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Crystal Ships
A sweeping saga of American idealism and disillusionment, Richard Sharp’s exquisite Crystal Ships traces the lives of seven friends through two decades of violence, hope, and social revolution.
Sharp spins an epic tale that starts back in the heady days of the Kennedy administration, when Camelot appeared as a shining beacon of hope for all Americans.
But as the years tick on, riots, assassinations, drugs, gender conflicts, and the Vietnam War come crashing into the country’s consciousness.
Through it all, seven very different individuals live out their lives against the backdrop of these monumental events, unwittingly encapsulating the spirit of the time. From a youthful striver from Boston’s Irish working class inspired by JFK, a Harvard-educated, would-be poet of the drug culture, and a dedicated Vietnam War volunteer, to an abused aspiring dancer and her repressed girlfriend, a conflicted housewife-career woman and a South African exchange student following the American dream—each individual carries the burden of the times.
A companion piece to Sharp’s prize-winning novel, The Duke Don’t Dance, the newly released Crystal Ships ultimately stands as a novel for its generation that is simply breathtaking in scope.376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2013
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401 people want to read
About the author
Richard G. Sharp
4 books35 followersRichard Sharp earned a BA from Harvard as well as a Masters Degree from Princeton, launching a career as an international development consultant before recently retiring.His vast experience across the United States and over four dozen countries provides settings for his historically authentic novel settings.
He is the author of "Crystal Ships" (2013) his sweeping epic of America's decades of discontent, the Sixties and Seventies; "The Duke Don’t Dance" (2012),a saga oh the "silent generation," and his 19th century historical novels "Jacob’s Cellar" and "Time is the Oven," tales of the domestic impact of the Civil War and its aftermath. His publications have garnered him multiple accolades, including a place on the Kirkus Best Self-Published Book list (2013), the Independent Publishers gold medal for Best Adult Fiction E-Book award (2013), and a finalist finish in the ForeWord Clarion Firsts (2012) and Reader’s Favorite (2012) categories.
Sharp is married with two adult children.
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He is the author of "Crystal Ships" (2013) his sweeping epic of America's decades of discontent, the Sixties and Seventies; "The Duke Don’t Dance" (2012),a saga oh the "silent generation," and his 19th century historical novels "Jacob’s Cellar" and "Time is the Oven," tales of the domestic impact of the Civil War and its aftermath. His publications have garnered him multiple accolades, including a place on the Kirkus Best Self-Published Book list (2013), the Independent Publishers gold medal for Best Adult Fiction E-Book award (2013), and a finalist finish in the ForeWord Clarion Firsts (2012) and Reader’s Favorite (2012) categories.
Sharp is married with two adult children.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 31, 2014
While reading Crystal Ships by Richard Sharp, it reminded me of a spectacular quote of Oscar Wilde,
“America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.”
And Richard Sharp has strikingly captured that era in American history which influences the whole world to change along with America's drastic effects.
Synopsis:
A sweeping saga of American idealism and disillusionment, Richard Sharp’s exquisite Crystal Ships traces the lives of seven friends through two decades of violence, hope, and cultural change
Sharp spins an epic tale that starts back in the heady days of the Kennedy administration, when Camelot appeared as a shining beacon of hope for all Americans. But as the years tick on, riots, assassinations, drugs, gender conflicts, and the Vietnam War come crashing into the country’s consciousness.
Through it all, seven very different individuals live out their lives against the backdrop of these monumental events, unwittingly encapsulating the spirit of the time. From a youthful striver from Boston’s Irish working class inspired by JFK, a Harvard-educated would-be poet of the drug culture, and a dedicated Vietnam War volunteer, to an abused aspiring dancer and her repressed girlfriend, a conflicted housewife-career woman and a South African exchange student following the American dream, each individual carries the burden of the times.
An epic journey for seven citizens of America, whose lives go upheaval with America's changes in its socio-economic aspect. From finding jobs to surviving this Cold War era, these seven characters are wrapped in an inevitable adventure that not only turns out to be life-changing but also life-threatening, thus justifying the ugly era in America's history. Now here is an award-winning author, Richard Sharp who has once again made his readers to relive that ugly era of American history through his novel, Crystal Ships. And Sharp's eminent seven characters crashes and collides during Kennedy's presidential period to his brutal assassination.
This the kind of novel which makes you see things, which make you believe certain stuffs, which make you trust the truth, and finally which tick your gray cells. Exquisitely written, and flawlessly delivered, Richard Sharp is not skillful, but a master mind, who knows how to take his readers back in time.
Well on the negative side, the characters sometimes left me confused with their mixed-up dialogues, sometimes I felt I was looking hard into their minds, but in return not able to learn anything. The plot is brilliant, but with too much history, the characters sometimes washed up in their demeanor. Moreover, the mysterious aspect of the book was not that strong, I can guess beforehand what was going to happen.
Anyways, still, it's a must read for all those who have lived that era and who have learnt about that era in their history book, and watch yourself getting swept away in time and history when Kennedy almost ruled the whole world.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Richard Sharp, for providing me with a copy of his book, in return for an honest review.
“America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.”
And Richard Sharp has strikingly captured that era in American history which influences the whole world to change along with America's drastic effects.
Synopsis:
A sweeping saga of American idealism and disillusionment, Richard Sharp’s exquisite Crystal Ships traces the lives of seven friends through two decades of violence, hope, and cultural change
Sharp spins an epic tale that starts back in the heady days of the Kennedy administration, when Camelot appeared as a shining beacon of hope for all Americans. But as the years tick on, riots, assassinations, drugs, gender conflicts, and the Vietnam War come crashing into the country’s consciousness.
