false 227711 29 This much is true for sure: Lamb's second novel (after the bestselling, Oprah-selected She's Come Undone) is a hefty read. Some may be daunted by its length, its seemingly obsessive inclusion of background details and its many digressions. The topics it unflinchingly explores: mental illness, dysfunctional families, domestic abuse are rendered with unsparing candor. But thanks to well-sustained dramatic tension, funky gallows humor and some shocking surprises, this sinuous story of one family's dark secrets and recurring patterns of behavior largely succeeds in its ambitious reach. The narrative explores the theme of sibling responsibility, depicting the moral and emotional conundrum of an identical twin whose love for his afflicted brother is mixed with resentment, bitterness and guilt. Narrator Dominick Birdsey, once a high-school history teacher and now, at 40, a housepainter in upstate Connecticut, relates the process that led to his twin Thomas's schizophrenic paranoia and the resulting chaos in both their lives. The book opens with a horrific scene in which Thomas slices off his right hand, declaring it a sacrifice demanded by God. Flashbacks illuminate the boys' difficult childhoods: illegitimate, they never knew their father; diffident, gentle Thomas was verbally and physically abused by their bullying stepfather, who also terrorized their ineffectual mother. Scenes from the pivotal summer of 1969, when Dominick betrayed Thomas and others in crucial ways, are juxtaposed with his current life: his frustrating relationship with his scatterbrained live-in, Joy; his enduring love for his ex-wife, Dessa; his memories of their baby's death and of his mother's sad and terrified existence. All of this unfolds against his urgent need to release Thomas from a mental institution and the psychiatric sessions that finally force Dominick to acknowledge his own self-destructive impulses. Lamb takes major risks in spreading his narrative over more than 900 pages. Long stretches are filled with the raunchy, foul-mouthed humor of teenaged Dominick and his friends. Yet the details of working-class life, particularly the prevalence of self-righteous male machismo and domestic brutality, ring absolutely true. Though the inclusion of a diary written by the twins' Sicilian immigrant grandfather may seem an unnecessary digression at first, its revelations add depth and texture to the narrative. Lastly, what seems a minor subplot turns out to hold the key to many secrets. In tracing Dominick's helplessness against the abuse of power on many levels, Lamb creates a nuanced picture of a flawed but decent man. And the questions that suspensefully permeate the novel, the identity of the twins' father; the mystery of the inscription on their grandfather's tomb; the likelihood of Dominick's reconciliation with his ex-wife contribute to a fully developed and triumphantly resolved exploration of one man's suffering and redemption. - Publishers Weekly 1191096 book 1998 I Know This Much Is True total:26057|5:10795|4:9260|3:4439|2:1140|1:423| 26057 107035 32529 2775 5 12 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 07:49:17 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 07:58:40 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 8 false false Mon May 05 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 11 20:15:52 -0700 2008 Thu May 29 08:04:10 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 7 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 11 16:21:21 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 19 15:21:09 -0800 2008 901 pages
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb is by far the best book I've read in a long time. Calling it my favorite is an understatement; as is trying to sum it up in one review.
During the break, all I wanted to do was read. I read about 300 pages a day! I can't descr...more...]]> 5 5 false false Mon Mar 17 14:25:03 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 17 17:30:20 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 7 true false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Apr 25 21:32:28 -0700 2007 Thu Apr 26 14:54:19 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 5 false false Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 1999 Wed Mar 12 04:42:12 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 07 10:02:00 -0700 2008
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I was reading it while I lived in New York, during the 2 weeks I was holed up in my apartment in New Jersey recovering from the shock of 9/11 . . . adjusting to life all alone in a big city with just my baby daughter (who, at that time, I felt some ambivale...more...]]> 5 3 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Wed Feb 21 04:09:14 -0800 2007 Thu Feb 22 16:48:13 -0800 2007 The book starts out in a shocking way revealing a situation that stuna a little city. Domin...more...]]> 4 3 false false Tue Jul 03 22:27:18 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 03 22:31:08 -0700 2007 more...]]> 1 3 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Sun Feb 03 19:11:24 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 03 19:18:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 5 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 21 07:45:35 -0800 2007 Fri Jan 11 06:52:49 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 6 false false Fri Dec 28 17:14:18 -0800 2007 Mon Jul 07 14:42:18 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 18:55:42 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 18:56:07 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false false Thu Jan 03 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 11 10:20:33 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 13 19:46:24 -0800 2008 I've read this book during a particular time of turmoil in my life and it was just what I needed, I think. The book is a journey through the life of Dominick Birdsey, a 40 year old housepainter who has pretty much reached near bottom in his satisfaction with his life. He is the twin broth...more...]]> 5 2 false false Sat Oct 13 18:39:30 -0700 2007 Sat Oct 13 18:39:45 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 2 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sun Oct 07 18:33:15 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 07 18:45:17 -0700 2007
Though it ended quite well, I remember finishing it and just sobbing. The insights on humanity (both the good and bad parts of it) were...more...]]> 5 2 false false Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu Jan 03 23:50:01 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 04 00:03:18 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 2 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 12 06:57:52 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 04 08:18:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 2 false false Thu Nov 13 10:28:36 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 13 10:30:04 -0800 2008 5 1 false false Sat Nov 08 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 05 06:49:14 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 09 04:31:11 -0800 2008
the book is basically the story of Dominick Birdsey, the "sane" twin brother of a mentally ill Thomas. It deals with his life struggle as twin, caretaker, family member, and friend of this per...more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=6978986