and Winter Warning, Sidel came right back to life for me the minute I opened the page of this final book in the series.
Raw, edgy, humorous, and action packed, you know you can expect the unexpected from the street cop who winds up Commander in Chief. The reader can't help in some ways draw parallels to our current political arena; except its the "Decade of Greed" instead of the Trump era.
Having read Charyn more than once, I can never decide if his ability to develop the perfect setting or his talent at creating such captivating characters is his greatest strength. As one who enjoys the psychology of characters, Charyn's novels provide tons of fodder for me to consider why certain characters act the way they do. With every book, I can't help but dive right in and be pulled deeper and deeper into the story's murky depths.
Winter Warning is a fascinating conclusion to the Sidel series.
Prices/Formats: $25.95 ebook, $25.95 paperback
Genre: Political, Espionage, Thriller
Pages: 256
Release: October 1, 2017
Publisher: Pegasus
ISBN: 9781681773483 I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Jerome Charyn published his first novel in 1964. He's the author of Johnny One-Eye, The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, I Am Abraham, and dozens of other acclaimed novels as well as nonfiction works. His short stories have appeared in The Atlantic, Paris Review, American Scholar, Epoch, and Ellery Queen. Charyn's popular crime novels featuring homicide detective Isaac Sidel inspired a new animated drama series: Hard Apple debuts on the small screen in 2017, helmed by Hollywood insider James Gray (The Immigrants) and illustrated by famed artists Asaf and Tomer Hanuka. Charyn lives in Greenwich Village, New York.
Award-winning author Jerome Charyn returns to the world of Emily Dickinson in his latest biography, A Loaded Gun. With his thought-provoking, eloquent style Charyn explores the complex woman often referred to as the Belle of Amherst. At times shy, yet, sometimes bold, this often misunderstood poet has fascinated readers for generations.
As he did with his novel, The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, he entices the reader to reconsider what they know about Dickinson. Was she merely that reclusive spinster trapped in her "Pearl Jail" at the Homestead or was she a gifted writer scribbling fragments on brown wrapping paper and stray envelopes that spoke of a passionate woman who chartered her own destiny and whose words inspired works of art?
The depth of Charyn's research is clear from the start. He's studied previous biographies, explored Dickinson's letters and poems, and interviewed experts to bring what he sees as the real Emily Dickinson to life for modern readers. More than a woman who was trapped by her father in the family's home, more than someone's odd aunt or sister, more than the cockeyed girl in a dark dress we know from the daguerreotype, Dickinson was a powerful woman who seduced people with her words.
It will be interesting to dig out my Emily Dickinson collection after reading A Loaded Gun to see if my own perceptions of her work have changed.
Ultimately, I don't think we will ever learn more about Dickinson than she wished to share with us, but Charyn's in depth look at her life has definitely brought me closer to this "unknowable genius."
I received a free copy of this book from the author through Tribute Books Blog Tours. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
I read this book for the following challenge:
Musing Mondays is a weekly meme now hosted at Jenn's new blog Books And A Beat that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:
I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…
THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What is/are your favorite book cover(s)?
It's been a while since I've done one of these and it's about high time I got back to it. I've missed blogging now that work has taken over my life.
I'm currently reading:
My review was due weeks ago, but I haven't been reading much lately. Our annual trip to North Carolina is coming up, so I will be reading it then. What I have read so far is really good.
Here's the line up of paperback books I am taking on vacation with me. I'm also taking both of my Kindles.
Deep Shadows by Vannetta Chapman
Anna's Healing by Vannetta Chapman
Joshua's Mission by Vannetta Chapman
A Loaded Gun by Jerome Charyn
The Strangers on Montague Street by Karen White
When Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown
While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax
What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?
We think we know Emily Dickinson: the Belle of Amherst, virginal, reclusive, and possibly mad. But in A Loaded Gun, Jerome Charyn introduces us to a different Emily Dickinson: the fierce, brilliant, and sexually charged poet who wrote:
My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun—
…
Though I than He— may longer live
He longer must—than I—
For I have but the power to kill,
Without—the power to die—
Through interviews with contemporary scholars, close readings of Dickinson’s correspondence and handwritten manuscripts, and a suggestive, newly discovered photograph that is purported to show Dickinson with her lover, Charyn’s literary sleuthing reveals the great poet in ways that have only been hinted at previously: as a woman who was deeply philosophical, intensely engaged with the world, attracted to members of both sexes, and able to write poetry that disturbs and delights us today.
Jerome Charyn was born and raised on the mean streets of the Bronx. He graduated cum laude from Columbia College. He has taught at Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, Rice, was Distinguished Visiting Professor at the City University of New York and is currently Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the American University of Paris. Charyn is a Guggenheim Fellow and has twice won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. His stories and articles have appeared in The Atlantic, Paris Review, Esquire, American Scholar, New York Review of Books, New York Times, Ellery Queen and many other publications. Charyn's most recent books are The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, I Am Abraham and Bitter Bronx: Thirteen Stories. His latest book is A Loaded Gun: Emily Dickinson for the 21st Century.
Bitter Bronx is another fine literary achievement from the talented pen of Jerome Charyn. With this collection of thirteen stories, Charyn depicts a Bronx forever changed by Robert Moses and his destruction of the borough he believed he could rescue by dividing it with a highway, destroying entire neighborhoods in his quest.
No stranger to Charyn's work, I eagerly signed up for this tour. His ability to evoke such strong emotions through his characters is second to none and his eloquent prose draws you in from the start.
These characters are flawed in such a way that you wish to close the book and tuck it away; but like the scene of a horrific accident, you can't help but peer into these people's lives as they struggle against poverty, greed, perversions, and organized crime. This is a world of war widows and mobsters, of insanity and depression, of a Bronx forever divided into north and south.
Every word of this collection shouts New York: what I've come to love, what intrigues me as I walk its streets, what makes me shake my head in confusion.
Charyn remains one of the greatest and most influential literary geniuses of our time.
Highly recommended.
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 320
Publisher: Liveright
Release: June 15, 2015
ISBN: 9780871404893
Prices/Formats:
$12.59 ebook, $24.95 hardcover
Jerome Charyn's stories have appeared in The Atlantic, The Paris Review, The American Scholar, Epoch, Narrative, Ellery Queen, and other magazines. His most recent novel is I Am Abraham. He lived for many years in Paris and currently resides in Manhattan.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Tribute Books Blog Tours. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
A fascinating, deeply personal portrait of our Nation's 16th president unfolds in I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and The Civil War by award-winning author Jerome Charyn.
This novel's prologue opens with a meeting between President Lincoln and his oldest son, Robert, after Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and swiftly moves to Lincoln's assassination. The book then travels back to 1831 and the years Lincoln spent in New Salem, taking on a slow, steady pace through the years as Lincoln becomes a lawyer, weds Mary Todd, and is elected President of the United States. More than half the book is dedicated to those years the country was at war.
I Am Abraham is not, however, a typical story about Lincoln. Using Lincoln's own letters and speeches, Charyn portrays a complex man who is besieged on all sides. Whether being hired out by his father, manipulated for political reasons, or trying to manage his child-wife, pressures often bring about the "blue unholies," like he first suffered after the death of Ann Rutledge. This is Lincoln brought to life like never before.
Though some of the language in the earlier chapters caused reservations (see here), in the end, I must admit this is the most riveting, intimate, and compassionate portrayal of Lincoln I've ever had the pleasure to read. The extensive research Charyn must have performed is evident in the rich descriptions and plentiful details that add so much to this story. Lincoln's visit with his son, Tad, to war-shattered Richmond only days before his assassination is so vividly portrayed, I could see it in my mind, almost smell the charred ruins of the city and the death that surrounded them.
Charyn is a masterful storyteller, bringing Lincoln's voice to a deeply personal story of the man who led this country during some of its darkest days. I highly recommend I Am Abraham.
Jerome Charyn is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him "one of the most important writers in American literature." New York Newsday hailed Charyn as "a contemporary American Balzac,"and the Los Angeles Times described him as "absolutely unique among American writers." Since the 1964 release of Charyn's first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture. Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009. In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn's book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong." Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.
Manfred Coen is Hollywood gorgeous and has a penchant for ping-pong. He is Issac's man and everyone knows it. Once Issac falls from grace, Coen's easy rise to the top stalls and the resentment of every rank-and-file detective is focused on the young blue-eyed cop. He is assigned to track down the kidnapped daughter of a porn-film producer, but there are a lot of people eager to see him out of the picture, including a crazed hitman.
This is an e-book reprint of one of Charyn's earlier releases. With a gritty style that defines the genre, the author delves into the lives of Manfred Coen and Isaac Sidel with persistence and precision.
Before the reader unfolds a literary crime novel that captivates and digs deep into the lives of its characters. Charyn spends a great deal of time developing Coen, Sidel, Arnold the Spic, the Chinaman and others. The story evolves slowly, and once the reader is done, she knows every part of it.
The material is a bit dated, which accounts for its lack of political correctness, but it's genuine for the world in which Coen and Sidel exist.
Blue Eyes isn't a normal read for me, but I enjoyed it.
I received a paperback copy of this book from the author's representative in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.
This is the twenty-second book I've read for the following challenge:
It is the fifteenth book I've read for the following challenge:
It is the sixth book I've read for the following challenge:
I think this was the hardest year for choosing my Top 10 Books. In going through my spreadsheet, I kept checking off books I knew should be on it, but then there over double what I was supposed to have. I had to go back through the list again, check out what I had to say about these books, think on it some more, and then compose a new list--a few times. I've decided to include honorable mentions because there are several books that could have made the list.
Falling Home by Karen White
A Christmas Journey Home by Kathi Macias
The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn
Born Under a Lucky Moon by Dana Precious
People of the Book by Kathi Macias
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil by Jerome Charyn
A Higher Court by John Betcher
Elizabeth I by Margaret George
In the St. Nick of Time by K.M. Daughters
Honorable Mentions:
Bears With Us by Marilyn Meredith
Love You More by Lisa Gardner
The Queen's Gamble by Barbara Kyle
My Dearest Friend by Hazel Statham
Murder is a Family Business by Heather Haven
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin
Our congratulations go out to Linda. She won a copy of Johnny One-Eye by Jerome Charyn. I'm going to email her now. She'll have 72 hours to respond with her mailing address. If I don't hear from her by then, I'll select a new winner.
Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway. Look for more giveaways coming soon!
Why not try to win a FREE copy for yourself? The author and Tribute Books are graciously offering one free copy to a reader of this blog that resides in the United States.
The cover art you see here is for the hardcover edition, which is what I reviewed. The black cover goes with the paperback version. I like both, but this lighter cover catches my eye more.
Here's a description of the book from Amazon:
Johnny One-Eye is bringing about the rediscovery of one of the most "singular and remarkable [careers] in American literature" (Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World). In this picaresque tour de force that reanimates Revolutionary Manhattan through the story of double agent John Stocking, the bastard son of a whorehouse madam and possibly George Washington, Jerome Charyn has given us one of the most memorable historical novels in years. As Johnny seeks to unlock the mystery of his birth and grapples with his allegiances, he falls in love with Clara, a gorgeous, green-eyed octoroon, the most coveted harlot of Gertrude's house. The wild parade of characters he encounters includes Benedict Arnold, the Howe brothers, "Sir Billy" and "Black Dick," and a manipulative Alexander Hamilton.
Not since John Barth's The Sotweed Factor and Gore Vidal's Burr has a novel so dramatically re-created America's historical beginnings.
Here are some additional reviews from Charyn's website:
"A rollicking tale."
—New York Times Book Review *Editors' Choice
"A terrific read, an imaginative evocation of Manhattan in chaos written with great energy and seductive cadence."
—Bloomberg News
"Charyn's command of time and place is masterful: the reader can practically smell the gunpowder that suffuses the war-torn city. As a kaleidoscopic view of a tumultuous era, the book deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Here's how you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Johnny One-Eye by Jerome Charyn:
1) You must be a follower or subscriber of The Book Connection to win.
2) For your first entry, leave a comment with a valid email address. You can't win if you don't provide an email address.
3) One additional entry if you friend me on Facebook. Leave a comment with your profile link to show you're friending me.
4) One additional entry if you follow me on Twitter. Leave a comment with your profile link to show you're a follower.
5) Three additional entries if you blog about this contest. Leave a link to your post here.
6) Winner must be 18 years or older and reside in the United States.
Deadline for entries is 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday, July 10, 2011. Winner will be selected out of all entrants who followed the rules governing this contest. The book will be shipped to the winner by the author or his representative. The Book Connection is not responsible for lost or damaged goods.
A novel of Revolutionary intrigue awaits you in Johnny One-Eye by Jerome Charyn.
In his eloquent style, Charyn turns his attention to the American Revolution in Manhattan. British officers feast like kings while the rest of the population scrounges for food. It is a city that has been abandoned to the generals and whores that rule it, and spies lurk everywhere.
Our narrator is John Stocking, a one-eyed double agent found trying to poison General Washington's soup. Caught between both armies, Johnny navigates the dangers of wartime Manhattan while attempting to elude those who would murder him without losing a wink of sleep.
Driven mad by his love for Clara, a stunning harlot in his mother's brothel, Johnny struggles with his allegiances, not always knowing who is friend or foe. He brings the reader along through the eight years of the Revolution in Manhattan, from 1776 until Washington's moving departure in the autumn of 1783.
You may never look at the American Revolution the same again.
Having fallen in love with Charyn's writing in The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson and Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil, when I heard another of his books was available for review, I jumped at the chance to read it. Though the least favorite of mine out of the three, Johnny One-Eye brought the American Revolution to life for me in a new way.
It is a moving, compelling story of intrigue. Spies, thieves, and generals seek the upper hand as young America fights for its independence. Plots are uncovered, murders are committed, and sexual encounters lead to shared secrets. Johnny One-Eye is both realistic and vulgar. Yet, what war isn't those things?