Through it all, seven very different individuals live out their lives against the backdrop of these monumental events, unwittingly encapsulating the spirit of the time. From a youthful striver from Boston’s Irish working class inspired by JFK, a Harvard-educated would-be poet of the drug culture, and a dedicated Vietnam War volunteer, to an abused aspiring dancer and her repressed girlfriend, a conflicted housewife-career woman and a South African exchange student following the American dream, each individual carries the burden of the times.
An epic journey for seven citizens of America, whose lives go upheaval with America's changes in its socio-economic aspect. From finding jobs to surviving this Cold War era, these seven characters are wrapped in an inevitable adventure that not only turns out to be life-changing but also life-threatening, thus justifying the ugly era in America's history. Now here is an award-winning author, Richard Sharp who has once again made his readers to relive that ugly era of American history through his novel, Crystal Ships. And Sharp's eminent seven characters crashes and collides during Kennedy's presidential period to his brutal assassination.
This the kind of novel which makes you see things, which make you believe certain stuffs, which make you trust the truth, and finally which tick your gray cells. Exquisitely written, and flawlessly delivered, Richard Sharp is not skillful, but a master mind, who knows how to take his readers back in time.
Well on the negative side, the characters sometimes left me confused with their mixed-up dialogues, sometimes I felt I was looking hard into their minds, but in return not able to learn anything. The plot is brilliant, but with too much history, the characters sometimes washed up in their demeanor. Moreover, the mysterious aspect of the book was not that strong, I can guess beforehand what was going to happen.
Anyways, still, it's a must read for all those who have lived that era and who have learnt about that era in their history book, and watch yourself getting swept away in time and history when Kennedy almost ruled the whole world.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Richard Sharp, for providing me with a copy of his book, in return for an honest review.
March 13, 2014
The author has written a beautiful book with captivating dialogue and rich characters. Mr. Sharp does a great job in bringing his characters to life in this well crafted story set against an interesting backdrop that I felt I was living in an era that was well before m own time.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a grand adventure or a more recent historical setting.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a grand adventure or a more recent historical setting.
February 19, 2014
Crystal Ships is an epic tale of drama that is filled with a sense of uncertain destiny. I was only barely familiar with the song, "The Crystal Ships" by Jim Morrison and The Doors, but after I finished reading Richard Sharp's novel I was intrigued enough to listen to the song even though, by my count, 'crystal ships' is mentioned only four times in the book. But playing the song paid off; Morrison's deeply penetrating voice is filled with a sense of longing that is a combination of desperation and hope. I remember the song from my youth but—as I am wont with many popular songs—I do not listen too well or carefully to the lyrics. But as I listened I realized the brilliance in which Sharp captures Morrison's mood to create a poetic, if not spiritual, foundation for Crystal Ships.
The story begins at points in the late 50s and early 60s as the author builds the biographical backgrounds of his central characters who are two young men from Boston and two young women from New Jersey and through whose lives the historical and cultural upheavals of this a critical period in American history are seen to unfold with a visceral personal almost first-hand intimacy for the reader. The backgrounds of the central characters—two men and two women of Irish and Italian (one Italian-Jewish) extraction, respectively—form a sense of the American melting pot in the confluence that was to transform American society in a melting pot that increasingly was to became not only one of ethnicity but of world interests. John F. Kennedy is himself a historical, iconic figure who represents both the hope of change, and of tragedy and disappointment. Young Americans were inspired to begin careers of public service, and many others were mesmerized by the appeal of Camelot...there was so much hope. And then it was over, coming to a crashing end that, in the novel, parallels the demise one of the novel's central characters who explicitly connects and even forebodingly predicts her demise with a sense of connection with Kennedy.
And then comes along Vietnam War—which Kennedy had begun taking steps to wind down, and an Administration led by Lyndon B. Johnson that increasingly alienated many of those who were captivated by Kennedy's idealism. The crystal ships of idealism and hope appeared to be rapidly fading into reflections of alienation from the government and from public service, and by the traumas inflicted by realities of napalm, apartheid and social injustice. And I think these are the troubled waters in which the crystal ships are navigated throughout the course of the epic. The recklessness of the Vietnam War was paralleled by reckless overdoses of sex and drugs. The author skillfully plays on the anticipation of which particular characters will be victimized by the violence and recklessness of the age. The reckless conduct of the war was matched by the wreckage of the war on America's social structure and (if I may comment, on its economy) and yet who is to say that in some irony of ironies the dislocations that were occurring were in some sense pregnant with a positive potential. Perhaps the inevitable shakedown of America's foolish sense of invincibility at the same time exposed some of the old norms such as social injustice and conventional sexual mores but, not implausibly, could also in the end advance social progress. Ignoring the boundaries of the rational tend to rapidly teach lessons to both individuals and the greater society. When change is necessary, the underlying the pain, suffering, and terror are ignored at even greater peril.
The reader relives the traumatizing assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy through the lives of characters that are developed with skillful artistry by Sharp. From this point on the novel becomes one not one of social history, but a whodunnit of a murder that is unresolved until the end of the book and that turns the lives of our cast of characters upside down. But the senseless death is an opportunity for the characters to refocus on their values amid the turbulence not only of a turbulent time but the unpredictability of life itself. The last third of the book seems to me to be a struggle towards that end, about the meaning of life when we are left in the dust of calamitous disappointment and sorrow. I found the gradual passage to maturity and personal victory to be inspiring. I do not think that this novel is a statement against idealism, but I do think that the author makes an effort to understand the relevancy of idealism in the face of hard realities. In different ways, his characters display strength, some heroism, and ultimate victory by staying true to themselves despite the disruptive waters that disrupt the voyages of their crystal ships.
As a whole, the novel moves along very well. The first third takes a little patience as the author builds his characters in a manner that gives the reader a vested interest in their outcome and destiny. We know the course of American history over the roughly 20 years that encompasses the novel's storyline, but in the novel as in real life people differ in the decisions they make in connection to dramatic changes in the world and in society. There is certainly an abiding philosophical question concerning what if any influence individuals can make on national and worldwide destinies, but the destinies of each individual, it would seem, can very much hang in the balance. In the end, this novel is a book about hope and personal destiny. There is much tangible information and insight concerning the Vietnam War era that in themselves make for a good read. But the pathways to love and success become crystal clear and at times inspirational, and for this reason I highly recommend Crystal Ships by Richard Sharp.
This review has also been posted on Amazon.com
The story begins at points in the late 50s and early 60s as the author builds the biographical backgrounds of his central characters who are two young men from Boston and two young women from New Jersey and through whose lives the historical and cultural upheavals of this a critical period in American history are seen to unfold with a visceral personal almost first-hand intimacy for the reader. The backgrounds of the central characters—two men and two women of Irish and Italian (one Italian-Jewish) extraction, respectively—form a sense of the American melting pot in the confluence that was to transform American society in a melting pot that increasingly was to became not only one of ethnicity but of world interests. John F. Kennedy is himself a historical, iconic figure who represents both the hope of change, and of tragedy and disappointment. Young Americans were inspired to begin careers of public service, and many others were mesmerized by the appeal of Camelot...there was so much hope. And then it was over, coming to a crashing end that, in the novel, parallels the demise one of the novel's central characters who explicitly connects and even forebodingly predicts her demise with a sense of connection with Kennedy.
And then comes along Vietnam War—which Kennedy had begun taking steps to wind down, and an Administration led by Lyndon B. Johnson that increasingly alienated many of those who were captivated by Kennedy's idealism. The crystal ships of idealism and hope appeared to be rapidly fading into reflections of alienation from the government and from public service, and by the traumas inflicted by realities of napalm, apartheid and social injustice. And I think these are the troubled waters in which the crystal ships are navigated throughout the course of the epic. The recklessness of the Vietnam War was paralleled by reckless overdoses of sex and drugs. The author skillfully plays on the anticipation of which particular characters will be victimized by the violence and recklessness of the age. The reckless conduct of the war was matched by the wreckage of the war on America's social structure and (if I may comment, on its economy) and yet who is to say that in some irony of ironies the dislocations that were occurring were in some sense pregnant with a positive potential. Perhaps the inevitable shakedown of America's foolish sense of invincibility at the same time exposed some of the old norms such as social injustice and conventional sexual mores but, not implausibly, could also in the end advance social progress. Ignoring the boundaries of the rational tend to rapidly teach lessons to both individuals and the greater society. When change is necessary, the underlying the pain, suffering, and terror are ignored at even greater peril.
The reader relives the traumatizing assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy through the lives of characters that are developed with skillful artistry by Sharp. From this point on the novel becomes one not one of social history, but a whodunnit of a murder that is unresolved until the end of the book and that turns the lives of our cast of characters upside down. But the senseless death is an opportunity for the characters to refocus on their values amid the turbulence not only of a turbulent time but the unpredictability of life itself. The last third of the book seems to me to be a struggle towards that end, about the meaning of life when we are left in the dust of calamitous disappointment and sorrow. I found the gradual passage to maturity and personal victory to be inspiring. I do not think that this novel is a statement against idealism, but I do think that the author makes an effort to understand the relevancy of idealism in the face of hard realities. In different ways, his characters display strength, some heroism, and ultimate victory by staying true to themselves despite the disruptive waters that disrupt the voyages of their crystal ships.
As a whole, the novel moves along very well. The first third takes a little patience as the author builds his characters in a manner that gives the reader a vested interest in their outcome and destiny. We know the course of American history over the roughly 20 years that encompasses the novel's storyline, but in the novel as in real life people differ in the decisions they make in connection to dramatic changes in the world and in society. There is certainly an abiding philosophical question concerning what if any influence individuals can make on national and worldwide destinies, but the destinies of each individual, it would seem, can very much hang in the balance. In the end, this novel is a book about hope and personal destiny. There is much tangible information and insight concerning the Vietnam War era that in themselves make for a good read. But the pathways to love and success become crystal clear and at times inspirational, and for this reason I highly recommend Crystal Ships by Richard Sharp.
This review has also been posted on Amazon.com
January 20, 2014
I won this book as a goodreads First Reads giveaway.
From the description of the book, I had assumed this was a novel about my generation, the Baby Boomers. The fact that it is not, but rather is about the generation just prior, probably colored my entire reaction to the book.
The story revolves around the experiences of a group of friends (and several spouses) as they navigate through their lives from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. All college-educated, predominately at Ivy League schools, they are not truly representative of their generation or mine, which I believe is the main problem with this novel. Even their career choices are atypical: pseudo-intellectual college professor, dancers, government workers effectively controlled by the CIA. Where are the regular folks, living the lives of the vast majority? Where are the masses of young people who protested the government, as opposed to collaborating with its secret agencies?
Each of the main characters has pretty serious issues that prevent them from interacting effectively with others: some are burdened with anger, some with rigid philosophies, some are simply weak. One is psychologically damaged by having been sexually abused; much of the plot revolves around protecting her from her own self-destructive tendencies . It is only two somewhat peripheral characters, wives of the central characters, who seem to be able to function rationally and prevent the various dysfunctional relationships from imploding.
I also felt that many things seemed forced. Dialogue was often stiff, and didn't sound like the way friends would actually talk. Additionally, it felt as though these characters were stuck in thought processes that are more correctly attributed to those born a decade later than them. I completely understand using the impact of the assassination of President Kennedy as a device to advance the plot and expose the characters' motivations. However, those who were college and/or graduate students in 1963 were not as likely to find their inspiration in the lyrics of Jim Morrison as their younger counterparts. And those who found their inspiration from the Doors, Beatles, and Stones would likely not have been willing participants in the military-industrial complex and volunteers for Vietnam duty.
When the answer to the central issue that has driven this story for much of the book is finally given, it is really not a surprise, having been telegraphed much earlier.
From the description of the book, I had assumed this was a novel about my generation, the Baby Boomers. The fact that it is not, but rather is about the generation just prior, probably colored my entire reaction to the book.
The story revolves around the experiences of a group of friends (and several spouses) as they navigate through their lives from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. All college-educated, predominately at Ivy League schools, they are not truly representative of their generation or mine, which I believe is the main problem with this novel. Even their career choices are atypical: pseudo-intellectual college professor, dancers, government workers effectively controlled by the CIA. Where are the regular folks, living the lives of the vast majority? Where are the masses of young people who protested the government, as opposed to collaborating with its secret agencies?
Each of the main characters has pretty serious issues that prevent them from interacting effectively with others: some are burdened with anger, some with rigid philosophies, some are simply weak. One is psychologically damaged by having been sexually abused; much of the plot revolves around protecting her from her own self-destructive tendencies . It is only two somewhat peripheral characters, wives of the central characters, who seem to be able to function rationally and prevent the various dysfunctional relationships from imploding.
I also felt that many things seemed forced. Dialogue was often stiff, and didn't sound like the way friends would actually talk. Additionally, it felt as though these characters were stuck in thought processes that are more correctly attributed to those born a decade later than them. I completely understand using the impact of the assassination of President Kennedy as a device to advance the plot and expose the characters' motivations. However, those who were college and/or graduate students in 1963 were not as likely to find their inspiration in the lyrics of Jim Morrison as their younger counterparts. And those who found their inspiration from the Doors, Beatles, and Stones would likely not have been willing participants in the military-industrial complex and volunteers for Vietnam duty.
When the answer to the central issue that has driven this story for much of the book is finally given, it is really not a surprise, having been telegraphed much earlier.
May 13, 2014
The 1960's......
A defining time in our nation of momentous proportion. A dividing and discontent era for all. Dreams were shattered, hopes renewed. Social and political lines drawn, voices heard, tears shed. A pivotal decade redefining our expectations, enlightening our minds.
Crystal Ships transports the reader to the turbulent 60's as we follow 7 friends forge their way through life while their world around them as they know it is forever changing. We feel their pain as they deal with our countries insurmountable loss of leaders. We follow as their lives take shape, their dreams are crushed, their hopes questioned. A few try to make a difference, a few experience disillusionment. They find their friendships tested as they mature and evolve. The times and events definitely impacted this group of 7 in ways unimaginable.
The characters are all different which makes for a very entertaining cast. It's interesting how all the events reshape their thoughts and opinions, no longer naive, innocent youths. All 7 have some sort of issue they are dealing with, and the nations events force them to address their personal challenges. Tragedy strikes the group and once again they reevaluate themselves as well as life.
Sharp hit the mark on the setting, the events, icons of this time, the reader clearly feels the vibe of the 60's. Feminism is subtlety touched upon as 3 of the female protagonists seek their individuality and independence. Apartheid is approached as well as civil rights - including marches, of course the Vietnam War was a large chunk of the narrative. Every historical event, person of this time was not overlooked by Sharp, outstanding job.
I enjoy reading about the 60's, a historical and tragic time altering our nation in every way. Crystal Ships allows the reader to understand how lives and people were jolted, how the end of a fairy tale era cleared the way for something different, something more - resilience over tragedy forming a country of hope and renewal as the 60's audibly exited.
Richard Sharp provided a copy in exchange for an honest review
A defining time in our nation of momentous proportion. A dividing and discontent era for all. Dreams were shattered, hopes renewed. Social and political lines drawn, voices heard, tears shed. A pivotal decade redefining our expectations, enlightening our minds.
Crystal Ships transports the reader to the turbulent 60's as we follow 7 friends forge their way through life while their world around them as they know it is forever changing. We feel their pain as they deal with our countries insurmountable loss of leaders. We follow as their lives take shape, their dreams are crushed, their hopes questioned. A few try to make a difference, a few experience disillusionment. They find their friendships tested as they mature and evolve. The times and events definitely impacted this group of 7 in ways unimaginable.
The characters are all different which makes for a very entertaining cast. It's interesting how all the events reshape their thoughts and opinions, no longer naive, innocent youths. All 7 have some sort of issue they are dealing with, and the nations events force them to address their personal challenges. Tragedy strikes the group and once again they reevaluate themselves as well as life.
Sharp hit the mark on the setting, the events, icons of this time, the reader clearly feels the vibe of the 60's. Feminism is subtlety touched upon as 3 of the female protagonists seek their individuality and independence. Apartheid is approached as well as civil rights - including marches, of course the Vietnam War was a large chunk of the narrative. Every historical event, person of this time was not overlooked by Sharp, outstanding job.
I enjoy reading about the 60's, a historical and tragic time altering our nation in every way. Crystal Ships allows the reader to understand how lives and people were jolted, how the end of a fairy tale era cleared the way for something different, something more - resilience over tragedy forming a country of hope and renewal as the 60's audibly exited.
Richard Sharp provided a copy in exchange for an honest review
December 13, 2013
I received a free copy of "Crystal Ships" from the author Richard G.Sharp.Crystal ships is an epic book that scan about 20 years. it starts in the very late 1950s and ends in the late 1970s. it involves seven characters who become a group of friends. over the 20 years it takes place in many parts of the world. Boston, San Fransisco, Vietnam, South Africa, and New Orleans. We read of the reactions to the assassinations of John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy.
there was a lot of discontent in this era, with the Vietnam war. the decisions different characters have to make. and the tragedies they face.
This is a well written book by Richard S.Sharp that makes you think about the two decades it takes place over.
there was a lot of discontent in this era, with the Vietnam war. the decisions different characters have to make. and the tragedies they face.
This is a well written book by Richard S.Sharp that makes you think about the two decades it takes place over.
June 14, 2014
I like all of this author's books, but this is the best so far.
For someone who came of age in the 60s Crystal Ships is an authentic look back at the events of the times depicted. The characters are fully formed, some sympathetic, others annoying and sometimes both in the same characters. The details of the period and places are mind boggling--so accurate that they cannot all be from the author's memories. His research served him well. This is an engrossing story with the right amount of humor, intensity, and suspense and surprise. I could not put it down until I finished it. I highly recommend Crystal Ships.
For someone who came of age in the 60s Crystal Ships is an authentic look back at the events of the times depicted. The characters are fully formed, some sympathetic, others annoying and sometimes both in the same characters. The details of the period and places are mind boggling--so accurate that they cannot all be from the author's memories. His research served him well. This is an engrossing story with the right amount of humor, intensity, and suspense and surprise. I could not put it down until I finished it. I highly recommend Crystal Ships.
June 22, 2019
I liked this book much more than I thought I would. The characters held my attention and made me want to see how they would turn out. The turbulence of the 60's drives their lives and moves the story at a fast pace. Very interesting book.
August 11, 2016
This is my review for Crystal Ships by Richard Sharp. The opinions expressed are my own and were in no way influenced by anyone.
The story follows a group of friends through two decades of their life set in the late 1950's and ending up at the end of the 1970's. It follows their lives as they grow, learn, live and survive one of the more turbulent times in our recent history. The cast is as different as can be and weave their way together the years, sometimes together, sometimes separate. Paired or alone, they're still experiencing things together.
The story begins by introducing us to Shane, Connor and Gil. They are living in Boston and attending college just as John F. Kennedy is about to come into office. Gil is the privileged scholar who chases women, writes poetry and never seems to want to grow up. His roommate is Connor, the younger brother of Shane. They are both from the Boston working class. We are then introduced to two college roommates and best friends, Lucy and Camille. They are Italian-American women, one Catholic and the other Jewish, attending Douglass college together. Lucy is the rebel, going against her father at every turn, shying away from her religious upbringing. She wants to become a dancer and is dragging Camille along for the ride. Thrown into the mix is Lucy's older and extremely conservative and protective brother, Ira. Who coincidentally dated Camille prior to her and Lucy becoming best friends. Awkward? Maybe, but in this case, it definitely works and he finds ways to realistically weave it in and out of the story later on.
These five are the main characters and the story really revolves around them and later their partners and wives, who also become almost main characters themselves. Ava, who marries Ira and Balinda, who Shane meets while working in South Africa. Their stories weave together to tell the greater narrative of the 60's and 70's. This book could have easily turned into a saga spanning over 1000 pages and I still would have been interested. I wanted more. More of their lives, loves, experiences. I wish he could have made the book longer so we could spend more time with each of them!
I will admit that the first part of the book is a bit slow, but I think that's more because you're being introduced to a lot of people and given a lot of background information about them and their lives. It's a lot to digest and you do have to take it a bit slow so that you can absorb everything because trust me, everything comes back later!
The book really does have everything. You get to experience the culture of the 60's and 70's through every form of media. You have music, books, poetry, television, movies and the news. And it's all very well researched with a bibliography at the end, which was very impressive! You also find yourself immersed in the many problems of the times. There were the assassinations that effectively ended the feeling of security that many Americans had at the time. The civil war both here at home and also in South Africa where apartheid was alive and well. The biggest elephant in the room during those decades was definitely the Vietnam war and it does take a very prominent role in the story. You're not treated to gory battles but you are allowed a peek into what the world was like for a very small portion of the military stationed in Vietnam and what they went through.
You have people MIA in Vietnam, a murder mystery in California, a crazy stalker and a bunch of people who even after 20 years are still trying to figure it all out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a glimpse at what life was like for young men and women during the turbulent 60's and 70's in America.
The story follows a group of friends through two decades of their life set in the late 1950's and ending up at the end of the 1970's. It follows their lives as they grow, learn, live and survive one of the more turbulent times in our recent history. The cast is as different as can be and weave their way together the years, sometimes together, sometimes separate. Paired or alone, they're still experiencing things together.
The story begins by introducing us to Shane, Connor and Gil. They are living in Boston and attending college just as John F. Kennedy is about to come into office. Gil is the privileged scholar who chases women, writes poetry and never seems to want to grow up. His roommate is Connor, the younger brother of Shane. They are both from the Boston working class. We are then introduced to two college roommates and best friends, Lucy and Camille. They are Italian-American women, one Catholic and the other Jewish, attending Douglass college together. Lucy is the rebel, going against her father at every turn, shying away from her religious upbringing. She wants to become a dancer and is dragging Camille along for the ride. Thrown into the mix is Lucy's older and extremely conservative and protective brother, Ira. Who coincidentally dated Camille prior to her and Lucy becoming best friends. Awkward? Maybe, but in this case, it definitely works and he finds ways to realistically weave it in and out of the story later on.
These five are the main characters and the story really revolves around them and later their partners and wives, who also become almost main characters themselves. Ava, who marries Ira and Balinda, who Shane meets while working in South Africa. Their stories weave together to tell the greater narrative of the 60's and 70's. This book could have easily turned into a saga spanning over 1000 pages and I still would have been interested. I wanted more. More of their lives, loves, experiences. I wish he could have made the book longer so we could spend more time with each of them!
I will admit that the first part of the book is a bit slow, but I think that's more because you're being introduced to a lot of people and given a lot of background information about them and their lives. It's a lot to digest and you do have to take it a bit slow so that you can absorb everything because trust me, everything comes back later!
The book really does have everything. You get to experience the culture of the 60's and 70's through every form of media. You have music, books, poetry, television, movies and the news. And it's all very well researched with a bibliography at the end, which was very impressive! You also find yourself immersed in the many problems of the times. There were the assassinations that effectively ended the feeling of security that many Americans had at the time. The civil war both here at home and also in South Africa where apartheid was alive and well. The biggest elephant in the room during those decades was definitely the Vietnam war and it does take a very prominent role in the story. You're not treated to gory battles but you are allowed a peek into what the world was like for a very small portion of the military stationed in Vietnam and what they went through.
You have people MIA in Vietnam, a murder mystery in California, a crazy stalker and a bunch of people who even after 20 years are still trying to figure it all out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a glimpse at what life was like for young men and women during the turbulent 60's and 70's in America.
January 15, 2014
Like many of those who have already commented before me about Richard Sharp’s fine novel CRYSTAL SHIPS, I like to read about the sixties, an era that I lived through. To me at least it didn’t seem so bad at the time. As a college student majoring in history and Soviet studies, I knew lots about truly desperate decades so America in upheaval just seemed, well, kind of normal to me, I guess.
I’ve been shocked recently to learn how deep the aversion is to that period in US history. Many people have told me they won’t read books about this period, adding this reason—“Once was enough. Why would I want to relive that ugly era?” Personally, I believe the time we’re in NOW is far, far worse, but then, I digress.
I DO recommend that people read this novel if they are interested in delving into the historical currents that have flung us up on the shores where we find ourselves today. Go back to the sixties, way back, where Sharp takes us.
He sets his seven key characters against the backdrop of initial hope stirred up by the Kennedy administration and then through the tumultuous events that follow rapidly after the dreadful presidential assassination. His seven personalities collide, connect, and ricochet off each other, and most end up places you’d never expect. The social and political upheavals are carefully filled in for those readers who don’t know much about the time period, or who may need a refresher course.
CRYSTAL SHIPS is an ambitious book, make no mistake about it. Don’t expect to skim through this book, looking for the best bits about the prototypical sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Oh, they’re there all right, but this is not akin to a beach read. It is too serious of intent and too dense to be that. Your brain will get a good workout. And that will be good for you indeed. Sharp abjures fluffy stuff.
I have only two slight criticisms with this book. The main character is one I never felt I saw clearly. I couldn’t get a handle on her at all. The other characters were often saying things like this—“Oh, you know her. She’s just like that.” Well, no, I didn’t know her. And this in turn leads me to my second quibble. The characters and plot are sometimes hard to focus on against the broad sweep of history that washes through the book. I hope Mr. Sharp will zoom in on a shorter period of time in his next book. Whatever he does, I will be geared up to read it.
I’ve been shocked recently to learn how deep the aversion is to that period in US history. Many people have told me they won’t read books about this period, adding this reason—“Once was enough. Why would I want to relive that ugly era?” Personally, I believe the time we’re in NOW is far, far worse, but then, I digress.
I DO recommend that people read this novel if they are interested in delving into the historical currents that have flung us up on the shores where we find ourselves today. Go back to the sixties, way back, where Sharp takes us.
He sets his seven key characters against the backdrop of initial hope stirred up by the Kennedy administration and then through the tumultuous events that follow rapidly after the dreadful presidential assassination. His seven personalities collide, connect, and ricochet off each other, and most end up places you’d never expect. The social and political upheavals are carefully filled in for those readers who don’t know much about the time period, or who may need a refresher course.
CRYSTAL SHIPS is an ambitious book, make no mistake about it. Don’t expect to skim through this book, looking for the best bits about the prototypical sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Oh, they’re there all right, but this is not akin to a beach read. It is too serious of intent and too dense to be that. Your brain will get a good workout. And that will be good for you indeed. Sharp abjures fluffy stuff.
I have only two slight criticisms with this book. The main character is one I never felt I saw clearly. I couldn’t get a handle on her at all. The other characters were often saying things like this—“Oh, you know her. She’s just like that.” Well, no, I didn’t know her. And this in turn leads me to my second quibble. The characters and plot are sometimes hard to focus on against the broad sweep of history that washes through the book. I hope Mr. Sharp will zoom in on a shorter period of time in his next book. Whatever he does, I will be geared up to read it.
February 1, 2014
Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review:'Crystal Ships' by Richard Sharp.
The sixties and the early seventies were a time of change. The air was rife with the indolent smell of marijuana, and free love and understanding were the rule of the day. The Vietnam War was in full swing, Kennedy was president, Martin Luther King had a dream, and young people felt a responsibility for the future of their world. Music and Poetry seemed to stand the test of time, each with its own message, understood by those who looked deep enough.
Sure to evoke nostalgia, as well as bitter recriminations Chrystal Ships by Richard Sharp takes you back to a time of change. He follows the lives of seven erstwhile friends on their own personal journeys during the time. Often even as they got older their paths crossed in strange ways. Yet through it all they maintain a semblance of friendships and often love. Through the love of poetry to the depths of hell in war we are taken on a journey through the times. We are transported back to a time, when we often hear things were simpler, yet as you follow along you will see that maybe they were not. The freedom to dream just seemed to expand the view of what was really happening.
Sharp does an amazing job of taking you back to the time of abrupt changes and political upheaval. He brings you the music of the day, and evokes a simple nostalgia. Why do we often hear of the simplicity of the time, when in all reality the era is a part of the evolution that changed the way we think and act.
His characters are so down to earth and likable you feel as though you may know them, or even have met them at some time. They are your friends and family, and you feel a stake in the happenings that shape their lives and world.
If you are interested in history, music, poetry, and politics and just enjoy a story well told, you will enjoy Sharps take on this special time in history. He delves into the problems and concerns of the time while bringing you the energy and the beauty as well.
This would be a great book for a reading or discussion group, there is a great deal of information and many would be able to add their own interpretation of events, rounding out a great discussion.
This book was received from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
The sixties and the early seventies were a time of change. The air was rife with the indolent smell of marijuana, and free love and understanding were the rule of the day. The Vietnam War was in full swing, Kennedy was president, Martin Luther King had a dream, and young people felt a responsibility for the future of their world. Music and Poetry seemed to stand the test of time, each with its own message, understood by those who looked deep enough.
Sure to evoke nostalgia, as well as bitter recriminations Chrystal Ships by Richard Sharp takes you back to a time of change. He follows the lives of seven erstwhile friends on their own personal journeys during the time. Often even as they got older their paths crossed in strange ways. Yet through it all they maintain a semblance of friendships and often love. Through the love of poetry to the depths of hell in war we are taken on a journey through the times. We are transported back to a time, when we often hear things were simpler, yet as you follow along you will see that maybe they were not. The freedom to dream just seemed to expand the view of what was really happening.
Sharp does an amazing job of taking you back to the time of abrupt changes and political upheaval. He brings you the music of the day, and evokes a simple nostalgia. Why do we often hear of the simplicity of the time, when in all reality the era is a part of the evolution that changed the way we think and act.
His characters are so down to earth and likable you feel as though you may know them, or even have met them at some time. They are your friends and family, and you feel a stake in the happenings that shape their lives and world.
If you are interested in history, music, poetry, and politics and just enjoy a story well told, you will enjoy Sharps take on this special time in history. He delves into the problems and concerns of the time while bringing you the energy and the beauty as well.
This would be a great book for a reading or discussion group, there is a great deal of information and many would be able to add their own interpretation of events, rounding out a great discussion.
This book was received from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
February 24, 2014
Crystal Ships is a work of fiction by Richard Sharp. It takes the reader through the high and lows of a group of friends through a troubling time in history. You will get to know each individual character as well as the group as a whole.
Some people are born to follow and some people are born to lead. Then there are those that just drift through life until they find the one thing that inspires them. This group of friends meets, dates argues and fights together. Their closeness comes from a mutual like of poetry, music, attraction and JFK. The loss of JFK makes some of them redefine what they want out of life.
Vietnam sees the loss of one and the growing discontent in some of the others. Will they be able to make it through the war, work and life that they are trying to build for themselves? I love that there was a shocker towards the end of the book. I would have never guessed what was revealed.
If you want a look at how the 1960s affected the youth of the time, this is a good book to read. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I was so engrossed in the characters and the plot that I would forget to eat and would not want to sleep. The emotions that this book pulls from the reader are amazing.
Some people are born to follow and some people are born to lead. Then there are those that just drift through life until they find the one thing that inspires them. This group of friends meets, dates argues and fights together. Their closeness comes from a mutual like of poetry, music, attraction and JFK. The loss of JFK makes some of them redefine what they want out of life.
Vietnam sees the loss of one and the growing discontent in some of the others. Will they be able to make it through the war, work and life that they are trying to build for themselves? I love that there was a shocker towards the end of the book. I would have never guessed what was revealed.
If you want a look at how the 1960s affected the youth of the time, this is a good book to read. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I was so engrossed in the characters and the plot that I would forget to eat and would not want to sleep. The emotions that this book pulls from the reader are amazing.
January 3, 2014
Richard Sharp has written the novel that many of us baby boomers wanted to write and the rest have been hoping to find. If you were there for the '60's, this is like a time-trip. Every great song, every great artist, every great movie, every tragic war and cultural climax resonates with you like walking back into your childhood home and having the smells transport you back. The characters all go through what either you experienced or your friends did, reacting to the tragedies and the highs from Washington to Dallas to Memphis to Los Angeles to Pretoria to Siagon to San Francisco and back again.
