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4.0 out of 5 stars
Death Be Not Proud, May 23 2004
John Gunther's only son, Johnny Gunther, died in 1947. Death Be Not Proud is the remarkable and compelling memoir of the death of his son, Johnny Gunther, who suddenly developed a brain tumor at the young age of seventeen. The tumor emerged, seemed to be almost gone, and then suddenly came back and killed him fifteen months later. By the book's title and the first few pages, the reader knows that Johnny will not survive. This makes the story even more tragic as the reader turns every page knowing that even if things are getting better, they are about to go wrong again.
Johnny's brain was possibly the most important thing in his body, as he was a very intelligent person. The subject Johnny loved the most was science; if he had survived he probably would have been able to develop a cure for his very own tumor. He was deciding between two occupations at the time of his sickness: a physicist or a chemist. During the fifteen months of Johnny's illness, he was optimistic about living - the disease hurt his brain, but never his spirit. He went through much pain, but he never complained and kept up with his schoolwork while he was in the hospital or, sometimes, at home. Although he missed his entire senior year at Deerfield because of the tumor, he was allowed to graduate with the rest of his class. As his father wrote, "He died absolutely without fear, and without pain, and without knowing that he was going to die." Unlike most people with a deadly disease, Johnny lived his short life victoriously. Johnny "...did not die like a vegetable. He died like a man, with perfect dignity."
John Gunther writes about his son's struggle with death in a vivid and intriguing way. As the book was written in the late 1940's, the writing is also a little stilted - although it is still very interesting. Part of Gunther's writing style is to use exclamation points at the end of many sentences for emphasis. For example, when he wrote about the early days of Johnny's illness, he used many exclamation points: "That first spinal tap!-the first of many, and spinal taps can be frightening as well as painful. All the other tests!...And the doctors! So many doctors!"
I admire John Gunther for writing this book about his son's death, probably with tears in his eyes during the entire process of writing it. Johnny's parents divorced when he was young, but Gunther still talks about his ex-wife fondly throughout the book. There is also a section written by Johnny's mother at the end of the memoir allowing the reader to view Johnny's struggle against death from both his father and mother's perspective. John Gunther concludes the story by writing in his vivid, lucid style: "I felt his arms, cupping my hands around them, and warmth gradually left them, receding very slowly upward from his hands. For a long time some warmth remained. Then little by little the life-color left his face, his lips became blue, and his hands were cold. What is life? It departs covertly. Like a thief Death took him." The memory of Johnny remains with the reader past the moment of his death. I would recommend this book to all parents who have seen their children suffer, or those who simply enjoy a well-written (although heartbreaking) book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Every teen wishes to have the strength that Johnny does, Dec 10 2003
By A Customer
I also attended a private school near deerfield (the school Johnny went to). John Sr. tells an amazing story of his son's strength through a terrible brain tumor during the 1940's. John explains the positive attitute that young Johnny poses even after he finds out he is sick. Johnny keeps up his spirits and instead of worrying about dying, his main concern is getting back to deerfield academy as soon as possible so he can see his friends and graduate. Its always great to read about the Gunthers ride up through western massachusetts and to talk about the famous Mr. Boyden- who was the beloved head master of the school at that time and a legend to the old deerfield community.
This book makes any teenager want to cherish life to the fullest as Johnny did and also makes adults who read this show much sympathy to the parents because losing an amazing son like John is devistating.
This book is easy to read and definitely makes you want you thankful for the small things in life- as Johnny did!
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3.0 out of 5 stars
A bit tedious, Dec 8 2003
Death Be Not Proud is a memoir written by John Gunther about the death of his seventeen-year old son. Johnny Gunther was a bright and spirited boy interested in everything from chemistry to religion. It was a shock when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor at sixteen, but Johnny dealt with it with grace and hope. He continued to take a lively interest in science and the arts, even keeping up with his schoolwork. After more than a year of harrowing treatments, Johnny died on June 30, 1947, shortly after graduating with his class. Throughout this book, the author continuously explores the themes of hope and death. Unfortunately, these insights are clogged by many needless details, ranging from Johnny¡¯s dinner that day to his latest scientific experiment. These seem to imply that the author did not really know his son very well. The book reads rather slowly and tediously. In addition, the journal entries and letters at the back seemed to serve no purpose besides filling up space. However, Death Be Not Proud would be an excellent book for someone suffering the death of a beloved one. The author, instead of focusing on his own grief, wrote fondly on his many memories. Instead of dwelling on the unpleasant aspects of Johnny¡¯s illness, John Gunther spoke poignantly on the almost normal times in-between. Death Be Not Proud would help many channel their grief into remembrance of the richness of life.
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