Boston TeranKirja-arvosteluja

This book really captures you from the outset. I love how, although this is set in the old west, it touches on a lot of issues that are still at the forefront of society today. If you're looking for an idealized western (like Louis L'Amour book or a John Wayne film), this isn't for you. This is real, it's gritty at times, and it pulls no punches. Inequality had been a serious issue in America, with the rich overworking the poor, and the disabled being viewed as disposable. The characters were absolutely amazing, and I loved "Coffin" and "Jack". Highly recommend if you love gripping dramas that take a hard look at all too common struggles humanity faces.

Many other reviewers have moted the authenticity of the setting of this book. The setting is most certainly rich and reflects deep research.

So How Beautiful They Were had so much promise for me: beautiful writing, theatre, history, drama, a mystery of sorts (although clumsily foreshadowed). One hundred pages into the book, I even looking for other books by this "author".

What happened? Somewhere about half-way through the book, everything started falling apart. The plot seemed to collapse in on itself.
My records show that by the time I finished wading through to the end of the book, I was disappointed, frustrated, and even angry enough that I rated it 2 stars out of 5.

I wish I could be more specific but too much time has passed for me to remember details.

I think this book's title and cover do it a disservice. It is a more exciting and action-focused book than it appeared to me at first glance. The tone and content are quite pulpy, like a less depressing Tarantino movie. I'd have entitled it "Rawbone", after one of the two main characters. He's a con-man, and as he repeatedly describes himself, "A common assassin." He's quite a bit too successful a scoundrel and murderer for the "common" part to be true, but he's very humble about his capabilities. He's also a deadbeat dad who abandoned his wife and 10 year old son about 11 years before the events of this story. That son is the second protagonist, and by the time of the story he's a confident and competent law enforcement official who would like nothing more than to put his father behind bars for good. Of course, events intervene and the two end up on a crazy road-trip full of the titular violence and political complications. There's even a complicated love interest for the young hero, a character who is painted with depth and subtlety in spite of never being the story's primary focus.

By the time the characters' plans have gone completely off the rails, the son says to his father, "I'm going to hurt you in a way you could never imagine. I'm going to put my faith in you. Not as an agent for the Bureau of Investigation... but as a man."

This wasn't the twistiest story, but it was very entertaining throughout, and even occasionally thought-provoking. I feel obligated to mention the political aspects of the book, though when I was reading it they didn't lessen my enjoyment. Some parallels are obvious between the events of the story and the more recent invasion of Iraq, including the inclusion of a mercenary company called "Black Water" in Spanish.

New words I found in this book:
carreta - a two-wheeled cart
caisson - a large watertight chamber, open at the bottom from which the water is kept out by air pressure and in which construction work may be carried out under water. (historical term for a chest or wagon for holding or conveying ammunition.)
guidon - a pennant that narrows to a point or fork at the free end, especially one used as the standard of a light cavalry regiment.
nacre - mother-of-pearl

Very engaging story telling. Characters very well defined and you get to intimately learn about each of their lives and stories. A wonderful telling of the theater and the times of the nation. An engrossing book from start to finish.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

OMG, if you have not read a Boston Teran book, you are missing out. I have only read a few books but everyone that I have read thus far have been a grand reading experience. Mr. Teran is an iconic author. I do not use this loosely by using the term "iconic author". In fact; I would put him in the same category as Mr. John Steinbeck.

Besides the main characters, there is a surprise voice, Jeremiah Fields, stage manager. He is part narrator. He helped add a rich tone to the story. Which by the way, this story is more than just about the glam about the theater. Behind the curtains are filled with drama, love, loss, friendship, betrayal, and murder.

I finished this book in one day. It was truly that great. No matter how much I try to portray how much I enjoyed this book; I can't do justice. You just have to pick up a copy for yourself. I look forward to reading the next book by Mr. Teran.

This started out slow for me, but it became more interesting the further in I read. When I got to the end of the story, I wanted to learn more about the characters in the story, but I couldn't find much about them. Although the author said it was based on a true story, I'm assuming they made a fictionalized account of characters who met real life ones. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel to see what happens to the characters.

Be mindful that, although it takes place in the 1850s, there is a heavy amount of racial slurs towards POC/Black people used in this story, if you're uncomfortable about that sort of thing.

Mr. Teran remains a mystery in regards to the true identity of the author. This does not matter to me. All I know is that he/she is a great author. Mr. Teran is not just a writer but a splendid storyteller.

Instantly, I fell in love with this story of Charlie. He really grew up to be a respectable man. This was not easy from his childhood to the point he grew up. Along his journey, he met a variety of people. Some good and a lot bad. The odds were definitely stacked against him.

Mr. Teran infuses life into the characters so that you are so invested in them that you don't want to stop reading. Harriet Tubman was another famous slave that grew through adversary to become a powerful voice. I kind of pictured these qualities in Charlie. If you are looking for a great author or just a great book, than do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book today.

This book was a really good read. It took me a little to get into it but once I got started I into I wanted to keep going. Well written and a sad truth to the time of the storyline.

I would put this on the very short list of the best books I have read. It is simultaneously horrific and beautiful.

Giv: The Story of a Dog and America is a story that starts out about a dog that has survived starvation, beatings and most of all, being without love. " This is a great soul fallen on hard times."
He is wandering, lost. Where did he come from? Whats his story?

Anna is lonely. Lost her loved ones in a horrible auto. accident. She misses her husband and her dog that her husband had surprised her with one birthday. Living alone with her dog Angel, she senses something outside, she smells him. Going to the window, she see's him. He's leary of her and she puts out her hand to him. This begins her family, Angel and Giv. "Giv and Angel, Angel and Giv", they are inseparable and soon Giv is a daddy. But poor Giv, he has a tumor and its his time to go. Anna calls the puppy Giv.
This is where Giv's life starts.

The story is beautifully, poetically written.
" You are not alone old one, for heaven is here in the great trees you lie beneath, and in the named rocks around you, and the earth that will cover your bones. Soon, you will receive thy bounty."
Giv Jr. is stolen from Anna and the rest of the story is about bravery, compassion and love.
The end brings tears of sadness and joy.

"See the Dog. He is being drenched with rain as he tries to pull himself free using the doors as braces. Like the butterflyl out of the cocoon, the bird out of the egg, the child from the womb-yet what he is trying to free himself of is a greedy human dream exacted by man to whom heartbreak is less than pocket change."

Highly recommend this book.

Boston Teran’s new novel of political intrigue, The Creed of Violence, shimmers like a mirage on the baking desert floor, threatening to combust at any moment, and constantly evaporating into new shapes.

In the days just before revolution erupts in Mexico, a truck, loaded with weapons bound for blood, stops along a lonely, chapped road for a man on foot. The man, Rawbone, poisons the driver and steals the truck’s payload. When he tries to fence the weapons in the dusty, border town of El Paso, a young agent of the newly formed Bureau of Investigations, John Lourdes, arrests him. In the calculating stare of his prey, Lourdes recognizes a man whom he never expected to see again, a man whom he promised himself he’d kill if he ever found. Bound together, the two set out to transport the weapons to their intended destination, Rawbone in hopes of earning his freedom and Lourdes intent on uncovering an international conspiracy. The fragile partnership between these seeming opposites blossoms into something unexpected as they probe each other’s dark souls.

Teran walks a high wire in this relentless thriller, balancing personal tales of loss and regret with a larger story of corruption and greed. Rawbone and Lourdes are both children of a bloody desert barrio who mourn the loss of youthful innocence yet revel in the keen instincts and quickly violent nature the transformation wrought in them. Teran tells their personal story of redemption against the backdrop of American intervention into a budding civil war and a private security company named Agua Negra – black water – which foments revolution in hopes of securing interests in undeveloped oil fields. These rich and complex layers make for a captivating read.

As to Teran’s style, there will be those who compare him to Cormac McCarthy, especially given the story’s setting and time. And, while he exhibits McCarthy’s raw emotion and seething violence, his rich, graceful sentences and subtly intelligent dialog are more reminiscent of Hemingway. Not everyone will agree that Teran deserves such a comparison, but, in my book, he earned it.

A favorite read for the New Year.

Five bones!!!!!

The Creed of Violence starts out on the Texas/Mexico border in 1910. Mexico is rumbling for revolution which is a problem for both countries because of Mexico's much-needed oil fields (hmmm...sounds eerily familiar). John Lourdes is a young agent in America's Bureau of Investigation (early FBI). His job is to take the criminal known as Rawbone and travel with him and a truck full of weapons across the border into Mexico undercover. Rawbone is working with the Bureau to gain immunity. Problem? Aside from the obvious dangers of working undercover in a country on the brink of revolution, Rawbone is John Lourdes dead-beat father. John Lourdes knows this. Rawbone does not.

I really enjoyed this book for two reasons: the setting of the novel and the relationship between father and son. I could totally see why The Creed of Violence is being adapted in to a movie. What a violent and vivid portrait he paints of Mexico, the revolutionaries, the violence, and America's intervention into the fray. The setting sucked me into the novel but it was really the relationship between Rawbone and John Lourdes that kept me reading.

Here's the first line of the book which is about Rawbone:

"He was born in Scabtown the day Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theater."

I love how it starts out. Rawbone is a criminal and a common killer. He never knew his father and his prostitute mom died when he was young. Left on his own he turned criminal. Honestly, I kind of liked him. He was sort of funny with a type of wit that made him a likable character. John Lourdes, ironically, had a similar sad upbringing. Rawbone was married to his mom and then took off when Lourdes was young. His mom passed away shortly after. But instead of turning criminal like Rawbone, Lourdes joins the Bureau of Investigation. He's angry at Rawbone and really wants to see him dead.

But their journey together changes them. And that's the part of The Creed of Violence that I enjoyed. I'm excited to see how this book will be adapted to the big screen. I wonder who would portray Rawbone and John Lourdes.

**Asked by Kelley and Hall to read and review.

A wonderful story about a dog helping people find meaning in their lives. The book chromicles the journey of a dog through different owners across America. Provides a look at dog not just as a pet but more of as a partner with man. Giv is a touching story that will stay with the reader long after the last page is read. A book I will gladly recommend to everyone I know.

I love this novel. I'm not sure if I love it because I had no expectations or what, but what a beautiful book. Beware: If you are the type that might tear up while reading a book, this is one of those books. The idea behind the story is based on events in the author's life. You can read his idea for the book here.

The story follows the life of a dog named Giv. The book is composed as the story of Giv's life written by one of Giv's many owners, Sergeant Dean Hickok. From Giv's birth, by chance, fate, or luck, he gets passed on from person to person, from experience to experience. The blurb from the press release by Americans Speak says "The Forrest Gump of dog books." I'm not sure about all that, but boy does Giv go through some stuff. He's in Dallas with some struggling musicians checking out the book depository, he's there through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and he's there for an Iraqi war vetran.

While the book is about a dog named Giv, it's also about the people he meets. Memorable characters. Heart-wrenching characters. It's about the free-will, undying spirit of man and man's best friend. I loved how the idea of the act of rebellion, not always a bad thing, was a piviotal aspect of the book and the character of Giv. Boston Teran wrote rebellion as "the power to choose freely who one will or will not be". I like that. As he points out, America was founded by rebels and there's a little bit of rebel in us all.

I find it hard to write about this book and not sound cheesy or blubbery...but I can't help it. I really loved it. I was really surprised how much I liked it. It's not a book I would have picked up on my own but I am so glad I was sent it.

Ok, but disappointing after first two Teran novels. Lacked the nightmarish, beyond the edge quality of the first two.

My name is Dean Hickok. Sergeant, late of the U.S. Marines. I authored this work, though I did not create its people nor their stories. These, you will come to find, I inherited.

"Pain must be shared if it is to be purged from the soul. And to do that, people must live out in the open where others can find them. But in order to be found, one must have faith they can be found, and believe they are worth finding" pg.151*

Giv tells the story of Dean Hickok and his path across America to help a stray dog. The dog's name is Giv.

Giv's story weaves a pattern across many miles, while touching many lives along the way. It's a heartwarming tale of a dog who was loved by many and gave unconditional love in return.

I can't really say much more about the book...I don't want to spoil it for others. Just know that this is a book worth reading. It touched my heart like no other book I have ever read.

"There are some dogs that touch you in ways you cannot explain. They seem to go to the primal forest and ancient well of the invisible beyond the visible within you. And once that place is touched, time seems to fall immensely around your heart for the months or years you're granted their presence." pg 31*

Boston Teran is an award winning author and this is his sixth book. Giv: The Story of a Dog and America opens with a prologue written in first person by the character who is going to tell the story. He informs his readers, "I would like you to know, here and now, this story does not unfold in the traditional way. What it does, in essence, is follow a dog known as Giv on his journey across the America of 9/11 and Katrina and Iraq... "(p. 4) This quote is a pretty good summary of the book. The protagonist Giv is a dog who has amazing adventures and endures all kinds of abuse and deprivation. Offspring of a dog with a mysterious past, Giv knows security and love in his first home but gets stolen and subsequently ends up with various owners - some who love him and some who do not. Giv's will to survive, his capacity for faithful love and his selfless courage enable some of the broken-spirited human characters in the novel to experience redemption from their pasts. These people have been devastated by loss from 9/11, war, murder, Katrina and other life-altering events.

Boston Teran has threaded the tale of Giv's travels with many insightful reflections about American people in various difficult circumstances. He not only portrays the low points in the lives of his characters, but also some emotional highs. Characters fall in love, find creative inspiration, and connect with their future purpose. The amazing qualities found within Giv and other characters reflect the spirit of contemporary America. The story contains mystery, introspective reflection, and plenty of drama. It touches upon the most tragic national events faced by Americans of this generation. Boston Teran's novel evidences great sympathy toward those who have experiences these losses first hand and it also expresses hope and faith in America's ability to endure.

I really enjoyed this book. I fell in love with its lyrical writing style from the first page. The writing is smooth, poetic and rhythmic. The story develops systematically and the ending is very climactic and satisfying. The characters seem very realistic and the setting encompasses many different parts of America to create an interesting mosaic of images. The novel's structure works well to reveal the story in segments that are sometimes puzzling, but all make sense by the end. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Giv: The Story of a Dog and America because I am not a dog person and have not previously read any novels about dogs (at least that I can remember).

Giv: The Story of a dog and America
Author: Boston Teran
High top Publishing, 2009

The book came to me with the quote, “The Forrest Gump of dog books”. This was so right on target. The author crafted the story so well that I had to go back to make sure the story was fiction. This is the story of Giv, a dog who travels all across the states. He survives a kidnapping, Hurricane Katrina, an abusive period only to be rescued by a Marine, who finds it was he that needed rescued. This Marine decides to find Giv’s owner, which takes him across the country. Once again Giv rescues someone and it is believed that Give is lost. When found his past meets up with his future. This was a wonderful book. Each owner has a story. It is usually one that starts out negative until Giv enters the picture. Lives are changed because of him. Anyone who has ever had a pet, or read stories of animals who have rescued others, often giving their own life for the human will want to read this book. Just like in Forrest Gump, every negative thing that happens to him turns into something positive. I gave this book a 5 out of 5 rating.

one of the top ten best books I have ever read!

lousy