Boy's Life

De: Robert McCammon

Narrado por: Richard Thomas

Robert McCammon delivers “a tour de force of storytelling” (BookPage) in this award-winning masterpiece, a novel of Southern boyhood, growing up in the 1960s, that reaches far beyond that evocative landscape to touch readers universally.

Robert McCammon delivers “a tour de force of storytelling” (BookPage) in this award-winning masterpiece, a novel of Southern boyhood, growing up in the 1960s, that reaches far beyond that evocative landscape to touch readers universally.

Boy’s Life is a richly imagined, spellbinding portrait of the magical worldview of the young—and of innocence lost.

Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson—a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake—and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible, haunting vision of death. As Cory struggles to understand his father’s pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that surround him. From an ancient mystic who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown—for his father’s sanity and his own life hang in the balance…

I read this book when my boys were very young. I loved it.

This is a very good book, but this isn’t all of it. The book has so much more to it. So much more. I was very disappointed that it wasn’t all included. Left out all the good parts.

I love to travel and this book takes me away

Mccammon

fleshed out his characters so well. The descriptions of scenes are just vivid enough to draw the reader in but leaves room for reader to fill in his or her own details. I have a hard time putting this book down. I have read many times. Richard Thomas just adds to the experience excellent reader.

This is abridged!!!! Too Bad!

This book has been a favorite of mine for years. My son is almost 13 and I thought it would be perfect to listen to during a car trip. Well, it was- sort of.

The story is eerie and wonderful and takes you back in time to the US of the 1960s in a way that reminds me a little of To Kill A Mockingbird. The narrator, Richard Thomas is wonderful, his voice, accents and characters all completely believable and compelling.

So why does it only get 3 stars? It is ABRIDGED. I should have noticed before I bought it how short the audible book was, but I was so happy to see it that I didn't. This version cuts out much of the richness and texture and magical realism of the original novel, leaving you with a sort of cockeyed murder mystery story- still enjoyable, but so so disappointing to anyone who has read the book.

Buy this if you want a great introduction to Robert McCammon- and then join me, as I am sure you will want to, in asking Audible to give us the REAL book, and not this poor cut up imitation.

Favorite book for many ages!

If you could sum up Boy's Life in three words, what would they be?

Exciting
Fast paced
Reasonable

What other book might you compare Boy's Life to and why?

Some of ET.. some of Tom Sawyer

Which character – as performed by Richard Thomas – was your favorite?

The Lady.. I could just picture this little woman!

If you could rename Boy's Life, what would you call it?

Mystery! or Small Town Mystery

Any additional comments?

I have a notorious reputation as an avid reader, but someone who does not like to re-read books. The books that I have read more than once makes a very short list, but counting this audible "reading" this is the fourth time that I have read this book.. and it is wonderful every time.
I also sent my copy to my dad ten years ago after I first read it.. and he was affected in very much the same way.

boy's life review

Is there anything you would change about this book?

no

What was one of the most memorable moments of Boy's Life?

the climax

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

yes

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

yes

Any additional comments?

the audio cut out a lot of the actual book. i listened to the entire audio, and when we talked about it in class, i realized that i was missing some key elements from the story.