I Know This Much Is True (P.S.)
by Wally Lamb
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Book Summary Information
Author: Wally LambEdition: Kindle Edition
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Kindle eBook
Published: 2009-03-17
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 912
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Book Reviews of I Know This Much Is True (P.S.)
Book Review: A bomb in an Easter basket
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a stunning book. Written from the point of view of the "good twin," Wally Lamb takes us on a dizzying ride through his brother's mental illness and eventual collapse. The sane twin's story of his handling, and not handling of his brother's illness shows the reader his own frailty, and shows what happens when there are no good options. The unfairness and solitariness of mental illness is brilliantly illustrated, as are its effects upon family and community. The protagonist handles several difficult situations as well as most people would, but the outlook and the outcome are both grim.
Mental illness is a Gordian knot for any family, and this family is no different. Each member takes his/her own strategy to deal with it, but there is no "answer." There is nothing that will make it better. To study this family and the protagonist is to take a look at any family in crisis, with all its interdependencies and faults. There are no winners and no victory to be had. In the end one thinks perhaps the schizophrenic brother made the only right choice for the family. But it leaves a bitter taste for the reader, because that's how mental illness is.
This is an honest, eyelids-peeled-back look at mental illness with all its miseries and co-miseries. But it is not as sad as one might think. There are humorous edges to mental illness and the way humans deal with it. Sometimes we laugh because it's chilling not to. Sometimes we laugh because the conversational tone puts the illness in a hilarious context, like a pipe bomb in an Easter basket.
And that's what this book is, a pipe bomb in an Easter basket. And it's worth carrying around for a while because this book will show you much about life before it explodes.
Summary of I Know This Much Is True (P.S.)
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal?this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world.
Tony award-winning Ken Howard (1776, Child's Play) reads I Know This Much Is True with the conviction of a used car salesman and the charm of a seasoned politico. Reminiscent of a former football coach recalling his glory days, Howard's booming, rich voice is a beefy compliment to Lamb's powerful prose. Never to be mistaken as a ventriloquist, Howard makes little distinction when moving in and out of character--his voice barely cracks an octave for dainty female personalities. However, this understatement (so to speak) lends to smooth transitions and believable, down-to-earth narration. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Rebekah Warren
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