Mix in a murder mystery that won't let you go, and you have a winner.
Humphrey Bogart, as we all know got it wrong at the end of "Casablanca": the problems of eight little people DOES amount to MORE than a hill of beans in this crazy world!
Kudos to Sharp for getting it right!
Mix in a murder mystery that won't let you go, and you have a winner.
Humphrey Bogart, as we all know got it wrong at the end of "Casablanca": the problems of eight little people DOES amount to MORE than a hill of beans in this crazy world!
Kudos to Sharp for getting it right!
August 25, 2016
Simply breathtaking
In his Foreword, the author dedicates ‘Crystal Ships’ to “the survivors of America’s decades of discontent and the writers, musicians, artists and entertainers who helped them through it.”
These words of wisdom are worth repeating because, after reading this novel, it needs to be said the ‘survivors’ and others referred to by the author in his dedication will resonate with the book’s contents.
And the publisher got it right in the book’s ‘splurge’ when he/she said, “Crystal Ships ultimately stands as a novel for its generation that is simply breathtaking in scope.” It is (simply breathtaking).
Set against the backdrop of the Kennedys, the Vietnam War, high profile assassinations, the drug culture and riots in an especially tumultuous period (1960’s-70’s) in America’s recent history, ‘Crystal Ships’ is the stand-out read for me in quite some time.
In his Foreword, the author dedicates ‘Crystal Ships’ to “the survivors of America’s decades of discontent and the writers, musicians, artists and entertainers who helped them through it.”
These words of wisdom are worth repeating because, after reading this novel, it needs to be said the ‘survivors’ and others referred to by the author in his dedication will resonate with the book’s contents.
And the publisher got it right in the book’s ‘splurge’ when he/she said, “Crystal Ships ultimately stands as a novel for its generation that is simply breathtaking in scope.” It is (simply breathtaking).
Set against the backdrop of the Kennedys, the Vietnam War, high profile assassinations, the drug culture and riots in an especially tumultuous period (1960’s-70’s) in America’s recent history, ‘Crystal Ships’ is the stand-out read for me in quite some time.
September 26, 2014
Having previously read one of Richard Sharp's novel, I was used to his unique and poetic narrative. Similar to "The Duke Don't Dance," this books follows the lives of a group of friends. Sharp created a novel that can take 21st century twenty and thirty somethings into the lives of those of the same age in the 50's thru 70's and have them be relatable, tangible and timeless. It creates an experience in which the reader can travel through time and peek back into an era that is unfamiliar.
This was a hard book to put down!
This edition had a good number of grammatical/spelling errors, however, I believe it is an early edition of the book... And didn't effect the quality of the story in the least.
This was a hard book to put down!
This edition had a good number of grammatical/spelling errors, however, I believe it is an early edition of the book... And didn't effect the quality of the story in the least.
March 29, 2014
Crystal Ships is a beautifully written historical saga, following the lives of seven friends through two very stormy decades in American history - the 60's and 70's.
Compelling prose with a literary feel, the nostalgic and dramatic narrative of Crystal Ships pulled me in, involved me, made me forget my world for a little while.
True to the time period, with intriguing characters and authentic touchstones, Crystal Ships will be a joy to read for anyone who loves historical and literary fiction.
As I like to say when I enjoy a book– time richly spent.
*FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from the author in exchange for my review. The opinions are my own.
Compelling prose with a literary feel, the nostalgic and dramatic narrative of Crystal Ships pulled me in, involved me, made me forget my world for a little while.
True to the time period, with intriguing characters and authentic touchstones, Crystal Ships will be a joy to read for anyone who loves historical and literary fiction.
As I like to say when I enjoy a book– time richly spent.
*FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from the author in exchange for my review. The opinions are my own.
January 3, 2014
An epic novel of young American adults who survived the country's "decades of discontent," the 1960s and 1970s. It is an antidote tho the stream of sad 50th memorials, beginning with the JFK assassination and continuing through those of 1968, accompanied through 1975 and beyond by the Vietnam war and its aftermath and the racial, gender, counter-culture and broad social unrest at home. It spins a story of pride and resilience under difficult circumstances, honoring ordinary Americans who lived through the era and the musicians, artists and entertainers who helped them through it.
January 5, 2014
This book was really hard for me to stay with as it flips and flops between all the different characters. I was hoping to learn more about this time in history, and was left wanting. Maybe I am to young for this book as I didn't get all the different historical things it talked of in music and famous people who overdosed. It was an okay book and maybe an older person would appreciate it more than I did.
This book was won on Goodreads giveaway.
This book was won on Goodreads giveaway.
January 25, 2014
A very good story well thought out and researched. The characters are so well formed, and very enjoyable to get to read about. I enjoyed all of the different historical references they just bring the story to life. Crystal Ships transports you back in time right into the fray of American history.
I won this book through goodreads.
I won this book through goodreads.
December 12, 2013
I received this novel through the goodreads giveaway. Im about halfway through and already love the characters
February 10, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It's about one of my favorite periods in history. The characters and their relationships are well drawn and interesting, as are the subplots and the historical backdrop.
July 12, 2014
Really enjoyed this one - despite the fact it was a genre I have never read before. I found it hard to get started, but once I did, the characters and the story carried me along with them.
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