- Paperback: 335 pages
- Publisher: Cormorant Books (Jun 21 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1896951732
- ISBN-13: 978-1896951737
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,000,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Booklist
Theft runs on parallel tracks as 30-year-old unsuccessful writer Cameron "steals" the stories of people he encounters at his job in the "Sally Ann" (i.e., Salvation Army) Treatment Center. He "takes" the identity of cokehead Darrel, a patient at the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center, when the addict commits suicide. He also takes to visiting Darrel's retarded older sister, June Greene, who has mosaic Down syndrome with complications of Becker's muscular dystrophy and has been taken care of for more than 16 years by the Sisters Who Gave Good Hope. "Darrel" develops a relationship with June and strikes a deal with the administrator, who lets him examine June's medical records, which he mines for story material. Cameron's resulting "Three River Stories" and incidental e-mails are set in a different font from that of the main narrative, which enhances this ironic, acerbic, and poignant novel's sense of shifting planes of reality. In short, terse sentences and equally compact chapters, Greer tells a compelling tale of identity theft. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Review
A rich read. -- NOW Magazine - A Top Ten Pick of 2003
Greer has masterfully created a character that is just sympathetic enough for the reader to care about him. Still Life with June is modern and urban without being too edgy for the masses. This book is highly recommended. -- The Edmonton Journal
Greer's observations of addiction and corporate domination ... are indeed sharp, his narrative voice infectious. -- The Globe and Mail
Greer's pithy prose keeps things moving quickly, and culminates in a realization and event that can be seen coming, much like a train's lamp through a darkened tunnel. But when that realization hits, it smacks with the force of that train, one that's packing a lifetime of emotional freight ... the cruel baggage of events and tragedies long sublimated and hard reckonings not faced, until now. It's all about identity, and facing yourself down. -- The Hamilton Spectator
Greer has masterfully created a character that is just sympathetic enough for the reader to care about him. Still Life with June is modern and urban without being too edgy for the masses. This book is highly recommended. -- The Edmonton Journal
Greer's observations of addiction and corporate domination ... are indeed sharp, his narrative voice infectious. -- The Globe and Mail
Greer's pithy prose keeps things moving quickly, and culminates in a realization and event that can be seen coming, much like a train's lamp through a darkened tunnel. But when that realization hits, it smacks with the force of that train, one that's packing a lifetime of emotional freight ... the cruel baggage of events and tragedies long sublimated and hard reckonings not faced, until now. It's all about identity, and facing yourself down. -- The Hamilton Spectator
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisite and haunting,
By Erin Klee (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Still Life with June (Paperback)
Still Life with June is a rare and haunting novel that deserves to be read at least twice.Stylistically, Still Life is brilliant, juxtaposing textual fragments written in distinctly different voices. Greer achieves ambiguity through calculated precision as his plot and characterization shift between realities. The text is often confessional, with the protagonist sharing everything from seemingly-insignificant details to the most intimate revelations. The result is a protagonist so realistic that I sometimes forgot he was fictional, feeling implicated by my own voyeuristic presence. Grafting beauty onto pain, Greer creates a world as enticing as it is disturbing. Intelligent, hilarious and profound, Still Life is a novel to savor.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended!,
By Michael Leland (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Still Life with June (Paperback)
I received this book as a gift. Based on the description on the back, I wasn't sure what to expect. The book was easy to get into, and grew on me the more I read it. I really enjoyed it, and the characters stayed with me after I finished the book. I highly recommend this book!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Haunting and exquisite,
By Erin Klee - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Still Life with June (Paperback)
Still Life with June is a rare and haunting novel that deserves to be read at least twice.Stylistically, Still Life is brilliant, juxtaposing textual fragments written in distinctly different voices. Greer achieves ambiguity through calculated precision as his plot and characterization shift between realities. The text is often confessional, with the protagonist sharing everything from seemingly-insignificant details to the most intimate revelations. The result is a protagonist so realistic that I sometimes forgot he was fictional, feeling implicated by my own voyeuristic presence. Grafting beauty onto pain, Greer creates a world as enticing as it is disturbing. Intelligent, hilarious and profound, Still Life is a novel to savor. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Original and Arresting,
By Rialta - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Still Life with June (Paperback)
This is one of the best novels I have read in years. It is utterly original, with something unexpected happening on practically every page. The author has written it in a fully unusual style, with short chapters, sometimes only a sentence or two, stories within stories, and lists. And the ending is terrific. Buy this book. You won't regret it.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hey, you...,
By Nathon T. "CycoMerlin" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Still Life with June (Paperback)
Yes, you, person who is wondering if you want to read this book, or person who has read it and is now in the process of reviewing it (did you like it?), don't hesitate on this one. It's a very compelling read. The main character comes to life. He's real. He's honest. I felt like him. I wonder if Darren Greer wrote this as semi-autobiographical. The main character seemed to be too real to be fictional, though. But that's okay. I really enjoyed seeing everything through his eyes, considering that both of us are gay writers. And the whole idea of everyone either knowing or not knowing they were a loser humored me.It's been at least an hour since I finished the book. I'm thinking about it. When I think about a book after it's done, that means it's good, even excellent. It hit me on some kind of metaphysical level. |
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