In the novel American Dream, an artist with depression is living in poverty when he finds himself in line to inherit a family castle. His journey is a struggle to overcome depression and claim his place in a dysfunctional family. In this character study of an artist, author J.J.Brown explores ties between emotional illness and creativity.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The dynamic of family issues, broken ties, deception, loss and suffering alternate with the spiritual journey of the Artist and the strength of a creative vision, the vivid impulse of inspiration that wins over all. A must read!" -Laura LME, poet, Italy
"American Dream excels as a quality work of literary fiction, worth of comparison with the classics." - Richard Weatherly, author, US
"The American Dream is not just about owning a house, because sometimes the house owns you. Losing a house brings sadness and regrets, and those balance with a freedom on the other side of the scale." - Mike Macartney, Publisher, US
"J.J. Brown's book, 'American Dream' is a touching story about, Daniel, a father who was facing his own personal life challenges while being reintroduced to his heritage." - Yvonne Pierre, Author, US
From the Inside Flap
For all who have lost a home.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By LauraLME
Format:Kindle Edition
As in all books by J.J. Brown, I find in this story, an amazing fusion of writing skills, J.J.'s talent shines through the storytelling and the background analysis, the description of events, places, situations, feelings, soul readings.
The characters are multidimensional creatures, developing with the story and growing with the rhythm of turning pages and wanting more... Intriguing facts and references, create so many layers in the story and the reader can see, feel and be there.
J.J. is also able to "jump" through the walls of time, adding to the story the multicoloured nuances of retrospective and futuristic views, which create even more interest and wonderfully define atmospheres and places. The dynamic of family issues, broken ties, deception, loss and suffering, alternate the spiritual journey of the Artist and the strength of a creative vision, the vivid impulse of inspiration that wins over all. A "must read" !!!
The characters are multidimensional creatures, developing with the story and growing with the rhythm of turning pages and wanting more... Intriguing facts and references, create so many layers in the story and the reader can see, feel and be there.
J.J. is also able to "jump" through the walls of time, adding to the story the multicoloured nuances of retrospective and futuristic views, which create even more interest and wonderfully define atmospheres and places. The dynamic of family issues, broken ties, deception, loss and suffering, alternate the spiritual journey of the Artist and the strength of a creative vision, the vivid impulse of inspiration that wins over all. A "must read" !!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
J.J. Brown's book, "American Dream" is a touching story about, Daniel, a father who was facing his own personal life challenges while being reintroduced to his heritage. I appreciate J.J. Brown's writing style and ability to tell a good story that keeps your attention and curiosity to turning the pages. American Dream was well-written and I really enjoyed reading it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By MM
Format:Kindle Edition
They say that work is what keeps us sane. What about owning a house? Is finally leaving the home you grew up in the first step to being sane, the first step to being truly independent?
In American Dream an artist must face an old evil of a cold dysfunctional family that would forever keep him shut away in his own depressed world.
The author paints a coming of age story of sorts, in blackened stone and dusty curtains that weigh on the soul of the artist in the story. You never quite know in the end if his art saves him, the family he has built around himself, or the end of his own famous and oppressive family does. That is for the reader to decide.
The author, J. J. Brown, has and different way to tell a story. Some people tell bright, quick, and colorful stories; some tell stark black and white stories with clear lines. Ms. Brown's stories are many subtle mixtures of gray - and then the shades all come together in the complete picture. It is an interesting style.
I believe that many readers will relate to American Dream because we all have our baggage of families, work, creativity, and uncertainty that we carry. And, we all create new families out of strangers in the world that support us and care for us and help us put down some of that baggage.
The American Dream is not just about owning a house, because sometimes the house owns you. Losing a house brings sadness and regrets, and those balance with a freedom on the other side of the scale. It is not a simple thing, Yin and Yang, plus and minus.
In American Dream an artist must face an old evil of a cold dysfunctional family that would forever keep him shut away in his own depressed world.
The author paints a coming of age story of sorts, in blackened stone and dusty curtains that weigh on the soul of the artist in the story. You never quite know in the end if his art saves him, the family he has built around himself, or the end of his own famous and oppressive family does. That is for the reader to decide.
The author, J. J. Brown, has and different way to tell a story. Some people tell bright, quick, and colorful stories; some tell stark black and white stories with clear lines. Ms. Brown's stories are many subtle mixtures of gray - and then the shades all come together in the complete picture. It is an interesting style.
I believe that many readers will relate to American Dream because we all have our baggage of families, work, creativity, and uncertainty that we carry. And, we all create new families out of strangers in the world that support us and care for us and help us put down some of that baggage.
The American Dream is not just about owning a house, because sometimes the house owns you. Losing a house brings sadness and regrets, and those balance with a freedom on the other side of the scale. It is not a simple thing, Yin and Yang, plus and minus.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It has been more than a year since I subscribed to author J.J. Brown's blogs during the summer of 2011. At the time I knew of her work as a scientist. Many of us hold to stereotypes and think of scientists as Stoics; people involved in objective analysis of data and who are somewhat detached from the lives of ordinary people.
I learned from the start those assumptions were unfair, at least with Ms. Brown. She writes with sensitivity and insight about the world around her. It was her poetry that first garnered my attention but I soon noticed the same qualities in her prose.
American Dream gives readers an in depth, well crafted look at life in New York City and landscapes along the Hudson River in New York State. We read of the last days and final moments of a mother dying from stage-four bone cancer. These are touching scenes delivered with warmth and sensitivity. It is in this context we get our first look at the impact on her loving son, Daniel.
While reading American Dream, I came to understand and admire Daniel, the protagonist; a gifted artist who struggles with emotion illness. In Pierre his psychiatrist readers see a professional who genuinely cares about his patient. In stark contrast we discover Daniel's cunning, conspiring sister who will do anything to suppress what is best for her brother. Readers will get to know Daniel's circle of friends. I felt drawn into these characters lives. At the same time, the antagonist evolves into a pathetic and despised creature. With it's strong characters and dialog I think it could easily be made into a theatrical play.
Ms. Brown shows us landscapes and architecture in exacting, panoramic detail with writing that appeals to all of our senses.... Read more ›
I learned from the start those assumptions were unfair, at least with Ms. Brown. She writes with sensitivity and insight about the world around her. It was her poetry that first garnered my attention but I soon noticed the same qualities in her prose.
American Dream gives readers an in depth, well crafted look at life in New York City and landscapes along the Hudson River in New York State. We read of the last days and final moments of a mother dying from stage-four bone cancer. These are touching scenes delivered with warmth and sensitivity. It is in this context we get our first look at the impact on her loving son, Daniel.
While reading American Dream, I came to understand and admire Daniel, the protagonist; a gifted artist who struggles with emotion illness. In Pierre his psychiatrist readers see a professional who genuinely cares about his patient. In stark contrast we discover Daniel's cunning, conspiring sister who will do anything to suppress what is best for her brother. Readers will get to know Daniel's circle of friends. I felt drawn into these characters lives. At the same time, the antagonist evolves into a pathetic and despised creature. With it's strong characters and dialog I think it could easily be made into a theatrical play.
Ms. Brown shows us landscapes and architecture in exacting, panoramic detail with writing that appeals to all of our senses.... Read more ›
More About the Author
Author J.J.Brown was born in the Catskill Mountain region of New York and has lived in New York City for two decades. She has published novels, short stories and poems. J.J.Brown was a research scientist before turning to fiction writing. She completed a PhD in genetics and her research is published in leading science and education journals.
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