Boy's Life

Terrific COMING OF AGE story, told in first person throughout. Very thought-provoking and extremely developed characters through the entire novel. Very Recommended Reading !!!!

REVIEWED: Boy's LifeEDITED BY: Robert R. McCammonPUBLISHED: May, 1992I don't know how this book has escaped me for so long, as it was written back in 1991. This is the kind of story I wish I would have read as a teenager. Although, of course, it may not have meant as much to me then as it does now, as a father, watching my son begin his own adventures, and remembering that sense of magic and excitement that I've somehow lost over the years. People frequently throw the phrase around that they've read something that's "one of the best things ever," but I can truly affirm that "Boy's Life" by Robert McCammon is one of the best books I've ever read.The publisher's description doesn't do the book justice. It says that a young boy and his father witness a murdered man being driven into a lake, and their lives are shaken by the realization the idyllic town they live in must contain an evil person. The boy goes on to investigate the mystery and has magical adventures with his friends.I read that and thought it sounded pretty "ho-hum," perhaps like a glorified Hardy Boys tale. Though the murder mystery is a part of the book, it's really just one small thread woven through an immense tapestry of gorgeous narrative. The book description doesn't exhort the prospective reader with the amazing beauty contained within and the author's ability for spit-shined storytelling... of course it can't, as every book description makes such claims. The difference with this novel, is that it delivers."Boy's Life" takes place in 1964 and follows the coming-of-age years of Cory Mackenson, a 12-year old in the small town of Zephyr, Alabama, who lives life as all of us once did. He plays with his friends, struggles in school, and does what his parents tell him to do. He's at odds with the neighborhood bullies, loves his dog, and is filled to brimming with hopes and dreams and fears. He knows the world by what is taught him in a town peopled with all types of personalities; from small-minded bigots to superstitious elders to neighbors who harbor dark and strange secrets. But he's also at the age where he's beginning to make his own decisions about the things around him.Through it all, Cory, like all boys, can see the magic of the world that adults cannot. There are ghosts in town, some of whom mourn their untimely passing, while others just want to play with the living. Wishes can come true if wished hard enough. Dinosaurs still live, a boy's bicycle isn't just an inanimate thing, and monsters appear from the shadows if you're not careful. Death and life pass by hand-in-hand, and Cory navigates it all amongst gun-toting moonshiners, natural disasters, and an ancient woman who helps interpret the dreams he and his father have late at night.This book is simply a priceless gem of sparkling prose. Each of Cory's multiple adventures brought me back to the years when I experienced these things first-hand. The author has an incredible command, not only of the language of writing, but also of the heart strings of emotion. Suffice it to say, tears fell from my eyes more than once.For example, here's an excerpt: "I glance at her and my eyes are blessed. She wears sunlight in her blond hair like a spill of golden flowers... we smile at each other. Her hand finds mine. They were meant to be clasped together, just like this."Anyway, to sum it up, I absolutely loved this book. It won the World Fantasy Award when it came out, so other people loved it, too. Of course, there's no book written that's going to please everyone, so before picking up a copy, ask yourself this: Did you like "Stand By Me" by Stephen King? If the answer is yes, consider "Boy's Life" as a wilder adventure, longer in page count (over 800) and filled with a bit more imagination and a lot more depth.SIX out of Five stars (yes, that is the equivalent of 120% - it deserves it)

This is one of those books that has been sitting on my "to read" shelf for literally years. I've heard nothing but good things about "Boy's Life" by Robert R. McCammon. It is the story of a young boy growing up in a small Alabama town in the early 1960s. Of course, there are the requisite problems with bullies, school, and the like, but there is also a touch of murder, some fantasy sequences, and the racial tension one would almost expect of a tale in this setting.McCammon has one of the most lyrical and yet direct uses of language of any author I have read recently. His prose is sophisticated, yet never flowery. Every character is well-drawn and intriguing, to the point where you really want to know more about them. The story itself though, while a great read, did not live up to the very high expectations I had for it. There were so many interesting characters and ideas along the way that I was often left wanting to hear more. McCammon could easily have made four or five novels from the pieces of this one.There is a passage within "Boy's Life" where the protagonist, Cory, meets with a man who published a single book. The man tells the boy of how the book as he envisioned it and how it looked after the publisher was done making suggestions for change (so it would be "marketable")were two entirely different things. The man expressed no small amount of regret about this. I can't help but wonder if this was the case in McCammon's publishing of this book. It seems like "Boy's Life" was originally a collection of loosely connected semi-autobiographical tales of growing up in the rural south, with subplots about an unsolved murder, some local monsters, and a few others elements thrown in to tie them all together and make the book more attractive to the publisher.Or maybe that's just my imagination. Who knows?"Boy's Life" by Robert McCammon is a very good novel, make no mistake about it. I teetered back and fourth between four stars and five for some time in writing this review. I only settled on four in the end because the book was not as over-the-top outstanding as I was lead to believe by some fellow readers with whom I have discussed it, though I don't think many novels could reach that high pedestal. My four stars do not detract from the fact that it is still terrific. If it's been on your "to-read" list, or you are just considering putting it there now, I strongly recommending you give it a try. I am looking forward to exploring other titles from Robert McCammon very soon.

Wow. This was such a nostalgic, magical read. Boy's Life takes us back to a more innocent time and reminds us that things weren't so innocent even then. It takes us back to childhood magic and myth, with some of that myth surviving into adulthood. It shows us that the world can still be full of wonder--even when it's full of horror--after we've grown up. Think Peter Pan, except it's a horror novel set in the deep south with river monsters and rogue dinosaurs and a murder mystery to solve. Well worth the read. Easy to see why Robert McCammon is a master in the genre.

4 étoiles seulement car je n'apprécie pas vraiment la magie ni le fantastique. Donc, certains passages ou chapitres ont été lus en diagonale ou en verticale.Sinon, quel magnifique recueil d'aventures de jeunesse. On sourit, on rit, on pleure parfois. Et on ne lâche pas ce passionnant et émouvant bouquin ni aucun de ses nombreux personnages, les bons ou les mauvais (comme disent les enfants), les lâches ou les courageux.

Written simply and honestly this study takes you back to your own sweet memories and let’s you relive moments! Overall a nice and enjoyable read.

What a gorgeous book. I was teleported to 1960’s America, transformed into a young boy. I couldn’t wait to finish, and I’m sad it’s over

This is a book rich in imagery, innocence, good and evil. It is a book that is far above the standard set by Stephen King and his stories of small town America. This story is set in Zephyr Alabama and follows the coming of age of a young and exuberant Cory Mackenson. From the opening chapter our attention is grabbed as Cory and his father our delivering milk one morning ,they avoid a collision with an auto mobile travelling towards them as it crashes into the nearby lake. Corey's father dives into the lake deep down, and tries to rescue the driver, who is naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel, but he is unsuccessful in his rescue attempt. This image of the trapped man haunts Cory's dad throughout the book and fills his every day with feelings of inadequacy and suicide. This however is only one of many images and stories that entertain and enthral the reader. We feel Cory's love of life and freedom, when school recesses for the summer and Cory and his friends sprout wings and fly, a lovely magical scene depicting the sense of freedom that only the coming of school holidays can bring. We learn of Cory's sadness when his old and trusty bicycle collapses, when he returns with his father to collect and perhaps repair the bike is no longer there but has disappeared collected by Mr Scully the local scrap metal merchant, the description at the scrap yard where Cory's bike is now "dead" is funny and touching. Corey is presented with a brand new bicycle by "The Lady" and he names it "rocket", Cory and rocket have many great adventures together. The residents of Zephyr are both eccentric and fun, at the local barber shop we meet one elderly gentleman who supposedly saved the life of Wyatt Earp, and proceeds to tell a colourful story. At a later stage in the book there is a scene reminiscent of High Noon when there is a shoot out at the bus station with the local bad guys and our elderly gentleman again saves the day, a lovely fun and touching scene. The music of the beach boys enrages the town's clergyman and he preaches hell and damnation to the locals with very funny overtones. Equally there are some very touching chapters when Cory's best friend accidentally falls on a rifle,the rifle discharges and he dies, or Cory reading a copy of "Life" in his room and looking at pictures of the assassination of Kennedy, the war in Vietnam, awakening him to the realities and cruelties of the human spirit. In the final chapters we travel forward in time and meet Cory as a grown man returning to his place of birth only to find as we all do that his childhood memories, and places he knew no longer exist...lost in timeThis is a truly entertaining, exciting and enjoyable book rich in heart-warming dialogue, imagery, sadness and hope. It makes the reader laugh and cry, it makes the reader warm to a story of outstanding beauty and a dialogue that is rich in it's delivery. This is a story that has certainly touched me, and will live in my mind and memory for a very long time. I highly recommend and hope this review will encourage many to join Cory on a trip down memory lane and meet the residents of Zephyr Alabama.