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Rumble on Clydesdale Street: Life and Times
Collection of humorous essays – a memoir of the life and times of growing up in the post WW II era.h2> The autobiography of a young boy, Rumble on Clydesdale Street is a ragtag collection of stories that captures the essence of growing up in the Post-WWII Era the late forties and early fifties. A historical capsule in time when innocence ruled and the freedom to roam was the norm. The stories are centered around the kids of Clydesdale Street, set in Burnaby, British Columbia, but it could be any street, anywhere, it could be yours. Written in a narrative style as seen from the eyes of a young child there are moments to laugh with and at. There are chapters that can be best described as moments of truth, of friendships made and betrayals suffered. There are adventures and misadventures. Hardships, victories and rites of passages. Preparation against invasion from an adjacent neighborhood and the inevitable rumble that takes place on Clydesdale street. In many ways it is a personal exorcism. A chance to engage honesty when honest was pure. The fact that Clydesdale Street no longer exists gave cause to celebrate early childhood. A chance to give the little street, now buried under the highway of progress, one last ray of sunshine. Everything physical is now lost with time. Under the asphalt remain the memories of young children whose time in history leaves behind the spirit and energy that made Clydesdale Street special. The chapters herein breathe back to life those lively times when Clydesdale Street rang proud with the sound of innocence, games and freedom. In memory to the life and times on Clydesdale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Never to be forgotten.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 10, 2017
I love memoirs, especially those of my contemporaries. The miracle of e-publishing has made available to me many wonderful life stories that would never have have seen the light of day with traditional publishing and I'm grateful to be living in these times of plenty.
That said, I have different standards for a self-published memoir than I do for a professionally written novel. I enjoyed this one in spite of its imperfections, but you know how much you're willing to put up with, so be warned.
I'm afraid that some prospective readers who use the "Look Inside" feature may go no further. The book starts with a bunch of pictures and information about local schools that is of no possible interest to anyone but another local. The picture of him and his parents should stay and the rest should be eliminated or moved to the back of the book.
Once he gets into telling his stories, it's up and down, but mostly up. He reminds us that he's not a professional writer and warns us not to expect Hemingway or Dickens. Unfortunately, he starts out trying to channel those two sad souls by including lots of fancy description and ambiance. When he does that, the book drags. But when he gets caught up in his memories, he tells his stories with simple gusto and they are delightful. He's a story-teller, not a writer, and being a good story-teller is all you need for a great memoir.
He has an impressive talent for capturing the mindset of a child, which is difficult for an adult to do. Children don't THINK like adults and few of us can express how we felt as children, even if we can remember. When this man tells his stories, he tells them from the point of view of a child to whom the adult world is a complete mystery and (basically) one not worth worrying about. No matter how involved parents are, the secret lives of little boys operate under the radar. This was especially true back in the days when there was no need for the term "free-range children." There were no other kind.
I was fascinated by the similarities of this author's childhood to mine and the differences. His stories of life without a car, central heating, or electric appliances sound more like life in the 1920's and 1930's than the 1950's I remember. Perhaps it's simply that Canada was slower to recover from the economic hardships of WWII than the U.S. Or perhaps his father (a recent arrival from Croatia) and his mother (from a large farm family) didn't consider those things important or obtainable.
He was that rarest of all creatures for the time - an Only Child. Singletons were both pitied and envied by those of us who grew up in typically large Baby Boomer families. But males form into gangs as naturally as water forms into puddles. His stories of the unremitting, mindless warfare with boys from nearby neighborhoods will resonate with anyone who's ever been a boy or known one. Give a little girl a stick and she draws with it or stirs imaginary soup. Give a little boy a stick and he aims and shoots. Human nature.
I wish he had fleshed out the parts about his parents and their relationship. He hints that there was violence, but leaves the reader uncertain as to what really happened. Was his father's happy-go-lucky persona only for the outside world? Did his mother suffer from depression that kept her from enjoying life and her son and husband? It's never made clear and I wonder why. His parents must be dead and he has no siblings to offend.
There's repetition and some parts read as though they were written separately (for a local magazine?) I think the book would benefit from being edited more severely. As it is, it's still a fine read for those of us who love to peek into the lives of others.
I don't agree with the author's view that everything was better when we were young. Things have changed - some for better and some for worse. But little boys never change and this book is a sweet, funny look at the childhood of a man who went on to forge a successful, adventurous adult life for himself. And the story of his father's disastrous attempt to master the automobile is one of the funniest things I've ever read. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
That said, I have different standards for a self-published memoir than I do for a professionally written novel. I enjoyed this one in spite of its imperfections, but you know how much you're willing to put up with, so be warned.
I'm afraid that some prospective readers who use the "Look Inside" feature may go no further. The book starts with a bunch of pictures and information about local schools that is of no possible interest to anyone but another local. The picture of him and his parents should stay and the rest should be eliminated or moved to the back of the book.
Once he gets into telling his stories, it's up and down, but mostly up. He reminds us that he's not a professional writer and warns us not to expect Hemingway or Dickens. Unfortunately, he starts out trying to channel those two sad souls by including lots of fancy description and ambiance. When he does that, the book drags. But when he gets caught up in his memories, he tells his stories with simple gusto and they are delightful. He's a story-teller, not a writer, and being a good story-teller is all you need for a great memoir.
He has an impressive talent for capturing the mindset of a child, which is difficult for an adult to do. Children don't THINK like adults and few of us can express how we felt as children, even if we can remember. When this man tells his stories, he tells them from the point of view of a child to whom the adult world is a complete mystery and (basically) one not worth worrying about. No matter how involved parents are, the secret lives of little boys operate under the radar. This was especially true back in the days when there was no need for the term "free-range children." There were no other kind.
I was fascinated by the similarities of this author's childhood to mine and the differences. His stories of life without a car, central heating, or electric appliances sound more like life in the 1920's and 1930's than the 1950's I remember. Perhaps it's simply that Canada was slower to recover from the economic hardships of WWII than the U.S. Or perhaps his father (a recent arrival from Croatia) and his mother (from a large farm family) didn't consider those things important or obtainable.
He was that rarest of all creatures for the time - an Only Child. Singletons were both pitied and envied by those of us who grew up in typically large Baby Boomer families. But males form into gangs as naturally as water forms into puddles. His stories of the unremitting, mindless warfare with boys from nearby neighborhoods will resonate with anyone who's ever been a boy or known one. Give a little girl a stick and she draws with it or stirs imaginary soup. Give a little boy a stick and he aims and shoots. Human nature.
I wish he had fleshed out the parts about his parents and their relationship. He hints that there was violence, but leaves the reader uncertain as to what really happened. Was his father's happy-go-lucky persona only for the outside world? Did his mother suffer from depression that kept her from enjoying life and her son and husband? It's never made clear and I wonder why. His parents must be dead and he has no siblings to offend.
There's repetition and some parts read as though they were written separately (for a local magazine?) I think the book would benefit from being edited more severely. As it is, it's still a fine read for those of us who love to peek into the lives of others.
I don't agree with the author's view that everything was better when we were young. Things have changed - some for better and some for worse. But little boys never change and this book is a sweet, funny look at the childhood of a man who went on to forge a successful, adventurous adult life for himself. And the story of his father's disastrous attempt to master the automobile is one of the funniest things I've ever read. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
March 23, 2017
Childhood revisited. Vivid descriptions of events and friendships. A sector of time in history never to be repeated. Amazing memories takes everybody back to a more free and private time. Super funny in parts. Sad in others. Great over a bottle of good wine.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews