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Rule of the Bone

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 4,385 ratings · 467 reviews

When we first meet him, Chappie is a punked-out teenager living with his mother and abusive stepfather in an upstate New York trailer park. During this time, he slips into drugs and petty crime. Rejected by his parents, out of school and in trouble with the police, he claims for himself a new identity as a permanent outsider; he gets a crossed-bones tattoo on his arm, and...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published March 27th 1996 by Harper Perennial (first published April 25th 1995)

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Karin's Favorite Books

1st out of 17 books — 9 voters

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

books with compelling young narrators

38th out of 136 books — 125 voters

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Mar 23, 2008 Jorge added it

Rule of the bone Russel Banks Harper Perennial,1996,400pp.,$13.95 ISBN 0060927240

“Life isn’t perfect”. As cliché as this may sound, it proves to be true in circumstances that involve individuals who are surrounded by negative influences. In Rule of The Bone, by Russell Banks, the protagonist Chappie is an example of an imperfect life due to others. The message in the novel is what raises its level of reality in the novel. The realism of the novel adds to its popularity and is what creates its...more Rule of the bone Russel Banks Harper Perennial,1996,400pp.,$13.95 ISBN 0060927240

“Life isn’t perfect”. As cliché as this may sound, it proves to be true in circumstances that involve individuals who are surrounded by negative influences. In Rule of The Bone, by Russell Banks, the protagonist Chappie is an example of an imperfect life due to others. The message in the novel is what raises its level of reality in the novel. The realism of the novel adds to its popularity and is what creates its “page-turner” quality.
Chappie is a fourteen year old with a chaotic life. The sequence of events in his life is interesting. His father left him when he was five and then his mother married an alcoholic. The reader eventually finds out that his stepfather abuses him, adding to the list of imperfection in Chappie’s life. Chappie and his best friend Russ are high school dropouts that run away, marking the downward spiral that his life takes. Later in his life he meets an illegal Jamaican immigrant, Iman, who becomes Chappie’s mentor. His philosophies are what lead Chappie to an improved life.
Rule of the Bone will be loved by anyone who reads it, due to its style and tone. These two literary techniques are responsible for the reality of Rule of The Bone. Teenagers could at least remotely relate to Chappie and his struggles. Russell Banks creates the “teen angst” element, which captures why the book is so relatable. Another factor that adds to the reality of the novel is Chappie’s stream of consciousness. Banks lets the reader into Chappie’s head by showing how quickly his thoughts jump around, just as any person does on a daily basis.
This is a great book with many many surprises that will sneak up on you like a fox and will leave you astonished. I recommended this phenomenal piece of writing to anyone looking for a good read. Thrilling and suprising, you will not be able to put the book down.
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Jun 21, 2007 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: yafiction

eh... the main character is compelling but... but... I don't know. There is something surface about the whole thing. I kind of hate that the healing balm for the kid's smothered soul comes in the guise of a jamaican rasta dude -- a gimmick to give the story a little exotic flavoring??? and if the whole point is for the kid to know himself, i don't think the book teaches anything. He never stops looking outside himself for his sense of self.

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Jan 26, 2009 Ian added it

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks is a story about a young boy named Chappie. Chappie lives with his mom and step dad in a small town in upstate New York in the Lake Placid area. Chappie, just 13 at the time grows a fondness for marijuana and hangs out with a tough crowd that is all very much older than him. As time goes on Chappie becomes more and more addicted to weed and alcohol. This addiction eventually leads him to stealing from his mother to buy drugs and he gets kicked out of the house b...more Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks is a story about a young boy named Chappie. Chappie lives with his mom and step dad in a small town in upstate New York in the Lake Placid area. Chappie, just 13 at the time grows a fondness for marijuana and hangs out with a tough crowd that is all very much older than him. As time goes on Chappie becomes more and more addicted to weed and alcohol. This addiction eventually leads him to stealing from his mother to buy drugs and he gets kicked out of the house because of it. This is where his journey really begins. He takes off with a friend of his named Russ and they begin their lives on the road as homeless teenagers. With no car, no shelter and little to no money the boys spend their money on food and drugs. Through a strange turn of events Chappie gets the nick name Bone and from that point on is always referred to as that. Bone and Russ eventually go their separate ways, they were best friends for a long time but the isolation they shared for so long while they were on the run eventually drove them to dislike and then to hate each other. Bone does not take this easy and feels like his best friend deserted him after contributing to getting him in the difficult situation. After Bone recovers from the loss he regroups and decides that nothing can be accomplished by just hoping things will get better. With this new proactive attitude Bone retraces his steps. After being turned away by his mother and again having nowhere to go Bone crashes in a bus with a Rastafarian man who called himself “I-man”. He preached finding “I-self” which is like finding what is really important to you. Following I-Man’s lead Bone then goes on a very strange and exciting journey that you definitely will not see coming.
Personally I liked this book for a few reasons. Rule of the Bone had a lot of things that the rest of the books I read this semester did not. In the book the main character was a younger boy who was a drug user. I thought that this was a nice change because at the very least I haven’t read too many books where the main character is a 13 year old druggy; it adds a different element to the story. Something I really liked also was that the book took place in the Adirondacks about 2 hours north of here. Having been in the area that the book describes made it really easy to imagine what was going or at least where the events were taking place. The other big thing that I liked was that the book was very unpredictable. The story will look like its going one way and all the sudden it’s going in a direction that you couldn’t imagine. The unpredictability of the book keeps you on your toes and definitely keeps you interested. These are a few reasons that I can think of why I liked the book and if any of that sounds interesting to you I would highly recommend this book for you.
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Apr 23, 2007 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those that think holden caulfield is a little, priviledged bitch

Shelves: morethanonce

Rule of the Bone is a book about a fourteen year old kid who fails out of school, is already hooked on drugs, and is being secretly abused my his stepfather. I know this sounds dark, but Bone, the main character, is, perhaps, one of the most "together" narrators. He knows his flaws and the world's flaws, but this does not stop him from living the existence he chooses--to be homeless and kind of a mallrat. Have you ever met a complete druggie loser and have realized that he is smarter and more in...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Meghan Fidler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-literature

Handed to me with the description "this is a whiteness study," Russell Bank's "Rule of Bone" presents the stream of consciousness of a young boy Chappie (later known as Bone). The flowing nature of this kind of story-telling makes the book difficult to put down, but this style can also fell unpolished and choppy. Banks overcomes this limitation at times, leaving the reader with well-crafted thought-descriptions like the following:

I remember the singer and his wife lying in their perfect bodies o...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Max Klein rated it 5 of 5 stars

Max Klein
Rich
English 10
31 August 2011
Book Review C

Banks, Russel. Rule of the Bone; “A Novel”. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1995.

Rule of the Bone by Russel Banks is a fantastic read because of the experiences, and memories of the main character, Chappie (or Bone later in the book). Russel Banks does a great job of incorporating the crazy experiences of a rebel teen into a book that sounds believable. The description that Banks puts into certain scenes really makes the book fun, and...more Max Klein
Rich
English 10
31 August 2011
Book Review C

Banks, Russel. Rule of the Bone; “A Novel”. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1995.

Rule of the Bone by Russel Banks is a fantastic read because of the experiences, and memories of the main character, Chappie (or Bone later in the book). Russel Banks does a great job of incorporating the crazy experiences of a rebel teen into a book that sounds believable. The description that Banks puts into certain scenes really makes the book fun, and enjoyable to read start to finish.
Some of the experiences that Chappie goes through at the young age of 15 are amazing. Even though it is a fiction book Russel Banks does a great job of making it sound believable. The situations that the 15 year old are in are crazy “it looked like the whole room was burning. It was a combination of beautiful and scary probably like war. The room went up like one of those smart bombs’d hit it and when me and Russ reached the ground we turned and stood there and looked up amazed at the sight” (Banks 80). The language that Russel Banks uses through out the novel makes it more believable. By writing the way a teenager thinks, Russel makes it feel as though you were Chappie in the scenarios. The amount of description that Banks adds to the book also makes it way more believable, and interesting.
Rule of the Bone is my favorite book at the moment because of the description that is so vivid through out the book. “I was slumped over sitting on one of the pillows watching the candle flame when suddenly this spider came drifting down from the ceiling and hovered over the flame for a minute and then like it’d gotten too hot the spider started trying to climb back up on its web. It struggled and fought but it was too late, the web turned into a gold wire and the spider lost it and dropped onto the flame where it got instantly crisped and its tiny ashy body floated up on the heat a ways and then it disappeared into thin air” (Banks 260). Banks takes an entire paragraph describing an action as simple as a spider being burnt by a candle. These small, seemingly insignificant additions make all the difference in a book to me. This is what takes Rule of the Bone from being an OK book to being a great book.
Banks does a fantastic job of portraying a rebellious teen’s journey through the United States and Jamaca. Through out the whole book Russel Banks keeps the novel interesting and fun to read. After my 3rd time reading Rule of the Bone I still enjoy every page and would recommend it to a friend.
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Sep 30, 2011 Patrice Sartor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, different-culture, friendship, growing-up, love-sex-romance, parent-child, racial-relations, violent, drugs-alcohol-and-or-crime

See how many shelves I put this book on? Doing so has made me realize how very involved Rule of the Bone is. There is a LOT going on, and it never slows down. The story only spans 1.5-2 years of the life of the protagonist, yet Bone's (formerly Chappie) change from 14 to 15 is tremendous. We also learn a bit about his troubled past, including (view spoiler).

Bone begins to mature once he meets I-Man, a true-blue Rastafarian...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Adrian added it

In the novel Rule Of The Bone by Russell Banks is a dramatic book. Its about a teen named Chappie, that struggles with his addiction to marijuana. Also on the other hand he is having conflicts with his mom and step father ken. Chappies addiction to marijuana is out of hand. Whatever he sees that is valuable and worth money, he will sell so he can get high. He even stole things from his own home when he used to live with his mother. Thats what brang the conflicts at home between him and his famil...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-grade-advisory

By: Russell Banks Pages:390

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks is about a boy named Chappie Dorset. the book is set in upstate new york where Chappie lives with his mother and step-father. In the beginning of the book we are told that Chappie's step-father has been repeatedly sexually abusing him. This really impacted Chappie because he was unable to trust people and began to be a rebel at a very young age. This rebellion lead to Chappie being thrown out of his house. With no where to go and nobod...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Kenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

The rule of the bone by Russell Banks is a good book. This book shows the idea of how conflict can build character. In this novel, Chappie a 13 year old boy embarks on a journey through life wich would change his perspective on life forever.
Chappies was introduced to the use of drugs at an early age. He started smoking weed and hanging around the wrong people. From this point on everything seemed to go down hill. Chappie ran away from home. After that his relationship with his mom was drainin...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Hassan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Being 14 years old, homeless, and having no income sounds like a horrible life and when you hear someone lived that life you probably won't believe it. Chappie from the novel "Rule Of The Bone" by Russell Banks tells you his story about how he made one mistake and that changed his life forever.
He leaves his house and has no where to go except to his older friends who aren't the best influences. He has to move around and around cause he has no permanant place and has to hide from everyone that c...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Jana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks is a compelling fictional tale about a teenager named Chappie, who runs away from home due to boiling tension with his parents. It it set in modern day Upstate, New York. Chappie's issue was mainly towards his step-father Ken, who sexually abused him as a child. Upon Chappie's departure from home, he finds himself scrounging for money and food with his older, yet misguided best friend Russ. Chappie and Russ both encounter situations which are very uncommon for 1...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Ryan rated it 2 of 5 stars

After reading The Sweet Hereafter I expected to be on a Russell Banks kick. I LOVED The Sweet Hereafter - it is such an amazing book. I loved the form of interviews that Banks used to tell the story. And then I read this. Rule of the Bone was a real let down for me. I'd even call it a disappointment. It felt so false, so contrived.

Prior to reading this book, I saw the film adaptation of The Sweet Hereafter and listened to Banks speak after. He said he felt Rule of the Bone and T.S.H., if he had...more After reading The Sweet Hereafter I expected to be on a Russell Banks kick. I LOVED The Sweet Hereafter - it is such an amazing book. I loved the form of interviews that Banks used to tell the story. And then I read this. Rule of the Bone was a real let down for me. I'd even call it a disappointment. It felt so false, so contrived.

Prior to reading this book, I saw the film adaptation of The Sweet Hereafter and listened to Banks speak after. He said he felt Rule of the Bone and T.S.H., if he had his way, would be paired together, to be read as one book. R.O.T.B. being a sequel, if you will, to T.S.H. That they shared similar themes of not caring for our (America's) children, and characters. I was so excited. I couldn't wait. But alas, ROTB was just awful. The narrator, which Banks also referred to as his Holden Caulfield, was completely unreliable, and not in a good way. I believed nothing that this character did, or said. I believe none of things that happened to him could ever, or would ever, happen. The voice? Awful. It just didn't ring true. It felt forced. As a reader, I merely envisioned Banks sitting at his desk saying "Yes! Brilliant! This is EXACTLY the way a teen boy thinks. The way he speaks. What a genius I am."

On to plot. Bad. Very. Bad. It was as though Banks made all the easy choices. I couldn't figure out if Banks was trying this as a device, if he was purposefully setting this character up as a kind of "everyman" - getting into every imaginable nook and cranny, every hardship - to make a point. But as the book went on, I realized that I think Banks just wanted to wrap it all up in a neat package. The character actually went to Jamaica, where low and behold, he found his....long lost father! What???? Up until this point I was hanging on, willing Banks to not go this route. I just couldn't believe it.

I could go on, but I'll choose to stop here. I stand by TSH - it is such a wonderful book. It made such an impact on me. Read that one, but please, leave ROTB on the shelf.(less)

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Oct 03, 2009 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a taboo, edgy story of a young loner rebel on the run from a broken home, and his subsequent experience being a victim and a hero, with various bikers, serious criminals, and Rastafarians. It is a suspenseful, awful, and sometimes quite funny, coming-of-age story, but it is not for the faint of heart nor realist. I read this book many years ago and got to experience it recently again through gifting it to my loving, metal-head, non-reading, cousin. (I enjoy getting better at recomme...more

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Jan 03, 2013 PescePirata rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Non sarei stato lo stesso se non avessi letto questo romanzo. Certi romanzi ti scelgono da uno scaffale, li porti alla cassa senza nemmeno sapere perchè. E ti cambiano.
La storia è una storia di evoluzione, un ragazzino che scappa da casa e trova nel corso del romanzo una propria identità, passando dalla ribellione fine a sè stessa a maturare una propria personalità. Sbanda, fa cose sbagliate, conosce gente strana, viene adottato da una banda di Bikers fascistoidi, vive in un autobus abbandonato...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Sarah Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fiction-adult, favorites

Drugs. Identity. Broken families. Slavery. Ashanti warriors and Rastafarians. White privilege. Journey.

This is how I would describe Rule of the Bone.

Just read this book for the first time in a decade. I thought about recommending it to people, but when I read the professional reviews on Amazon, I rewondered if my 26-year-old self would like it as much as my 16-year-old self. I did! And in different ways, I think.

Bone is really a story about finding yourself in the suckiest of situations, even wh...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Snotchocheez rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are some books that are just so implausible that you cannot suspend disbelief enough to derive any enjoyment from reading them. "Rule of the Bone" falls dangerously close into that category, but the earnest writing of Russell Banks redeems itself in the end.

The implausibility in this case comes from the protagonist and narrator, a 13 year old homeless juvenile delinquent/drug dealer/miscreant/ne'er-do-well in upstate New York who after finding his life turn to sh*t, finds a Rastafarian Jam

...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Celeste rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Rule of the Bone" By Russell Banks this book is more or less realistic fiction. "Rule of the Bone" off the back approachs the issue of Neglect and a family's darkside. Chappie is abused by his stepfather sexually which leads him to indulge in smoking marijuana on a daily basis and not being able to show who he really is in fear of being judged for the truth, he rather be judged for a lie.

Chappie's relationship with his mother faces struggles throughout the book due to the fact that she is kep...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fascinating novel by an author I really like. It could be classified as a boy's coming of age, but with so many unusual twists, that it doesn't fit well into that genre. Chappie, later to become Bone, is a teenager living a painful, traumatized life with a seemingly sociopathic family. The rawness of his experience living on a total subsistence level as he experiences situations of an underlife in rural upstate New York hit the reader deeply. The places he lives and the characters he...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I have read this book a number of times and have fell in love with it each time!! I checked it out at the Mitchellville Public Library when I was in Junior High on a whim and could instantly relate to the main character. I ended up buying that book from the library and taking it everywhere with me. Every time I read it I got something new out of it and discovered something new about myself and life. I read it multiple times in high school and again in my adult life. For my 26th Birthday my lovel...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Sarah Vega rated it 1 of 5 stars

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks is a compelling fictional novel about a 14 year old boy who is hooked on marijuana due to a intense past of sexual abuse by his stepfather. The main Character, Chappie, turns to drugs to numb out his feelings. However, this results in his incapability to remain in his parents household. Chappie is soul searching as he explores a life of drugs, sex, abuse, lonliness, and criminality. Over all the book was a bit of a disapiontment. Chappie was presented through ou...more

