What do you think?
Rate this book
Shame: A Novel
Now his twentieth high school reunion looms. Will John finally stop moping about what might have been and discover all God has given him?
326 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
14 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Greg Garrett
48 books77 followersGreg Garrett is the Austin, Texas author of two dozen books of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and translation. Like his literary heroes James Baldwin and Marilynne Robinson, Greg moves fluidly from fiction to nonfiction exploring the big human questions, and in his books, hoping to help his readers discover some answers of their own. Among his latest books are a book of conversation with his friend Rowan Williams, the past Archbishop of Canterbury (In Conversation), a lead trade title from Oxford University Press exploring our post-9/11 obsession with the zombie apocalypse (Living with the Living Dead, Starred Review in Library Journal), the tenth-anniversary edition of his searing yet hopeful memoir of depression and faith (Crossing Myself, featured on FOX News), and a novel retelling one of our great archetypal stories in the modern world of 24/7 news and social media (The Prodigal, Starred Review in Publishers Weekly). Greg's debut novel, Free Bird, was chosen by Publishers Weekly as a First Fiction feature, and the Denver Rocky Mountain News named it one of the best first novels of 2002. His other novels are Cycling and Shame. All have been critically acclaimed.
Greg is perhaps best known for his writing on faith, culture, race, politics, and narrative. BBC Radio has called Greg "one of America's leading voices on religion and culture," and he has written on topics ranging from spirituality and suffering to film and pop culture, written on U2, Harry Potter, American politics, and contemporary faith and practice. Greg's nonfiction work has been covered by The New Yorker, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Globe and Mail, FOX News Radio, The Christian Science Monitor, BBC Radio, BBC Scotland, National Public Radio, CBS Radio, msnbc.com, DublinTalk Radio, The New Statesman, The National Review, Commonweal, Christianity Today, Vice, Playboy, Mens Health, and many other broadcast, print, and web media sources. Greg has written for Salon.com, The Washington Post, The Daily Mirror, Patheos, FOX News, The Huffington Post, The Spectator, Reform, The Tablet, and other print and web publications in the US and UK, and has spoken across the US and Europe, including appearances at the Edinburgh Festival of Books, the American Library in Paris, Cambridge University, Kings College London, Villanova University, Amerika Haus in Munich, the Greenbelt Festival in the UK, Google London, South by Southwest, Amerika Days in Stuttgart, and the Washington National Cathedral. Greg's current projects are a literary novel set in Paris against the backdrop of international terrorism, a book on race, film, and reconciliation for Oxford University Press, and a book on the wisdom of James Baldwin.
Greg is an award-winning Professor of English at Baylor University, Theologian in Residence at the American Cathedral in Paris, and an elected member of the Texas Institute of Letters. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Jeanie and their daughters Lily and Sophia.
Greg is perhaps best known for his writing on faith, culture, race, politics, and narrative. BBC Radio has called Greg "one of America's leading voices on religion and culture," and he has written on topics ranging from spirituality and suffering to film and pop culture, written on U2, Harry Potter, American politics, and contemporary faith and practice. Greg's nonfiction work has been covered by The New Yorker, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Globe and Mail, FOX News Radio, The Christian Science Monitor, BBC Radio, BBC Scotland, National Public Radio, CBS Radio, msnbc.com, DublinTalk Radio, The New Statesman, The National Review, Commonweal, Christianity Today, Vice, Playboy, Mens Health, and many other broadcast, print, and web media sources. Greg has written for Salon.com, The Washington Post, The Daily Mirror, Patheos, FOX News, The Huffington Post, The Spectator, Reform, The Tablet, and other print and web publications in the US and UK, and has spoken across the US and Europe, including appearances at the Edinburgh Festival of Books, the American Library in Paris, Cambridge University, Kings College London, Villanova University, Amerika Haus in Munich, the Greenbelt Festival in the UK, Google London, South by Southwest, Amerika Days in Stuttgart, and the Washington National Cathedral. Greg's current projects are a literary novel set in Paris against the backdrop of international terrorism, a book on race, film, and reconciliation for Oxford University Press, and a book on the wisdom of James Baldwin.
Greg is an award-winning Professor of English at Baylor University, Theologian in Residence at the American Cathedral in Paris, and an elected member of the Texas Institute of Letters. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Jeanie and their daughters Lily and Sophia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 30, 2009
This story was amazing. I must admit that I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of and edgy content in David C. Cook's books that have been released so far this year. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that whoever acquired their books this past year had amazingly good taste. I've enjoyed every novel. Their stories are all unique and contain deep concepts with strong emotion and great characterization. There is nothing blah or same-old, same-old here. If I were to purchase books solely based on the publisher alone, I'd select anything Cook releases...unless they change their pattern. Now enough about the publisher and on to the book.
Shame is the kind of book I like to sink my teeth into. I love novels with genuine thoughts and real characters. People who are flawed and aren't model citizens. People like me who don't always make the best decisions or choices, but they want to live their life in a way that is pleasing to God. Yet they still struggle. Shame is one of those books.
Numerous times I found myself smiling as the author had his character thinking honest thoughts. I wanted to cheer for the author. Why? Because so many books portray people as "near-perfect" and who always choose the right thing. The marital issues in Shame are typical of many couples. The family problems are also not unusual. The insight the author had into both topics was incredible. He portrayed everything in such a believable manner.
Also, the small town setting and the farm drew me in. I felt like I was involved in the same activities of the main character and his friends. The setting was very well done and it was easy for me to forget the present and delve between the pages of Shame. And like a good book is supposed to do, Shame brings the reader full circle when it comes to emotion. There are no unresolved issues, and yet everything doesn't always end up perfectly fixed. Just realistically wrapped up.
I had a warm glow after finishing this story. It left me feeling inspired and I would highly recommend this story to anyone who loves to experience angst and drama in a book but only when it's done with realistic characters and emotions. Everything felt very natural and nothing was forced. Bravo!
Shame is the kind of book I like to sink my teeth into. I love novels with genuine thoughts and real characters. People who are flawed and aren't model citizens. People like me who don't always make the best decisions or choices, but they want to live their life in a way that is pleasing to God. Yet they still struggle. Shame is one of those books.
Numerous times I found myself smiling as the author had his character thinking honest thoughts. I wanted to cheer for the author. Why? Because so many books portray people as "near-perfect" and who always choose the right thing. The marital issues in Shame are typical of many couples. The family problems are also not unusual. The insight the author had into both topics was incredible. He portrayed everything in such a believable manner.
Also, the small town setting and the farm drew me in. I felt like I was involved in the same activities of the main character and his friends. The setting was very well done and it was easy for me to forget the present and delve between the pages of Shame. And like a good book is supposed to do, Shame brings the reader full circle when it comes to emotion. There are no unresolved issues, and yet everything doesn't always end up perfectly fixed. Just realistically wrapped up.
I had a warm glow after finishing this story. It left me feeling inspired and I would highly recommend this story to anyone who loves to experience angst and drama in a book but only when it's done with realistic characters and emotions. Everything felt very natural and nothing was forced. Bravo!
March 18, 2025
Boring drivel. The most interesting parts of this story (Michael and Philip One Horse) were after-thoughts that were either hastily wrapped up in the last five pages, or not resolved at all. A very slow, overly-religious read that was honestly a struggle. When reading the acknowledgements I audibly gasped as this book took 15 years to write - it made me feel a twinge of guilt that I didn't like it, but it just wasn't for me. I give it one star for the book itself and a second star for the 15 years (!!) it took to write it.
March 3, 2016
A wonderful novel full of insight into life.
It is so good to read a book that is not full of profanity and sex but that flows from true life and yields instruction. There are many good examples to follow that would make us better people and the world a better place to live in.
It is so good to read a book that is not full of profanity and sex but that flows from true life and yields instruction. There are many good examples to follow that would make us better people and the world a better place to live in.
April 21, 2022
John Tilden’s 20th high school reunion is coming up. He has agreed to reunite with his state-championship-winning basketball team in an exhibition game against the school’s current basketball team, and he will be seeing his newly single first love again. Being a farmer means a lot of time to think, and John can’t help but wonder what might have been if he had made different choices in high school.
I bought this book years ago and just happened to pick it up to read now, with my own 20th high school reunion looming. Where has the time gone?! Being from Indiana, it was briefly disconcerting to hear John talk about how much more important football was than basketball to his school, but then I remembered that the book was set in Oklahoma!
I liked that the characters were three-dimensional people, not just caricatures, and that it was a Christian book that doesn’t just magically end with a happily ever after because you’re a believer; it was true to life. The pace of the story could have used some work; it dragged in places. Phillip was the most interesting character of the story; I would have liked to have seen more from him.
I bought this book years ago and just happened to pick it up to read now, with my own 20th high school reunion looming. Where has the time gone?! Being from Indiana, it was briefly disconcerting to hear John talk about how much more important football was than basketball to his school, but then I remembered that the book was set in Oklahoma!
I liked that the characters were three-dimensional people, not just caricatures, and that it was a Christian book that doesn’t just magically end with a happily ever after because you’re a believer; it was true to life. The pace of the story could have used some work; it dragged in places. Phillip was the most interesting character of the story; I would have liked to have seen more from him.
November 29, 2025
Really excellent, which is so rare to get to say about Christian fiction.
October 25, 2025
A man struggles to keep his family from falling apart, especially when temptations from his past are brought forth. Strong faith-filled story relating real struggles believers sometimes face.
February 24, 2017
A different sort of Christian novel...which, in this case, isn't exactly a good thing.
August 13, 2011
"SHAME" BY GREG GARRETT
A story of a man, John Tilden that becomes disenchanted with his 'normal' life and soon finds himself thinking about possibilities outside of marriage.
A story of love and betrayal, it always amazes me when I see men writing novels of this type that are so intense and Greg Garrett really captures the essence of a man unsatisfied with his life, looking back on his past and looking forward to the future.
A really great read!
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...
A story of a man, John Tilden that becomes disenchanted with his 'normal' life and soon finds himself thinking about possibilities outside of marriage.
A story of love and betrayal, it always amazes me when I see men writing novels of this type that are so intense and Greg Garrett really captures the essence of a man unsatisfied with his life, looking back on his past and looking forward to the future.
A really great read!
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...
November 14, 2014
Downloaded this book for free from BookShout. I didn't have high expectations and was looking for some light reading to alternate with some historical fiction I'm reading. It turned out the book was more than fluff. The characters are real, as are their problems, the decisions they make, and their faith.
December 10, 2014
The book was well-written. I guess I'm bucking the trend here... I didn't like it. I spent the entire book wanting to knock some sense into the main character. I ended up frustrated. And for a book from a Christian publisher, I was disappointed that the "hero" didn't seen to know God. He just muddles through on his own, trying to "do the right thing." That's not how my faith works.
August 8, 2009
This book was ok. I wish the Indian character Phillip had a bigger part. He was the most interesting of all the characters. Mostly I felt this guy was a big whiner. And I got lost in all the basketball game details - way too much info there.
May 17, 2019
I really liked the idea of this book and can get behind it as an interesting book for men to read. I couldn't really connect with it as a woman, but it's still decently written.
Want to read
November 10, 20091285
1248
1145
1248
1145
March 8, 2015
BORING!!
November 11, 2015
A middle aged man battling with regret and shame for previous misdeeds in a small town community where everybody knows everybody; the struggle to find satisfaction with the present.
December 6, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It had a unique tempo and was very engaging.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews