School for the Blind A Novel edition by Dennis McFarland Literature Fiction eBooks
Download As PDF : School for the Blind A Novel edition by Dennis McFarland Literature Fiction eBooks 
When two students are found dead in their small Florida hometown, an aging brother and sister are forced to confront their own dark past while on the hunt for a murderer
Tags : School for the Blind: A Novel - Kindle edition by Dennis McFarland. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading School for the Blind: A Novel.,ebook,Dennis McFarland,School for the Blind: A Novel,Open Road Media
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It never grabbed me.
This book isn't even a good story. I can't recommend it to anyone except die hard McFarland fans. I was halfway through the book still wondering when something interesting would happen. Unfortunately, it ever really does. I would rather go to a nursing home and listen to the ramblings of a real person with their memories and dreams than read this made up drivel. Please find a new genre Dennis.
It was easy to relate to Muriel and Frank. The other characters filled out the story. The other characters added to the plot and were believable.
I have read and re-read this book. I have also recommended it to others, and everyone has liked it! The characterizations are so good, and the ending is quietly hopeful. The reader can really enjoy Muriel and Brimm as they confront how they have dealt with their dark childhood and try to grow beyond it, even as they face Brimm's death. I really like the way they struggle to acknowledge painful events and learn from them -- but still not let themselves be completely defined by them. The murder mystery -- I really haven't been able to grasp how that ties in with the rest of the story; it seems tacked on and out of tempo with a self-exploratory novel, but it does fit in with the emotional timbre of the book. Also, involvement in the mystery does give Muriel a chance to be active in the present and to impact her community in a positive way, as she contributes to finding the serial killer.
I was enjoying this novel, but not taking it very seriously. The writing was competent enough, but I found it a bit pretentious when it tried to be important. Then, I changed my mind. It is a very uplifting story of two elderly people who are able, as septuagenarians, to grow through self discovery. One of them meets the kind of end most of us would like to meet, with acceptance and dignity, amidst loved ones. I found this book especially heartening as a senior citizen (and as a recent reader of Wallace Stegner's "Spectator Bird" in which the elderly character views himself as being in a line, getting ever closer to the end as friends in front die). "School for the Blind" is warm and humorous. While things work out well for several of the characters, McFarland wraps up the plot without being implausible or sentimental.
Although ostensibly a murder mystery, School for the Blind is actually a mystery of another sort entirely. In this book McFarland unravels the mystery of childhood trauma-- thoughtfully, eloquently, and with breathtaking perception. The two main characters--a brother and sister who are brought together at the end of their lives by shared isolation--are sharply defined, and portrayed in all their frailty with McFarland's customary wit. The prose is simply wonderful, liquid and clear, without a single false note. The one complaint I have of this book is that it left too much hanging. The rather gruesome murder that jump starts this story needed to have been followed up with more consistency. (After all, it is the one salient event in the book.) The enigma of the exotic and lovely Claudia Callejas was not adequately resolved, nor was her puzzling relationship with her nephew. And while McFarland wraps up most of his plot, the book ends in a confusing backwards-looking anticlimax. Another 50 pages would have done School for the Blind a world of good. But when all is said and done, it still remains a beautiful, contemplative exploration of the human psyche.
"HIS LIFE'S WORK and ambition fulfilled. Francis Brimm believed the only metamorphosis left him was a slow, affable decline toward death, and so at the age of seventy-three he returned to the town of his youth to retire. He had been a news photographer--a witness, a messenger amid the world's fire and ashes--and he figured he had earned not only the right to let the world go, but also the poise to let it go with authority. He would read, write, sleep, visit the beach, fish, garden a bit, whatever he pleased--the pastimes, he imagined, of solitary old people of some accomplishment. The medley of images he assembled for this retirement included a cottage with a porch on which he might sit and muse over the prospects of the very next hour, but soon after he had settled into just such a place, he found himself absorbed in entirely different, unexpected ways."
Francis Brimm is a retired photojournalist who has traveled the world. With no wife and no children, he decides to return to his childhood hometown to live out the rest of his years. His sister Muriel, also elderly (5 years older), still lives in their childhood home. An intelligent woman, she is a retired librarian, who had worked at the local "school for the blind". As a retiree, she keeps busy with a life of routines. Soon, although not intentionally, her brother's return to the home of their youth, forces both siblings to deal with issues which have long "blinded" them.
For example, soon after Francis' arrival, his eyes begin playing tricks on him. It was not a one time happening. The image on the ceiling was of a young girl from Normandy from some fifty years earlier surface. Muriel's response to all this
"Muriel felt certain the apparition he claimed to see on his bedroom ceiling was only a recurring dream, but if it turned out to be a sort of psychic or supernatural event, she wouldn't be surprised. "
Muriel, soon begins to recall events of the summer in 1928. Their father, a doctor, was an mean drunk; their mother was cold and distant.
In addition to the story of a these siblings trying to make sense of their past, there are subplots which include a murder mystery involving two teens that had gone missing from the "school for the blind" where Muriel had worked. A third person, a pregnant, unmarried housekeeper joins the household and strengthens the feeling of family at a time when the siblings need kindness the most.
Without giving away too much about how this story unfolds, I'll just say that it was an ambitious novel, that covered a lot. Initially, I had thought adding a murder mystery to a story about growing old, and making peace with one's imperfect past just wouldn't be a combination that would work, but the author surprised me. McFarland knew just when to add a bit of humor, a tad of sadness, and a level of suspense to make it work. Although, the novel wasn't perfect, it was enjoyable. The author did a great job of slowly revealing the events of the siblings pasts. I will be anxious to try another book by this author in the future.
Not a mystery at all but a character study. Beautifully written story of two elderly siblings living in Florida. Reminds me a little of olive kittridge but with fewer characters and less going on
School for the Blind A Novel edition by Dennis McFarland Literature Fiction eBooks
Not a mystery at all but a character study. Beautifully written story of two elderly siblings living in Florida. Reminds me a little of olive kittridge but with fewer characters and less going onProduct details
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Tags : School for the Blind: A Novel - Kindle edition by Dennis McFarland. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading School for the Blind: A Novel.,ebook,Dennis McFarland,School for the Blind: A Novel,Open Road Media
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School for the Blind A Novel edition by Dennis McFarland Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
It never grabbed me.
This book isn't even a good story. I can't recommend it to anyone except die hard McFarland fans. I was halfway through the book still wondering when something interesting would happen. Unfortunately, it ever really does. I would rather go to a nursing home and listen to the ramblings of a real person with their memories and dreams than read this made up drivel. Please find a new genre Dennis.
It was easy to relate to Muriel and Frank. The other characters filled out the story. The other characters added to the plot and were believable.
I have read and re-read this book. I have also recommended it to others, and everyone has liked it! The characterizations are so good, and the ending is quietly hopeful. The reader can really enjoy Muriel and Brimm as they confront how they have dealt with their dark childhood and try to grow beyond it, even as they face Brimm's death. I really like the way they struggle to acknowledge painful events and learn from them -- but still not let themselves be completely defined by them. The murder mystery -- I really haven't been able to grasp how that ties in with the rest of the story; it seems tacked on and out of tempo with a self-exploratory novel, but it does fit in with the emotional timbre of the book. Also, involvement in the mystery does give Muriel a chance to be active in the present and to impact her community in a positive way, as she contributes to finding the serial killer.
I was enjoying this novel, but not taking it very seriously. The writing was competent enough, but I found it a bit pretentious when it tried to be important. Then, I changed my mind. It is a very uplifting story of two elderly people who are able, as septuagenarians, to grow through self discovery. One of them meets the kind of end most of us would like to meet, with acceptance and dignity, amidst loved ones. I found this book especially heartening as a senior citizen (and as a recent reader of Wallace Stegner's "Spectator Bird" in which the elderly character views himself as being in a line, getting ever closer to the end as friends in front die). "School for the Blind" is warm and humorous. While things work out well for several of the characters, McFarland wraps up the plot without being implausible or sentimental.
Although ostensibly a murder mystery, School for the Blind is actually a mystery of another sort entirely. In this book McFarland unravels the mystery of childhood trauma-- thoughtfully, eloquently, and with breathtaking perception. The two main characters--a brother and sister who are brought together at the end of their lives by shared isolation--are sharply defined, and portrayed in all their frailty with McFarland's customary wit. The prose is simply wonderful, liquid and clear, without a single false note. The one complaint I have of this book is that it left too much hanging. The rather gruesome murder that jump starts this story needed to have been followed up with more consistency. (After all, it is the one salient event in the book.) The enigma of the exotic and lovely Claudia Callejas was not adequately resolved, nor was her puzzling relationship with her nephew. And while McFarland wraps up most of his plot, the book ends in a confusing backwards-looking anticlimax. Another 50 pages would have done School for the Blind a world of good. But when all is said and done, it still remains a beautiful, contemplative exploration of the human psyche.
"HIS LIFE'S WORK and ambition fulfilled. Francis Brimm believed the only metamorphosis left him was a slow, affable decline toward death, and so at the age of seventy-three he returned to the town of his youth to retire. He had been a news photographer--a witness, a messenger amid the world's fire and ashes--and he figured he had earned not only the right to let the world go, but also the poise to let it go with authority. He would read, write, sleep, visit the beach, fish, garden a bit, whatever he pleased--the pastimes, he imagined, of solitary old people of some accomplishment. The medley of images he assembled for this retirement included a cottage with a porch on which he might sit and muse over the prospects of the very next hour, but soon after he had settled into just such a place, he found himself absorbed in entirely different, unexpected ways."
Francis Brimm is a retired photojournalist who has traveled the world. With no wife and no children, he decides to return to his childhood hometown to live out the rest of his years. His sister Muriel, also elderly (5 years older), still lives in their childhood home. An intelligent woman, she is a retired librarian, who had worked at the local "school for the blind". As a retiree, she keeps busy with a life of routines. Soon, although not intentionally, her brother's return to the home of their youth, forces both siblings to deal with issues which have long "blinded" them.
For example, soon after Francis' arrival, his eyes begin playing tricks on him. It was not a one time happening. The image on the ceiling was of a young girl from Normandy from some fifty years earlier surface. Muriel's response to all this
"Muriel felt certain the apparition he claimed to see on his bedroom ceiling was only a recurring dream, but if it turned out to be a sort of psychic or supernatural event, she wouldn't be surprised. "
Muriel, soon begins to recall events of the summer in 1928. Their father, a doctor, was an mean drunk; their mother was cold and distant.
In addition to the story of a these siblings trying to make sense of their past, there are subplots which include a murder mystery involving two teens that had gone missing from the "school for the blind" where Muriel had worked. A third person, a pregnant, unmarried housekeeper joins the household and strengthens the feeling of family at a time when the siblings need kindness the most.
Without giving away too much about how this story unfolds, I'll just say that it was an ambitious novel, that covered a lot. Initially, I had thought adding a murder mystery to a story about growing old, and making peace with one's imperfect past just wouldn't be a combination that would work, but the author surprised me. McFarland knew just when to add a bit of humor, a tad of sadness, and a level of suspense to make it work. Although, the novel wasn't perfect, it was enjoyable. The author did a great job of slowly revealing the events of the siblings pasts. I will be anxious to try another book by this author in the future.
Not a mystery at all but a character study. Beautifully written story of two elderly siblings living in Florida. Reminds me a little of olive kittridge but with fewer characters and less going on
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