Customer Reviews

Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In America, we have hidden away death and the dead. Insulated by modern medicine, by a culture obsessed with youth, and by a pervasive need not to accept our own limited nature, we have put death aside. Studs Terkel, in this eloquent book, has helped restore death to its proper and healthy place as something to be contemplated, understood, and, bit by bit, accepted. This book is a collection of interviews with ordinary people who express themselves with extraordinary eloquence as they consider how death has touched and shaped their lives. From this diverse chorus of voices arises an understanding of death as both a creative and a destructive force, of death as a shaper of life rather than a void. The result is a book more about life than death, about the remarkable importance of every life and of every death.

Studs Terkel, a Chicago treasure and Pulitzer Prize winner, could not have predicted how the release of his latest book would coincide with the events of September 11, 2001, in an amazingly poignant and timely fashion. Like his other books, this one is a collection of interviews with a broad selection of people from all walks of life. Terkel, seeking a way to cope with the death of his wife of 60 years, Ida, set out on a project to examine what people thought about the one experience we will all have but will not be able to describe once we've had it: Death. The Prologue, interviews with two New York City brothers, revisits them from an earlier book. How uncanny that one is a fireman, one a policeman. I got goosebumps reading about events at the World Trade Center before September 11th. The stories are, when all is said and done, a celebration of life and, for want of a better word, "spirit." For anyone searching for meaning in recent events in America, this book will be a tremendous solace. The book ends with Mamie Mobley, mother of Emmett Till (whose murder in the '60's was as much the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement as Rosa Parks' bus seat) and I cried through the whole chapter. The epilogue, a story of two women and two children is the perfect ending of this examination of life, death and family. Had the events of September 11th never happened, I would have recommended this book highly. Because of September 11th, this book just has to be a "best seller."

Maybe you think about mortality all the time, maybe you've never considered it for more than a moment. Either way, there are likely to be voices in Studs Terkel's most recent oral history, on the subject of death and what might or might not come after, that will speak to you. It's quite a range of speakers, young and old, funny and sad, religious and otherwise. I'll admit that some sections of the book were of less interest to me than others, but I've ended up giving it a top rating because the parts I liked, I liked a great deal. Also, as profound (and potentially depressing) as the subject matter is, the book is an oddly refreshing thing to read. I think this is partly *because* the subject is a big and eternal one, not something fleeting or connected to today's headlines. (Mortality, I suppose, is the one thing we all have in common.) And it's partly because the voices for the most part are so fresh and unvarnished -- it's common to complain that we don't hear enough from "real people" in the media (unless they're hurling insults at each other on Springer or whatever). Here a wide cross section of individuals speak their mind, and while a few are well-known, most seem to have been selected for another reason: they had something wise or thoughtful to say.

I find it hard to believe that anyone would rate this book below 5 stars, but I suppose at 71 years on this planet and having to deal with the diverse people that I have encounered, I should simply say that it's not suprising,and diversity is exactly what this book is about, that is if one can clear old mind sets and place originality of thought in it's place.
Mr. Terkel allows this diversity of the human Psyche to play itself out in this well constructed biographical enterprise.
I personally found this book to be a refreshing and interesting approach to the subject of death and highly recommend it, unless of course one is still thinking that he or she is immortal.

This book is a frank discussion of the subject that nobody wants to discuss: death. We all know it is coming, yet absolutely nobody knows what it will be like. We all have our ideas, based on our religion, our life experiences, our general outlook on life. That is what this book chronicles. Since nobody really knows for sure, the best way to face death is to gather as many opinions as possible. Studs Turkle does that for us in this book, gathering personal reflections from a vast diversity of people (including himself) covering the whole spectrum. When my wife almost died at 33 years old a few years ago, I was forced into thinking about death and what lies beyond a little sooner than I had hoped. This book helped me understand that death is not something you can control, so you might as well accept the inevitability and live you life the best you can. Some of the stories resonated deeply with me, while others I honestly skipped over, but I am sure there is something here that speaks to almost everyone.

