A heavy-handed but compelling look at the emotional complications in a mother-son relationship.
A therapist grapples with his Oedipal complex.
Unlike the Gospel according to John, which centers on the most transformative figure in the famous apostle’s life, Keen’s evocatively titled debut novel tracks John, a therapist specializing in behavioral issues who tries to better comprehend the impact of the most troubling figure in his life: his mother. When, at 28, he finds himself unhappily divorced, brooding and uncharacteristically engaging in bar fights, John finally takes a friend’s advice and begins examining his behavior by keeping a journal–which he initially views as an “in-your-face, black-and-white confirmation of [his] shortcomings.” The novel chronicles a four-month period in early 2006 during which John faces the harsh reality that witnessing his mother’s sexual dalliances with a number of men as a child has hindered his ability to achieve true intimacy with others as an adult. It’s also spawned an undercurrent of rage against the mother he has never confronted nor forgiven, an alluring woman eloquently described as having a throat like “an elongated stem holding the beautiful fruit that was her head,” a “hard, ebony upper body” and “incredibly sensuous, elegant hands that had seen and done a lot.” Therapist John repeatedly wonders why the proverbial “physician, heal thyself” command isn’t working for him, lamenting, “If I know it, why can’t I use it?” And at another, “How do I let go of everything that is hanging up my life, when all I know how to do is hang on for dear life?” Keeping the reader engaged while the protagonist remains so static proves challenging for the author, who occasionally resorts to a litany of curative maxims to mark John’s gradual enlightenment and drive home essential Freudian themes. Still, the premise and execution is intriguing.
A heavy-handed but compelling look at the emotional complications in a mother-son relationship.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-5955-1541-7
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Genetically engineered dinosaurs run amok in Crichton's new, vastly entertaining science thriller. From the introduction alone—a classically Crichton-clear discussion of the implications of biotechnological research—it's evident that the Harvard M.D. has bounced back from the science-fantasy silliness of Sphere (1987) for another taut reworking of the Frankenstein theme, as in The Andromeda Strain and The Terminal Man. Here, Dr. Frankenstein is aging billionaire John Hammond, whose monster is a manmade ecosystem based on a Costa Rican island. Designed as the world's ultimate theme park, the ecosystem boasts climate and flora of the Jurassic Age and—most spectacularly—15 varieties of dinosaurs, created by elaborate genetic engineering that Crichton explains in fascinating detail, rich with dino-lore and complete with graphics. Into the park, for a safety check before its opening, comes the novel's band of characters—who, though well drawn, double as symbolic types in this unsubtle morality play. Among them are hero Alan Grant, noble paleontologist; Hammond, venal and obsessed; amoral dino-designer Henry Wu; Hammond's two innocent grandchildren; and mathematician Ian Malcolm, who in long diatribes serves as Crichton's mouthpiece to lament the folly of science. Upon arrival, the visitors tour the park; meanwhile, an industrial spy steals some dino embryos by shutting down the island's power—and its security grid, allowing the beasts to run loose. The bulk of the remaining narrative consists of dinos—ferocious T. Rex's, voracious velociraptors, venom-spitting dilophosaurs—stalking, ripping, and eating the cast in fast, furious, and suspenseful set-pieces as the ecosystem spins apart. And can Grant prevent the dinos from escaping to the mainland to create unchecked havoc? Though intrusive, the moralizing rarely slows this tornado-paced tale, a slick package of info-thrills that's Crichton's most clever since Congo (1980)—and easily the most exciting dinosaur novel ever written. A sure-fire best-seller.
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 1990
ISBN: 0394588169
Page Count: 424
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1990
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
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