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Title: Rule of the Bone : Novel, A by Russell Banks ISBN: 0-06-092724-0 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 08 May, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (163 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Who are you, Bone?
Comment: The story begins with Chappie (later known as Bone) speaking directly to the reader saying that his story is true. One of my biggest difficulties with this novel was that, at times, it was hard for me to believe him. First of all, let me say that I like Rule of the Bone a lot. Banks has captured the voice of a 14 year-old homeless, pot-smoking, rule-breaking, lost, but genuinely good kid. At times this voice can be annoying, a bit hard to follow or redundant, but most 14 year-olds tend to be from time to time.
Chappie has a crappy life. He's all alone, and when he's not, for the most part, he'd probably be better off by himself because the kid tends to fall in with the wrong crowd- he's got a nasty, abusive drunk for a stepdad, a missing real dad, a bestfriend who's a dropout and thief; he lives with a gang of bikers, meets a child molester, hangs with two crackheads, and then finally finds a pseudo-family with an old rastafarian and a zombee-like orphan girl. It's a book of journies, but of course the real journey is internal...Chappie repeatedly ditching the identity that is forced on him by the neglect and/or actions of others and somehow forging his own. Bone tries to figure out who he is and why the hell he's on this planet, and by the end has a much clearer idea than at the beginning.
The problem I have is that this book, while at times shockingly real and beautifully written, just has too many coincidences. Bone tries to take new paths, but keeps on running into the same old faces. Things just work out too neatly for him sometimes...and "neatly" isn't necessarially "cleanly" because there is a lot of dirty stuff in this kid's life. I personally think the ending's a bit cheesy, too. But, this is a book that has made a lot of teenage boys I know who think "reading is stupid" actually sit down and read to the last page. They all tend to love it a lot, because for the most part, Bone's struggle and his story, feel authentic. So, in the desperate cry of Bone himself, "Bone Rules!!!" (most of the time).
Rating: 5
Summary: A must-read book by all teenagers!
Comment: The wonderful Novel Rule of the Bone by author Russell Banks, a coming of age book that is written in the perspective of a life like young teenager named Chappie trying to find his place in life. His character shows the desperation of seeking to find a parental figure which loves him. The upbringing of Chappie is not a nice one, which his stepfather sexually abuses without Chappie's mothers' knowledge. Chappie grows up trying to find his identify, by experimenting with drugs, and surrounding himself with the wrong people. Through his trials and tribulations he succeeds in finding his inner self. He first changes his identity from Chappie to 'hardcore' Bone to change his reputation.
Rule of the Bone will either have the reader walk away loving the book, or either disgusted and disliking it. It shows a clear perspective of the character, the occurring events show comprehensible mental images." I didn't think of it until we actually got there but me and Rose must've looked a little weird that morning at the Tailways station, Rose in her little Orphan Annie dress and Expos cap and me in one of I- man's trademark come back to Jamaica tee shirts and the baggy cutoffs I'd made from Mr. Ridgeways lime green plants with the red anchors on them and both of us walking on I- mans fantastic homemade tire sandals." Another positive aspect of the book is its language will mostly like appeal to the average teenager. On the other hand the foul language could have the reversing effect. Throughout the book the explicit language and sometimes disturbing events may turn some readers off.
I personally loved this book, being able to relate in the conflict of trying to find out who you are is an issue each and every person in life; has once faced. Rule of the Bone is such a realistic book; it shows the negative side of life not many people like to discuss. Its honesty gives the reader a connection with the character. The many adventures he has makes this book a cliff hanger, which you simply cant put down. The setting are all over the place, from a broken down bus which they call home; to the appealing environment of a beach in Jamaica .This book appeals to most teenagers, those who can enjoy a dark to light novel with a sense of a different type of humor and non-fictional theme.
"I learned about myself and life from coming to love them out there at the school bus in Plattsburgh and being with I-man afterwards at the ant farm an dup on the groundation in Accompong. They were the only people I'd chosen on my own to love, and they were gone. But still, that morning in Mobay when I say Russ or the last time, I saw clearly for the first time that loving Sister Rose and I-man and even Bruce had left me with riches that I could draw on for the rest of my life, and I was totally grateful to them." (Pg. 384, 3rd paragraph ).
Rating: 5
Summary: The Rule
Comment: Rule of the Bone by Russel Banks is an instant classic. Banks weaves a beautiful tale of redemption and the sins committed against a lost boy named Bone in an unforgiving world. Bone's criminal attitude towards all property and ethics does not hinder the attachment you gain with him. You can not believe what hell Bone goes through as you turn the pages. Throughout the entire book Bone is rejected from the people who we take for granted loving. His Mom, Dad, Step Dad and entire family look at him as an exile. This book is a eye opener. So many people today need to read about the injustice inherent in modern society. The book is the story of a Punk, Bone, who starts his journey around the Adirondack mountains. Bone chooses to live with a friend rather than live with his alcoholic mother and perverted father. He leaves the pain of his home to live with his friend Russ. Russ lives with Adirondack Iron, a biker gang and when the house burns down Bruce, Bone's only friend runs into the house to save Bone not knowing Bone has already escaped and burns up with the house. Throughout the entire book I don't think there are any commas used except for lists or quotation marks and the story is a first person book. Bank's ear is perfectly tuned into the modern anti-culture and Bank's Bone is the quintessential member of this insurrection. Bone's character arcs throughout the entire book and while his principles (or rather lack of them) don't change he changes his lifestyle from a homeless dropout to a Rastafarian when he meets another homeless man from Jamaica and helps him get back home. They save a little girl who was raped for porn films and Bone and the Jamaican, I-man, grow to love her. Eventually they scrounge enough money to send her to her mom. They find out later that she was killed because of neglect from her mom. Bone meets his long lost Dad and while at first likes him until he realizes what a horrible person he is and then his Dad kills the last person Bone ever cared for. Rule of the Bone is the story of the worst of the worst reclaiming his soul and harmony. You really feel for Bone and wish you could help him badly but you have to trust in his judgment that will eventually find the peace that so many people get for free. You can only hope that his vision, however fogged, will finally see the light. In conclusion I say "Bravo Mr. Banks!" because he wove a romance of the underdog which is definitely more inspiring and thought provoking than any coming-of-age book I have ever read.
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Title: Trailerpark by Russell Banks ISBN: 006097706X Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 19 June, 1996 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Continental Drift by Russell Banks ISBN: 0060956739 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Sweet Hereafter Movie Tie-In : A Novel by Russell Banks ISBN: 0060923245 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 05 August, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Cloudsplitter : A Novel by Russell Banks ISBN: 0060930861 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 February, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Book of Jamaica by Russell Banks ISBN: 0060977078 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 08 May, 1996 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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