johnny got his gun

johhny got his gun is written by Dalton Trumbo during the post WW-I era. it ent on to become one of the strongest weapons in the hands of anti-war activists in America at the time of the Vietnam war and WW-II. it was also banned in the Us for some time as it had the effect of kicking the US government right where it hurts.

it revolves around one principal charcter named Joe. In the book, our hero, Joe, ends up in a hospital critically injured. how he was injured is revealed as the story progresses.

anyway, Joey's lost both his arms, both his legs and most of his face. the only reason he's alive is b'coz whatever hit him somehow missed his brain and his heart. so there he is, lying in a hospital bed, unable to move, unable to see, unable to talk and unable to hear., b'coz he's lost his eyes, ears and even his nose. he breathes and is fed through tubes stuck in his lungs and stomach.

as is evident, he has nothing to do except lie around all day and think. and his thoughts are what make up the content of the novel. the whole novel is literally a trip down Joe's memory lane, a peek into his thoughts.

his thoughts are all anti-war. there's one particular chapter, chapter no. 10. when the anti-war sentiment first begins to manifest itself. that, in my opinion, is the best piece of literature i have ever read so far. i seriously recommend every reading buff to read it.

well, i could write a goddamn thesis on this, but i don't want to be that merciless.

well, today was okay. no too dull, not too exciting. will let ya'll know the minute something happens.

till next time,

Bearded Evil.

Way Past Cool

ok, ppl, here's the review as promised. this one's called Way Past Cool. it's written by Jess Mowry, and it's the writer's debut novel.

it's set in Oakland,Mississippi. it revolves around two street gangs that have their own turfs in Oakland, or Oaktown, as they call it. these gangs consist of kids as young as 12 and 13 years. one of 'em is called the Friends, while the other one's the Crew. the Friends are led by fifteen year old Gordon.

well, as can be guessed, there's constant rivalry between the two gangs. both of them are always spouting curses against each other, and looking for an excuse to start a fight.

Along comes Deek, a drug dealer who makes big bucks supplying drugs to addicts in the neighbourhood. he's rich, and it shows. he has a car, which in itself is a privilege in those parts, and his fingers and torso are covered with gold ornaments. he never drives around without Ty, his bodyguard.

now, he wants to turn the two gangs wiped out, so that he can rule the neighbourhood. so he sets about turning the Friends and the Crew against each other.

how the gangs save their respective backsides forms the rest of the novel.

the narrative is gripping, the language great. it's an explosive novel and a must read. it successfully portrays the conditions in those parts in those times. the reality hits you, and hits you hard. and above all, it follows the principle i love the most: Screw Happy Endings.

Bottomline: Way Past Cool is way past cool!!

well, about me. today's day was dull dull dull. i hate holidays. i really do. sitting around at home with nothing to do gets to me. at least this review gave me something to write about.

well, i better go off now. gotta wake up early tomorrow.

watch this psace tomorrow for another book review. and keep the comments coming in.

till next time,

Bearded Evil.