I liked this book. Some people hit my own personal beliefs right on the head and some people had beliefs that I don't agree with. It was interesting to see the many different perspectives on death and I found it to be very thought-provoking. To be honest, after reading this book, I am less afraid of dying. I am more concerned with living in the here and now and making the most of it. After reading this book, I have decided that if there is something beyond this life--wonderful. If not, wonderful. If we can leave behind good memories, then we never really die. I recommend this book. It's not depressing, it's actually comforting.

The compelling aspect of the book is the way strangers recount the essence of their lives in the space of several pages. What they have done, seen, felt and thought and how it all shapes their views on death and the possibility of afterlife. Some of the stories are inspiring, tragic or deeply moving. Some are mundane. All are authentic. The nature of the book is that the author makes no assessments, offers no opinion and provides no comprehensive or intergrating perspective. Like a miner sifting through tons of ore for a few nuggests, the reader goes through 60 interviews and in the end must decide if the rewards were worth the effort. An apt parable for life itself.

Regardless of what one's religion or personal beliefs are, one topic most people ponder at some point in their life is death. It is said there are two journeys in life we must truly make on our own - birth and death. While we may have others at our side, the transition is ours alone. There are those among us who believe that when life is over, we are no more. There are also those who believe there is a greater purpose to life than what we experience here on Earth; that is, our body is merely the vehicle that carries us through this world to a better one. Then, there are those who believe we have lived many lives and will continue to do so.

I must admit some of the books I have read about the great here-after do seem a little extreme, particularly since no one in this present day and age has passed on and returned several years later to tell us about the experience. This book, however, will be of particular interest to those questioning life beyond this one. There is a good deal of food for thought contained among the pages and much of the content includes experiences with those who have indeed loved and lost to death. There are stories of great love, faith and belief that those who depart from this world are still watching over us. I, personally, like to believe that those who are taken from us become our guardian angels. Whatever "Infinite Power" it is each of us believes in, has found a better place for us - a place where we can do more for those we leave behind than we could possibly do here on Earth as mortals. There will be an infinite moment, planned or spontaneous, when our time and work in this world will come to an end. It is simply time to move on - there are for more important tasks and unfinished business yet to do that cannot be completed here on Earth.

Death is an experience we will all encounter sooner or later. This book should help soothe the soul, bring peace of mind to the fearful and hope to the doubtful. The epilogue, itself, is worth the reading of the book as it gives perfect meaning to life, death, faith and the true meaning of eternal love.

How can anyone not like this book? So realistic an approach to a subject we all ponder more and more as the years pass. This book brings new information as well, I read the other reviews here and I would have written the same if they hadnt been posted. The Sept 11th attacks did not come to me though and would not expect anyone to. The book is chilling to the bone and has me wanting to go back and read it again, I want to start about one quarter the way in as this book explodes at this point, but I am going to start from the beginning again. What I'm saying is the book has chronology or a line you definitly have to follow. Very supportive. I would like to recommend a book that really touches the subject in a different way, it breaks the circle! Karl Mark Maddox SB 1 or God

I normally read quick paperbacks you can finish at the beach...but I picked this up after my father died. I didn't feel like calling an entourage of friends; I just wanted to hear from someone who understood. This book fulfilled the job of whatever therapy I needed...and more. Many of the stories have stayed with me and opened me up to a new level of empathy. I always thought undertakers were a little creepy. But I was very moved when I read about the guy who took such pride in his work, trying to make the people look as they did in life. It meant so much when the families said their loved ones looked like they had remembered.. The first story reminded me of my own innocence when the little boy asked the hippie in the park why he was crying when his mother died because she was so old. I was relieved when my mom told me as a little girl that she would be so old when she died I wouldn't care...it wasn't true, but it took away my anxiety. And who couldn't draw on the strength of Emmet Till's mother as she buried her son? Studs Terkel has a wonderful way of allowing you to share in the meaningful experiences of others. I guess that's what people are seeking when they flip channels from one reality show to the next, but with his oral histories, you get the real thing...no put-ons. I am on to my third book by him and he has become one of my favorite authors.