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55th out of 401 books
—
296 voters
Mercy Among the Children
When twelve-year-old Sidney Henderson pushes his friend Connie off the roof of a local church in a moment of anger, he makes a silent vow: Let Connie live and I will never harm another soul. At that very moment, Connie stands, laughs, and walks away. Sidney keeps his promise through adulthood despite the fact that his insular, rural community uses his pacifism to exploit h...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
October 8th 2002
by Washington Square Press
(first published 2000)
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I take great interest in any novel that explores violence, so David Adams Richards's Mercy Among the Children, with all its accolades and set as it is just across the bridge from the island where I live, was a must read.
I had high expectations because Mercy Among the Children tied Anil's Ghost (another book about violence) for Canada's Giller Prize, and because everyone I knew who'd read it adored it. By the time I was finished, though, the most I could muster for this book was an "It's okay."
An...more
I had high expectations because Mercy Among the Children tied Anil's Ghost (another book about violence) for Canada's Giller Prize, and because everyone I knew who'd read it adored it. By the time I was finished, though, the most I could muster for this book was an "It's okay."
An...more
Uma escrita e enredo de grande qualidade, aconselho a sua leitura; no final fiquei com a sensação que tinha lido algo que valeu a pena.
O livro faz-nos refletir sobre as fragilidades do ser humano e isso é sempre importante; nem sempre é possível a redenção e o sentimento que fica é de tristeza, uma profunda tristeza!
O livro faz-nos refletir sobre as fragilidades do ser humano e isso é sempre importante; nem sempre é possível a redenção e o sentimento que fica é de tristeza, uma profunda tristeza!
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At the age of twelve, Sidney Henderson, in a moment of anger, pushes his friend Connie Devlin off the roof of a local church. Looking down on Connie’s motionless body, Sidney believes he is dead. Let Connie live and I will never harm another soul, Sidney vows. At that moment, Connie stands up and, laughing, walks away. In the years that follow, the brilliant, self-educated, ever-gentle Sidney keeps his promise, even in the face of the hatred and persecution of his insular, rural community, which...more
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards was originally published in 2000. Richards won the Giller Prize (Canada's most prestigious literary award), and the Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award for Author of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year for Mercy Among the Children.
Oh. My. Goodness. This is an incredible, heart breaking novel that will haunt me for years to come. The story of Sydney Henderson's family, as told by grown son Lyle, is about the price they all pay for Sydn...more
Oh. My. Goodness. This is an incredible, heart breaking novel that will haunt me for years to come. The story of Sydney Henderson's family, as told by grown son Lyle, is about the price they all pay for Sydn...more
I accidentally bought this book twice (used both times), and can honestly say I don't regret either purchases.
This is definitely not a novel to read if you're looking for something uplifting, because, as others have said already, it's sad. As soon as it looks like things are going to get better, it doesn't. But even though it's so sad, I couldn't put the book down, and for me, that's what made this such an amazing novel.
Richards uses such amazing imagery that at times it reads like poetry. The c...more
This is definitely not a novel to read if you're looking for something uplifting, because, as others have said already, it's sad. As soon as it looks like things are going to get better, it doesn't. But even though it's so sad, I couldn't put the book down, and for me, that's what made this such an amazing novel.
Richards uses such amazing imagery that at times it reads like poetry. The c...more
Jul 11, 2011
Shirley Schwartz
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
prize-winners,
my-5-star-reads
This book is filled with overwhelming sadness which somehow does not descend into hopelessness or melodrama. It is a difficult book to read. David Richards does not spare his prose when describing the everlasting poverty of the Henderson family. There is greatness in this family. The father Sydney is a truly honourable and brave man who will never show his anger to any other person, including his family. There is the mother Elly, who is a beautiful simple soul and one that unscrupulous people fe...more
I wasn't really planning to read another David Adams Richards book, after not really enjoying The Friends of Meager Fortune. I don't know, maybe I just didn't "get" it at the time. I picked this one up only because of Canada Reads, where it's being defended by the wonderful and talented Sarah Slean.
A most excellent passage:
"Men can grow up on my river, or in my province or anywhere and see nothing of violence or anger. There is as much rich or middle class here as anywhere - I have dealt with t...more
A most excellent passage:
"Men can grow up on my river, or in my province or anywhere and see nothing of violence or anger. There is as much rich or middle class here as anywhere - I have dealt with t...more
This was a depressing book, and I fail to see the point of all that misery, unless the message is the trite and obvious (and, unfortunately, false) one that goodness prevails in the end. It resembles a Shakespearean tragedy, in that the tragic flaws of the characters lead to much death and destruction.
Like the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness," the poverty, misfortune, and cruelty in this novel is so overwhelming, for such a long period of time, that when the tides finally turn, it is far too li...more
Like the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness," the poverty, misfortune, and cruelty in this novel is so overwhelming, for such a long period of time, that when the tides finally turn, it is far too li...more
Set in a rural, poor, backwoods community in northern New Brunswick, Syndey Henderson makes a pact with God to never harm another soul in his life, after he pushes his friends off the top of a roof, in a tussle. His friend doesn't die and Sydney then lives his life as he had promised God.
Sydney has a wife and 2 children. He is the butt of nasty pranks and the scape goat in this community for everything bad that happens. Even his children are abused in school and around town. A kid at school, sta...more
Sydney has a wife and 2 children. He is the butt of nasty pranks and the scape goat in this community for everything bad that happens. Even his children are abused in school and around town. A kid at school, sta...more
This novel begins with two boys shoveling the snow off the roof of a church. They argue and one boy pushes the other and he falls to the ground. As he watches the boy motionless on the ground, the pusher sends a prayer to God. If he lets he pushed boy be OK, he will never strike out in anger again. The boy on the ground gets up and walks away unharmed. The other boy keeps his promise, and its impact on him and his children is the story of the novel. The idea of turning the other cheek is one tha...more
I found Sydney's character to be the most loathsome I have ever come across. And I do not say that lightly. For somebody to use the concept of high morals to justify allowing every member of his family to be battered and abused and to do absolutely nothing is completely unrealistic.
It is perfectly possible to be a good, moral human being and look after the people you love using these very parameters. Sydney just did not. He was utterly selfish in his supposed drive to be a good person, which I f...more
The novels of David Adams Richards exist to (1) showcase some of the finest, emotionally-draining human drama ever committed to the printed pages, and (2) to slowly destroy my soul and my will to live with each and every book. Be warned: Richard's books are NOT for the timid...and THIS is perhaps the most powerful work in his canon of writing.
Really didn't want to put this one down. Got completely drawn in to the world of the Hendersons and their tiny house and sad stories. Very well written.
There were a few elements which stretched credulity: except for Lyle the Henderson family seemed too good to be true, for example, while the Pits were just the opposite. I also thought it was unlikely that Sydney would have left his family for quite such a long stretch of time. Some odd repetitions, too: more than one character (in the space of...more
There were a few elements which stretched credulity: except for Lyle the Henderson family seemed too good to be true, for example, while the Pits were just the opposite. I also thought it was unlikely that Sydney would have left his family for quite such a long stretch of time. Some odd repetitions, too: more than one character (in the space of...more
This is a very well written book, well deserving of its Giller prize. It evokes a sense of place, with the river and forest well described. This is also a profoundly sad, bleak, disturbing story. This is not a book for anyone who needs their stories wrapped up with everything resolved in a happy ending. At times I wanted to throw the book across the room, but couldn't stop reading long enough to do so.
The setting is a small backwoods town with most of the main characters beset by poverty, alcoh...more
The setting is a small backwoods town with most of the main characters beset by poverty, alcoh...more
I loved this book. It was thoughtful, beautifully written and heartbreaking. It made it in to my top five books of all time.
The novel depicts the family of Sydney Henderson, a man who vowed in childhood never to express himself in anger or violence after accidentally pushing a playmate off the roof of a building. As a result of his vow, residents of the community exploit Henderson, framing him for a crime and tormenting his children. The injustices are just staggering! The novel closely focuses...more
The novel depicts the family of Sydney Henderson, a man who vowed in childhood never to express himself in anger or violence after accidentally pushing a playmate off the roof of a building. As a result of his vow, residents of the community exploit Henderson, framing him for a crime and tormenting his children. The injustices are just staggering! The novel closely focuses...more
I haven't read a book this dark since Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. But Mercy Among the Children is not nearly as well-written as that masterpiece of a novel, and sometimes I felt the author was being a little gratuitous with his darkness. "Oh, look at me, I'm so morbid and grim, what else can I do to fuck with these characters' lives?"
The first three quarters of the book were such a slog, if it wasn't for the long(ish) climax of the last 120 pages, this book would have gotten two s...more
The first three quarters of the book were such a slog, if it wasn't for the long(ish) climax of the last 120 pages, this book would have gotten two s...more
Stumbled across Incidents in the Life of Marcus Paul and loved it so I read this one which is also very good. I think Marcus Paul probably suffers because it comes after and has a number of similarities, but I would definitely recommend both. My only problem with Mercy Among the Children is that the ebook version I read was really poorly formatted. Several mistakes including some missing sections! I hope they were just sentences, but it made for a frustrating reading experience. The price was ri...more
I'm not sure how this book ended up at my house, but it randomly appeared on the bookcase in my office and I'm really glad it did.
The story and the writing style reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, but maybe just in that the narrator is very detached and the setting seems like somewhere McCarthy would choose.
We've got a huge cast of characters that is so inbred and into-each-other's-business that the circles that spiral around and around from the first page to the last are really incredible in the w...more
The story and the writing style reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, but maybe just in that the narrator is very detached and the setting seems like somewhere McCarthy would choose.
We've got a huge cast of characters that is so inbred and into-each-other's-business that the circles that spiral around and around from the first page to the last are really incredible in the w...more
I found this to be a rip your heart and soul out of your body book!! Wonderfully written as well as the author's painted verbatim of Eastern Canada. Anyone who lives in a rural area will delight in the picturesqueness of this novel.
A young boy is indelibly, emotionally wounded by an accident on another child. He takes to heart the seriousness of this experience and forges ahead with his life feeling inner guilt and not wanting to even argue with anyone. Arguing could lead to his crumbling that...more
A young boy is indelibly, emotionally wounded by an accident on another child. He takes to heart the seriousness of this experience and forges ahead with his life feeling inner guilt and not wanting to even argue with anyone. Arguing could lead to his crumbling that...more
I found this book a tough read - tough in that internally I was always fighting with the main character, a man who made a promise to himself and stayed with the promise his whole life. This enabled him to die in peace, but in keeping his promise to himself he made life really, really difficult for his own family.
The poverty that continues throughout the whole book - it just never seems to get better, just worse - made the read hard. But then heh, that is the reality of some people's lives - than...more
The poverty that continues throughout the whole book - it just never seems to get better, just worse - made the read hard. But then heh, that is the reality of some people's lives - than...more
This is an incredible, heart breaking novel that will haunt people. The story of Sydney Henderson's family, as told by grown son Lyle, is about the price they all pay for Sydney's refusal to abandon his principles. The novel is stronger and richer because it is told from the son's point of view. It is about the nature of good and evil, and the relationship between fathers and sons. But it is very sad. I wanted some justice for Sydney and his family. I wanted Sydney to fight back, but Richards ke...more
WOW! What a book. You don't truly appreciate the story until you get well into the book but it is esy to see why the author won the prestigious Giller prize. I loved the book and it truly makes you think as you read the story of the poverty striken Henderson family and all they go through. Sidney is a good man and you have to wonder where that goodness gets him...not very far.
Now that I've read it and know the ending, I want to reread it and see what I missed along the way the first time. It's...more
Now that I've read it and know the ending, I want to reread it and see what I missed along the way the first time. It's...more
Not a perfect novel IMO. I felt for the first 2/3 especially as tho it was set in the 30s, rather than relatively modern times.
There were some smallish things that bothered me like 9000 people gathered in the town hall of a community that sounded from the way the story was written, as tho it might have been a community of about 200 people at most. And it was more than a bit repetitious on some details.
But, the book was very big on "I wonder what will happen next?" so I didn't get bored and quit...more
There were some smallish things that bothered me like 9000 people gathered in the town hall of a community that sounded from the way the story was written, as tho it might have been a community of about 200 people at most. And it was more than a bit repetitious on some details.
But, the book was very big on "I wonder what will happen next?" so I didn't get bored and quit...more
Okay, I'm starting to think my boss doesn't like me - this is the second book that she has given me that I didn't like.
Again, I had high hopes for this book - it won the Giller in 2000 and the premise sounded promising. But that's where it ended. The characters frustrated me to no end. They seemed to either be too good to the point that they didn't want to stand up for themselves (ie. Sydney and Elly) or used and abused people all the way (Lyle, Mathew, Connie, Cynthia). The story wandered every...more
Again, I had high hopes for this book - it won the Giller in 2000 and the premise sounded promising. But that's where it ended. The characters frustrated me to no end. They seemed to either be too good to the point that they didn't want to stand up for themselves (ie. Sydney and Elly) or used and abused people all the way (Lyle, Mathew, Connie, Cynthia). The story wandered every...more
I read For Those Who Hunted the Wounded Down to ensure my teenage son read it for his English class. Lucky for me I did. It introduced me to a new (new to me) author who I plan to read lots more of. Mercy Among the Children...a heartwrenching, spiritual novel that demands us to have a close look at ourselves...if if doesn't do that for you...I think you've missed something. I rarely read a book twice but in this case I will because it was so deep, I'm sure I didn't catch every little detail. I h...more
This book feels almost epic in the sense that it does span three generations, though it is focussed mainly on the third. Lyle tells his story to Mr. Terrieux who saved 16 yr old Matthew Pit from drowning. The events of Lyle's life happened because Mat Pit survived and his actions subsequently impacted Lyle's family.
It's the story of poverty, comparing poverty of money and poverty of love. It is utterly tragic in so many ways, even though there's always the glimmer of hope, the belief that the h...more
It's the story of poverty, comparing poverty of money and poverty of love. It is utterly tragic in so many ways, even though there's always the glimmer of hope, the belief that the h...more
I had to read this book for my English ISU and at first, I was greatly disappointed. This book is extremely depressing and very heart-wrenching. Then, as I continued to read, I fell in love with the characters and the struggles that each one of them had to face. This book is very well written. The author writes using beautiful metaphors and in a very timeless manner. This book is a life lesson trapped in 300 pages. I learned so much about society and how the way people act can affect them in lif...more
I only read this one because of Canada Reads and because Random House sent us copies. I must admit, I liked this better than any of the David Adams Richards' books that I'd read in the past. Still, his books are bleak, dark and depressing. I generally dislike all of the characters, but found that I felt some empathy for some of the characters in this one. I also found that while I don't like his subject matter, I did like some of the writing style.
So he gets a nod from me, but I'm not going to r...more
So he gets a nod from me, but I'm not going to r...more
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David Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet.
Born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Richards left St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, one course shy of completing a B.A. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at various universities and colleges across Canada, including the University of New Brunswick.
Richards has received numerou...more
More about David Adams Richards...
Born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Richards left St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, one course shy of completing a B.A. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at various universities and colleges across Canada, including the University of New Brunswick.
Richards has received numerou...more
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“There is no worse flaw in man's character than that of wanting to belong.”
—
11 people liked it
“What should I get from books?” Alcide asked in French.
That you are not alone — even along this broken tractor road. You need to know nothing else,” my father answered in French.”
—
7 people liked it
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That you are not alone — even along this broken tractor road. You need to know nothing else,” my father answered in French.”
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