Reviews By Charline

“The Simple Man’s Burden”

Author: Vergil Den

I’ve spent the last three days toiling…trying to figure out how to write a good review for “The Simple Man’s Burden” by author Vergil Den. Unfortunately I was stumped then and I’m still stumped now.

Where do I begin? Well, the cover was unusual. The book’s title “The Simple Man’s Burden” was underlined however when I looked closer I saw that the “underline” was actually a metal closet rod from which a pressed man’s suit and eleven empty hangers hung. Below that were the words “Observations and Reflections from Within the Complex.” Mm hmm… Interesting… I wondered if I was going to open the book and find myself reading about some Communist compound that everyone who was unfortunate enough to be stuck inside was trying to escape. Maybe that feeling was the author’s intent; if so, then kudos to him. I flipped the book over and read the back. The author’s comment that “he is a recovering Empty Suit” threw me for a loop but at least the jacket’s artwork made perfect sense now.

In “The Simple Man’s Burden” the author wants us to follow along and experience a day in the life of a quietly desperate company man. This unhappy man, who is a management consultant, shares with us his dark and cynical thoughts about this absurd and unpredictable day. Did I mention that these thoughts are supposed to be humorous? According to the jacket they are supposed to be “bizarrely humorous” and have been compared to “Bloom County,” “Office Space,” and “Monty Python.” While I haven’t seen “Bloom County” I have watched “Monty Python” and “Office Space.” While I may not have laughed at everything they contained I did laugh at some. That’s more that I can say for this book which elicited from me a total of one half-hearted snicker during its entirety.

Sadly, I found “The Simple Man’s Burden” a “burden” to read. The author, Vergil Den, seems intent on writing in a very pompous and garrulous manner. He has a plethora of gratuitously polysyllabic words of which ubiquitous seems to be one of his favorites. He drones on and on about the wrongs of almost everything and it seems as if nothing is safe from his overly critical opinion even though more often than not he presents it as fact. A tiny example: his bold assertion that all ESs (Empty Suits) are golfers. Has he met every single “ES” in the world? Maybe a better statement would be that he’s sure all ESs are golfers…not that they are. And honestly does it really matter if they are or aren’t? And just out of curiosity…isn’t labeling a form of discrimination?

I could continue indefinitely with my criticism but I won’t. Suffice it to say that I neither enjoyed nor agreed with the message in “The Simple Man’s Burden.” And lastly, I found the author’s voice to be exceptionally critical, disdainful, condescending, and mean-spirited toward mankind in general.

“Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?”

Author: Chris Albert Wells

I was recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing the book “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” With a title like that how could I refuse?

In “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” author Chris Albert Wells puts together a sound argument of how our interpretation of the Gospels, which many of us have been taught to regard as the complete and unadulterated truth, actually ignores a battle of “intra-community conflicts and strategies.” Throughout “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” Wells continuously provides us with his own personal thoughts and understandings; he shares with us the various texts that have influenced his beliefs and he encourages his readers to:
1) Take a closer look at the Essene Dead Sea Scroll Messiahs, and
2) Take a fresh look at Northern Syria where the first gospels were written in an Essene community before being labeled “Christian.”
It is Wells’ hope that that through his book “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” his readers will discover what he feels is the true background that produced the Gospels and what he feels these Gospels actually meant to the people who wrote them.

“Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” is definitely a thought provoking read. As a student of religious history myself, I’m appreciative of the substantial amount of writings, both past and present, that Wells has provided in an attempt to validate his viewpoint. By doing so, Wells has given his readers an easy to follow path, from start to finish, that will help him or her understand his deductions.

In summary I found “Jesus: Man, God or Party Label?” to be an intriguing book. While Wells’ views and beliefs are definitely not the Christian “norm” his writings should make anyone who reads this book reevaluate the accepted “blind faith” approach to religion. This seems to be the author’s intent and I would say that he has succeeded brilliantly. A five-star read but definitely not a book that one will finish in a single sitting. And while Wells writes in a very clear and concise manner because of the nature of the subject the reader may find he or she needs to read more slowly in an effort to fully grasp the complexities throughout.

“Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways: From Words to Housing”

Author: Jay S. Levy, MSW, LICSW

I just finished reading “Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways: From Words to Housing” by Jay S. Levy, MSW, LICSW. Overall I found it to be a wonderful book. It is extremely well thought out plus it is laid out in an easy-to-follow and easy-to-understand manner. I liked that it was written in such a way that even those of us who don’t have a degree in Social Work can still understand it. I definitely appreciated hearing the author’s perspective because he actually has extensive first-hand experience from working on the streets and with shelters in New York City, Boston and western Massachusetts. And finally, I liked the fact that he included real experiences and shared moving stories like Old Man Ray, Tracy or Andrew in “Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways.”

“Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways” is a book that gives us a peek into the real world of homelessness. Throughout its pages Levy has deftly intertwined true story with theory and practice. He shows us how each individual person and his or her situation is different. He explains how some homeless people can, and do, suffer from untreated mental illness, addiction, and other medical conditions which ultimately lead to a steady deterioration of their health. Many of us have probably wondered at one time or another why homeless people would prefer to live on the street rather than seek help. In “Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways” Levy uses his personal experiences and stories from homeless people he has worked with during the years to help answer that question. Needless to say while I found “Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways” to be an eye-opening read; I also found its accompanying statistics to be very sobering.

All in all I would say that Levy did a fantastic job writing “Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways.” Anyone who reads this will come away with a fresh perspective and hopefully a little more respect for those who are unfortunate enough to have to live on the street. A “must read” for everyone but especially for those looking to have a career in any type of social work or outreach program.

“BOOMERS: Tales from the Subjected Plain”

Author: F. Korn

I’m unsure where to begin in my review of “BOOMERS: Tales from the Subjected Plain.” A week or so ago I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing this title by author F. Korn. I did my usual research and while I found the book’s cover to be unappealing at least the jacket blurb seemed…different and unusual…so I agreed. “BOOMERS: Tales from the Subjected Plain” is supposed to be a daytime soap opera set in a time before high-speed internet when, for the “Boomer” generation Friday nights meant singles bars and Sunday nights were for singles at church. Anyway, my copy arrived and I found a secluded corner and began to read.

First things first; I read the two short passages Korn provided in lieu of a dedication. The first, a quote from Paradise Lost, was interesting and I idly wondered if that was where the author derived some inspiration for part of the book’s title. The second paragraph, from Heinrich Heine, was in German and I was slightly taken aback. Couldn’t Korn have provided an English translation for those of us who aren’t fluent in German? Well… Okay… Fine… I chalked it up to the author’s artistic style and continued reading.

Next came the Prologue. I’m sure I had a look of complete bewilderment on my face as I read it. Once I’d managed to work my way through those three pages I immediately flipped the book over to read the back cover again. Nope, it hadn’t changed; it was still understandable. This is more than I can say for the Prologue or even for the remainder of the book. In all honesty, if the jacket blurb had read the same way that this entire book reads I would have turned the review request down in about three seconds flat.

My eyes continued down the back cover when I was stopped by the words “he has published poetry and prose in a variety of journals.” Mm hmm… The universe is starting to make sense again. While I appreciate the fact that there are many types of genres for books I also understand that there are some unspoken rules for writing which really shouldn’t be broken. For instance, poetry can be a wonderful tapestry of words that can elicit powerful imagery or heartfelt emotions. I’m sure anyone who has ever read poetry understands the way it “flows.” The way it conveys its message in short clips that in any other genre would require much more explanation and/or description. In other words one wouldn’t right a novel the same way one would write a poem. Or at least one shouldn’t. Books usually tell a story – the key word in this sentence being tell. Unfortunately “BOOMERS: Tales from the Subjected Plain” reads like a cross between an eclectic foreign poem recently translated into English and the hastily scribbled notes a psychoanalyst might take during a session with his or her client. “BOOMERS: Tales from the Subjected Plain” might have been “darkly humorous” and have had “unforgettable characters” as promised on the back cover if the author had actually taken the time to bring each person to life instead of providing us with a clinical dossier that seemed to lack all the key elements.

To sum up? “BOOMERS: Tales from the Subjected Plain” was a very weird read for me. Because of how it was written I felt as though I was being forced to read it at a break-neck pace not to mention that I found the writing style itself to be severely lacking and peculiarly composed…