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Jun 06, 2010 Ladon Stephney rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Rule of the Bone is about a boy named russ who runs away from his home because he keeps getting in trouble with his parents and cant take it anymore. When he ran away he went to his friends house and face alot of challenges while he was there. I have a texet to text connection for Rule of the Bone. This book connects to the book Up Country. I say that because in Up Country the main charactor carl runs away from his home because his mom is a drunk and he doesnt want to live with her any...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Kathie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed reading Russell Banks novels. The characters and their situations grab you and don't let go. This story was no different. It was narrated by the main character, a 14 year old boy who some reviewers have compared to a modern day Huck Finn or Holden Caufield. Unlike those books, this story is not for children. Chappie, who evolves into his new name, "The Bone" was involved in some unbelievable adventures/situations that should make parents want to hold tight to their kids to keep th...more

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May 03, 2009 Cari rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Rule of the Bone" is a true "good read". Bone, the 15-year-old protagonist and narrator of this novel, is unique and tells his story with (to steal a bit from the comments on the back cover) a clarity of vision that is both enviable and refreshing. To my mind, Banks nailed the tone of a displaced and frequently disaffected but fundamentally good teenager. The story is fast-paced and ranges from upstate New York to Jamaica as Bone tries to find his destiny, goal, path or really what he should do...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Allison Means rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you liked LESS THAN ZERO this will be your kind of book.

It's a coming of age story of a young boy who is immersed in a world of drugs and has a lot of pretty messed up encounters with degenerates of every ilk. In this way it's really depressing, but because of the way he's telling the story and what he chooses to focus on it's not too bad.

When I first heard about this book I was told it was a story of a kid with no parents, out there on his own... not exactly true. He HAS parents, but they'...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Jessie W. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was kind of challenging compared to the books I usually read. It is very detailed and realistic, which was surprising because I wasn't expecting that when I first picked up the book. The plot has a good pace, but at times it seemed a little slow.
The main character, Bone, grows throughout the entire story and you get to see how he changes and how he becomes a better and more caring person. At first, Bone is just a normal teenage boy, who is into smoking weed and doesn't really seem to c...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-grade

This book is about a kid named Chappie, who becomes interested in drugs and smoking, he's the type that no parent wants. At only the age of 14, he decides to cut a mohawk, get a nose ring, and become deeply addicted to drugs; he is even willing to go home and rob his own family in order to have cash for the cigarettes. After his mom and his stepfather finds out, Chappie decides to sleep at a friend's and forget about his family. This book talks about his adventures while being away from home. A...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Lee Krieger rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd give a mixed review for this book. As many others have alluded to, it is a tale that seems split into two unequal halves. The first part floats along and you begin to understand Bone's struggle and root for his emancipation from an obvious dysfunctional, abusive family situation. Likewise, his adventures with the bikers, the Bong Brothers and Buster Brown/Sister Rose are all interesting enough to make you keep the pages turning. However, I tend to agree with the bulk of other reviewers who f...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Noah A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the book "Rule of the Bone", by Russell Banks. I liked the book a lot and think it is a good read and I recommend it to anyone. The book is about a teenaged boy named Chappie and his adventures in trying to find himself a home and family.

One thing I like about it is how the book is very interested and relatable. Chappie is a young kid who is lost in the world and has divorced parents, doesn't know his real dad, and is abused by his step-dad. Chappie does whatever he can to get by, by sta...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Remi Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

i loved this book. It touched my heart. it's the story of throw away teen and his journey to become a man. It's written in first person present tense similar to Catcher in the Rye. The difference being Holden was a loved young man, Bone is not. It's hard to think of kids this way.

It's a sprawling tale filled with stream of consciousness and run on sentences and poor speech as some of the reviewers have noted. This is integral to the character. he was not educated at East Coast boarding schools...more

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About Russell Banks

Russell Banks is a member of the International Parliament of Writers and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His work has been translated into twenty languages and has received numerous international prizes and awards. He has written fiction, and more recently, non-fiction, with Dreaming up America. His main works include the novels Continental Drift, Rule of the Bone, Cloudsplit...more

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“But when you’re a kid it’s like you’re wearing these binoculars strapped to your eyes and you can’t see anything except what’s in the dead center of the lenses” — 3 people liked it

“They were totally alone, those kids, like each had been accidentally sent to earth from a distant planet to live among adult humans and be dependent on them for everything because compared to the adult humans they were extremely fragile creatures and didn't know the language or how anything here worked and hadn't arrived with any money. And because they were like forbidden by the humans to use their old language they'd forgotten it so they couldn't be much company or help to each other either. They couldn't even talk about the old days and so pretty soon they forgot there ever were any old days and all there was now was life on earth with adult humans who called them children and acted toward them like they owned them and like they were objects not living creatures with souls.” — 2 people liked it

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