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Before The Pearly Gates
Miles Appleby is a complicated and tormented soul. A successful oral surgeon at an exclusive practice in Chicago, he has always been driven by the high expectations of his father. Increasingly, he feels isolated and slowly comes to the realization that he leads an empty life. Miles, however, carries a secret that involved a woman who Bill, his close friend, had been seeing shortly before he suddenly left his homeland for another life in London.
Ever plagued by relationships that fail, Miles meets an engaging woman, Juanita, who finally ignites something in his life giving him warmth and meaning. In a strange turn of events while attending Bill’s untimely funeral near London, he gains a different perspective as to why certain events unfolded, and the secret that Miles had been so careful to protect is slowly revealed by a person called Laura. As the story reaches its zenith, the stories of these four characters finally become pieced together.
Ever plagued by relationships that fail, Miles meets an engaging woman, Juanita, who finally ignites something in his life giving him warmth and meaning. In a strange turn of events while attending Bill’s untimely funeral near London, he gains a different perspective as to why certain events unfolded, and the secret that Miles had been so careful to protect is slowly revealed by a person called Laura. As the story reaches its zenith, the stories of these four characters finally become pieced together.
170 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2022
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 18, 2022
Before the Pearly Gates is an absorbing and intriguing narrative following the personal odyssey of a young dental surgeon as he negotiates life and love in Chicago and its environs. The fictionalised events are presented as a memoir from the viewpoint of Miles Appleby and the interesting characters he meets along the way.It encapsulates a series of key moments in vivid detail,switching between the various voices as the novel progresses.The stories of Miles and his friends are unravelled with perception and acuity. This is an engaging read and the author writes with fluency and pace, and a keen ear for evoking a sense of place through strong descriptive and lyrical language. Some structural innovation through the use of dream sequences and a move to the after life divert the reader in the middle section. However key questions are neatly resolved in the final chapters with a narrative twist.This novel transports the reader to the US and confronts coming of age dilemmas, questions of displacement and identity in a shifting urban society,both in the stunning cityscape of Chicago as well as small town and suburban America. A good read. Sian
January 25, 2023
Christopher Layne's "Before the Pearly Gates" follows the fortunes of a cast of intriguing characters through this world and (spoiler alert) the next. Miles is a Chicago dentist who, while materially successful, seems barely present in his own life. Bill, a school friend, is more of a man of action, crossing the Atlantic in search of fortune, but is he really successful either professionally or emotionally?
Neither Miles nor Bill chalks up "three score years and 10" before they find themselves up before the eponymous pearly gates. Bill faces a hearing on how he has lived his life but even the scary Presider, who determines whether the gates will open and admit Bill, seems not to have all there relevant facts to hand. If you want to know where he ends up, read this entertaining and thought-provoking book.
"Before the Pearly Gates" is about the essential messiness of existence and the difficulty of assessing the true impact of a human life.
Suffice it to say, there are surprises in Miles and Bill's lives which affect the next generation. Whether the impact is benign or otherwise, there is only one way to find out. Enjoy this good read.
Neither Miles nor Bill chalks up "three score years and 10" before they find themselves up before the eponymous pearly gates. Bill faces a hearing on how he has lived his life but even the scary Presider, who determines whether the gates will open and admit Bill, seems not to have all there relevant facts to hand. If you want to know where he ends up, read this entertaining and thought-provoking book.
"Before the Pearly Gates" is about the essential messiness of existence and the difficulty of assessing the true impact of a human life.
Suffice it to say, there are surprises in Miles and Bill's lives which affect the next generation. Whether the impact is benign or otherwise, there is only one way to find out. Enjoy this good read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews