Sweet Hereafter: A Novel by Russell Banks
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Book Reviews of Sweet Hereafter: A Novel
Book Review: Meaning Beyond Blame
Summary: 5 Stars
Mitchell Stephens, the admittedly angry New York City negligence lawyer from Banks' "The Sweet Hereafter" runs through a litany of societal problems that have caused a blinding fissure between generations. "We have lost our children," he says, and though he blames drugs and the "sexual colonization of our young people by industry," he is too logical to attempt to focus his anger at vague ideas. Instead, he mounts angry cases against the cities, counties and states from which the children disappear. We see that his true occupation is avoiding the sorrow and guilt he feels because of the "loss" of his own daughter.When children are lost, parents are left in a sort of amoral timelessness, without history or perspective. The future disappears, and suddenly everything is permitted. The freedom is lonely and terrifying, and parents, in an attempt flee back to the world of rules and consequences, turn their grief outward where it mutates into blame.
But "The Sweet Hereafter" is more than an examination of grief and culpability. The novel investigates the communities that arise when anger and blame are the primary means of social currency. By the end of the book we find ourselves within questions much larger than the individual lives involved, and though we are sad that two characters must be martyred, we are relieved, because we know that martyrs couldn't exist without the morality we thought we'd lost. Even the martyrs find can solace in an understanding their of roles: they are proof of redemption.
Book Review: I throughly enjoyed reading "The Sweet Hereafter".
Summary: 5 Stars
I was assigned to read "The Sweet Hereafter" for a class and my inital response was far from excited. I read the back cover to see what the book was going to be about, but I still wasn't interested. Finally, I sat down and forced myself to to read it. About twenty pages into the book, it began to peak my interest. Soon after that, I was hooked. I spent the rest of the day reading the book, and I spent that evening recomending it to everyone I talked to. It wasn't so much the plot of the book that interested me, as it was the characters. I really liked the way that Russell Banks tells the story from four very different perspectives. It was the characters side stories that really drew me in and kept me reading. After reading each characters account, I found myself wishing there was more, especially when I was through with Mitchell Stephens' account. I was really interested to find out what happened between him and his daughter. I think Banks did a wonderful job both with creating realistic characters, and creating the tragic situation that they were dealing with. I found that Banks does a good job of setting the mood of the story. He does this through the descriptions of the cold, bleak weather. I found that to play a big part in the feeling that I got from the book. After reading "The Sweet Hereafter", I am interested to read more of Russell Banks' writing.Book Review: Extremely captivating and wonderfully written book!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Sweet Here After By Russell BanksThis was an amazing and captivating story of a small town and how they survived a tragic experience. The main characters each told the episode in their eyes. It left you with a more educated opinion on the whole outcome of the story. You are able to become one of the people in town and you feel the emotions with each character's story.
The strongest of the four characters is the child that survives the accident. It's incredible how terrific and powerful this young women is. Her ability to reason and deal with all of her emotions was just amazing. The other victims that actually lost a family member or more dealt with these circumstances in a much more selfish manner. She was actually able to teach and help the town to overcome this ordeal.
There is a lawyer that comes into town to try to prove to all of the victims that they can fight back. "There are no accidents", he tells the people. "Someone is to blame." He pulls a few families into his web only to find out he has no case. The town's bond is stronger than the money he could win them. The young girl was able to prove this for all of the people.
This was a very well written book. Captivating!
Dawn Marquez
Book Review: It's a good book of understandng different points of view.
Summary: 5 Stars
I found The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks to be a really good book on the differences in peoples character. I think that he showed that there are many points of view on one situation. In his book, Russell Banks tells a story of a school bus that goes off the side of a road and into a sand pit full of water. He gives four different perspectives of this terribe accident. One of the people wasth lady busdriver, Delores Driscoll. Delores has been driving this bus route for twenty-two years. She is an extremely careful person, "the kind of person who always follows the manual" (4). Delores knew each and everyone of those children an she cared about them. She tried to let the kids be kids and have them enjoy their ride to school each day. Delores is the the type who tries to think of what might happen before it does. She is an "optimist, basically, who acts like a pesimist. On principle. Just in case" (25). Delores knows that the accident was just that, and accident, but she starts to question her judgement when everyone else does. This story is well worth reading, it puts you into other peoples shoes, even if only for a short while.Book Review: A hard book to put down!
Summary: 5 Stars
From the opening paragraph, "The Sweet Hereafter" captivates you, and it never lets go. I picked it up, and finished it soon after. Russell Banks paints a portrait of a small town, and its people. You feel touched by the tales told by the people who were a part of this bus accident that killed many children. The character that particulary touched me was 14-year-old Nichole. Look at her: her life is already miserable, but she's the ony one who knows it. She is being molested by her father, and contemplating suicide. Then, she is nearly killed in this tragedy. She will never walk again. The other character that got to me was Billy Ansel. His wife has died not too long ago of cancer, so his young twins are the only light in his life. He follows behind the bus everyday on his way to work, waving at his children. He watches them die right before his eyes. However, all the characters are amazing. The bus driver, Dolores, has a crippled husband, and he lawyer has a daughter with AIDS.
The novel is very poetic, and will pluck on the strings of your heart. Don't read it unless you have a box of tissue next to you. Honestly, it is the best book that I have ever read!