Discussion: Boys Coming of Age II

Category: Discussion Forum / General Discussion

Report thread
Watch thread
Share this

Showing 1 post

Boys Coming of Age II

Sep 8 2006, 7:01 PM EDT

I just read "Boy in the Air" by Don Bajema, and it gritty portrayal of the baby boomers growing up in the turbulent 60's. Mr. Bajema writes about what America really is to many kids: Foreign wars, trailer life, dusty highways, dirty ashtrays, beer bottles, lurid neon, and other trash. I appreciate his detail, his honesty, and each broken dream of the main character, Eddie, as he becomes a screwed up man. Another title you should check out is "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce. If you can wade through Joyce's wordy vernacular you will find a rewarding story about a young man coming to terms with lust and religion on his road to manhood. Sinister Street by Compton Mackenzie is a similar, running rampant with every thought and emotion, but minus the religion factor. (It influenced "This Side of Paradise") Winesburg Ohio by Sherwood Anderson is classic young man versus small town. If you've ever had the opportunity to be trapped in a small town you'll find that Anderson's characters transcend time and place, and you'll appreciate this one. It reminded me of the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder, another study of youth and the passing of time, that I found quite depressing.

Post reply

Do you find this valuable?

Keyword tags: