Customer Reviews

Close to the Bone: A Novel

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

 

 

When I read in the summary of the book about how the characters were involved in the OJ Simpson trial I shouldn't have even bothered. The constant references to the trial and how these character looked up to and admired OJ wasn't needed. It didn't add anything to the book if he took it out it wouldn't be missed. The characters weren't at all interesting, actually I found most of them rather annoying. I didn't like any of them. Unfortunately this book didn't hold my attention at all. I appauld the man's efforts but I wasn't impressed with this work. I wish him luck on future novels.

I enjoyed this book, however it did leave something to be desired. I agree with the reader who said Lamar didn't seem to know how to end the story...at the book's conclusion I felt the story wasn't "finished". Some parts of the plot were too drawn out. All in all, I think it is a realistic look at relationships in general (not just "black relationships"). I would definitley read another book by this author.

After reading Lamar's book, then reading other reader's reviews (whom I rely on far more than the "experts"), then reading the book again, I can at last say I'm completely clueless as to why it was so well received. Lamar's writing style, while by no means atrocious, is average at best. His penchant for repeating the same information is not only redundant but highly annoying to the seasoned reader. His characters were case studies in how NOT to act: selfish, arrogant, whiny and just plain silly. There is nothing more disconcerting than reading a book in which the characters are defined by sex. What could have been a sensitive and intelligent investigation into the problems African Americans have faced for decades instead turned out to be a written version of the dating game, with the characters achieving happiness only after pairing into the "proper" combinations. The end of the book left me feeling the heros and heroines were no better off than when they started. Throw in the O.J. Simpson trial as a parallel to the characters lives and the rest is pure torture.

I first encounterd the works of Lamar when I read "The Last Integrationist"."Close To The Bone" is his second novel and does not quite reach the level of his previous work. It is ,however,a novel that addresses issues related to interpersonal relationships as they regard race.It does it in fine fashion.

This book was really interesting. Mr. Lamar didnt rely on soap opera histronics like most of his peers. I liked the book but some parts were hard to follow and seem to go on far to long. I also feel like some of the characters still didnt resolve some issues. I am however looking forward to more of his work because he seems like he is only going to get better.

Thanks, Mr. Lamar for the effort. Obviously, the struggles presented of the characters in this story are real to you. Your attempt at depth was trivialized by your endings. It appeared to me that you didn't know how to end the book, so you had everyone married with child. The inevitable white girl had to be in there; apparently, at least one of your characters had to have one. And why did LaTonya have to be crazy, when she was apparently the most intelligent of all the African-American females portrayed?

There should be more "buzz" about this guy Jake Lamar -- I think he's BETTER than Terry McMillan. These are middle-class black men struggling with their identities and their relationships. Yes, it is about interracial dating (which is why it won't be a movie? Would they film the rape scene? Could Hollywood deal with the OJ verdict?) -- but it is more than just that, cause it is written so honestly. I figured that explained the title: Lamar wants to cut close to the bone, to tell the truth about black men, especially as they relate to black women and white women. Write on!

This is the first but by no means the last time I've read Jake Lamar's work. Brilliant! It is the most imaginative, engaging and enchanting work since Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Traveling from Delaware to the marijuana smoke-filled cafes of Amsterdam to the streets of Paris, I took the heady ride with the characters until the compelling end. It was a book that was hard to put down, and the author did an amazing job portraying flashbacks that gave insights into the characters' psyche without losing the reader's interest or intellect. He is a blessed and talented writer that I will always follow. One question, what does "Close to the Bone" mean?

Lamar, nails it again. I read this book in 2 days. He's able to capture the essence of each character and the struggle with their identities. The character named "Tony" was exciting and shows that truth grow comes from facing and walking through fire. I really enjoyed it. Lamar is one of the premier authors of this century. I hope more people view him as a complicated, funny, and real literary genius similar to Richard Wright.

WHEW! Finishing this book was like closing a chapter in my life. It highlighted just what I thought brothers were thinking and feelings about in relationships in general. The characters jumped at you and though "adversity" wasn't apparent (all had middle-upper class upbringings) their plights took me on a journey I enjoyed for 24 hours [that is right, read it in a day]. Hal's visual delima vs. his actual delima with dealing with a white girlfriend gave me an insight about how brothers see themselves in interracial relationships. There were some catches that I didn't like...Walker's life summation with Eva, and Corky's summation in Amsterdam. This all seemed too wrapped up, too clean. Also the [very] brief encounter with LaTonya and Hal didn't begin to envelop the emotions I developed from their two interloping stories.