5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary
Reviewed in the United States on 23 January 2022
Verified Purchase
This is an extraordinarily well-written story. The synopsis does not begin to describe the deeply raw depiction of the protagonist’s experience of his reality. Violent at times but evoking pathos simultaneously. Bloody brilliant.
Tecumseh
Ireland
- Review 1
- Votes 0
- Reader Type: Literary Reader
☆☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆☆ 4 out of 5 stars.
· 2 months ago
Rollercoaster Of A Ride.
I really enjoyed reading all things must pass. I like novels with a little bit of a challenge, and the challenge presented with this novel is its style. Call it interior monologue or free direct speech, but the lack of punctuation wasn't a stumbling block for me. I dived straight in and just went with the flow of the story. And it's a funny and entertaining story, but it also contains pathos and not a little heartache. The central character, Martin Wilson, is obsessed with knives and Bruce Lee and samurai movies. But he's also yearning to come to terms with the world. So I guess you could say, the story is one of growth and development: as Martin struggles towards an understanding of himself and his place in the world, so we see his anger dissipate and be replaced by a mature commitment to life. I can recommend this novel to those who enjoy language at its most expressive.
- Review Contains Spoilers:
- No
- # Tags:
- Action Packed,
- Emotional,
- Coming of Age,
- Couldn't Put It Down
- ✔ Yes,
- I recommend this product.
all things must pass -a tale of redemption.
I've just finished reading All things must pass by Stephen Don. I'm not sure, but this could be the same person who acted in Game of Thrones way back in 2010. Anyway, it's a strange book in a good way. I mean, it might put some people off because it is written entirely in lower case and without any punctuation. Believe me, I looked at the text and hummed and hawed for a bit. Then I just took the plunge and the book caught fire for me. I went with the flow and got caught up in a funny and sad tale of a troubled young man who fantasises about Bruce Lee films and samurai swords and rhinoceroses. Yes, that's right: rhinoceroses! So there's an element of Kafka's Metamorphosis about All things must pass. But Mr. Don's world is recognisably the world we live in, the contemporary world that day by day looks a little more insane and dysfunctional to most of us. That part of the story takes place in an asylum is no accident. As a metaphor for the ridiculous and the absurd it is nothing but apt. This is a portrait of a young man struggling to find himself in a world indifferent to his plight. It is not a depressing or bitter story. At the end, I found myself uplifted and inspired by the protagonist's redemption.