The author states in his note at the back that though he tried to write a story about Benedict Arnold, it was Washington who he grew to like more and more as he read. It surprised me, then, that he created this fictional family for Washington, which included a lover named Gertrude who was the madame of the Holy Ground, a brothel where Washington would play vingt-et-un, and Gertrude's illegitimate son, Johnny One-Eye.
Charyn blends fact and fiction in such a way that all of what is written is believable--something I admired in The Secret Lives of Emily Dickinson. What I feel the author does best in this novel is depict how the Revolution destroyed Manhattan and the impact the war had on its citizens. Though I didn't find many characters to love or enjoy in this book, I discovered I could better appreciate and understand the founding of our county, the sacrifices that were made, and the high costs that brought forth an infant nation. I will definitely seek out more of Charyn's work in the future.
Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”
New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.” Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.
Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.
In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong."
Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.
Title: Johnny One-Eye
Author: Jerome Charyn
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Hardcover
Price: $24.95
ISBN: 9780393064971
Pages: 448
Release: February 2008
I received a copy of this book from the author and Tribute Books in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.
Just as he did with his book on Emily Dickinson, Jerome Charyn draws the reader in with an engaging story of another American great in Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil.
If this were merely a book about baseball, I might not have read it. I enjoy baseball, but the times in which DiMaggio became a legend were before me. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and DiMaggio were all just names I heard from time to time as I sat watching the New York Yankees and my Red Sox during the 70's and 80's. They weren't real to me like Jim Rice, whose autographed picture hung in my room. I didn't have the memories of those greats clear in my mind, like I still recall the games where pitchers opted to walk Reggie Jackson than risk his bat connecting with the ball.
In Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil, Charyn provides the reader with a candid, yet sympathetic, view of one of baseball's greats. It is the focus on the man on the field and outside of the ballpark that made this such a spectacular read for me.
In his touching Preface, Charyn remembers growing up in the Bronx, scraping by, but always finding a way to make enough to get through the turnstiles at Yankee Stadium; a need that increased as DiMaggio shot to fame.
DiMaggio is portrayed as a complex, intense man, unable to feel comfortable in his own skin unless he was in center field. Off the field he was shy and barely spoke. His list of famous friends seems endless, yet we are left wondering how well they really knew him. Perhaps the only one who truly knew the real Joe was Marilyn Monroe. Their short-lived marriage captivated the world then, and as Charyn's book exemplifies, their tumultuous, tragic love story still nags at us. Could he have saved her? Could she have saved him?
Joe DiMaggio lived in a world of baseball that no longer exists, as Charyn so poignantly indicates. As the official Joe DiMaggio website says at the end of his life story, "He is the symbol of another era, of another breed of athlete and star."
I highly recommend Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil by Jerome Charyn. Whether you love baseball legends or are looking for a well-written book that moves along at a perfect pace, you'll find it in the pages of Charyn's latest release.
Title: Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil
Author: Jerome Charyn
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN-10: 9780300123289
ISBN-13: 978-0300123289
SRP: $24.00 (hardcover)
Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”
New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”
Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.
Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.
In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong."
With The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson: A Novel, award-winning author Jerome Charyn dares to dig deeper into the life of a woman who has captivated readers for generations.
Inspired by Dickinson's letters and poetry, this novel blends fact and fiction in a seamless way that allows the reader to believe every word Charyn has written is how it occurred.
The book opens in 1848, with a young Emily Dickinson as a seminarian at Mount Holyoke, where she falls in love with a fictional handyman known as Tom. Her fixation with Tom would follow her through much of her her life, despite the attention paid to her by other men.
Dickinson serves as the narrator of this tale, and Charyn emulated her voice to tell the story. The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson is not a book you will race through. While daring and bold, it's best to be treated like a cold glass of water after a strenuous activity--sipped, rather than gulped.
Some may be opposed to the liberties Charyn took in portraying the "Queen Recluse," but I found he painted a fascinating picture of one of my favorite poets. Admittedly, the book held additional charm to me because I live not far from where Dickinson grew up in Amherst and I attend a writers conference at Mount Holyoke every year. To see names, places, and publications I am so familiar with, made me feel at home when reading the book.It also inspired me to delve further into Dickinson's real life.
The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson portrays a passionate, witty woman who lived life fully, despite the confines of the society and times within which she was born and lived.
Title: The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson: A Novel
Author: Jerome Charyn
Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company
Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”
New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”
Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.
Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.
In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong."
Charyn lives in Paris and New York City. Visit him online at:
I received a copy of this book through Nicole at Tribute Books and the author. This review contains my honest opinion, for which I received no monetary compensation.
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edition and at 
, award-winning author Jerome Charyn dares to dig deeper into the life of a woman who has captivated readers for generations.
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