Customer Reviews

Meet John Trow

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

 

 

"Meet John Trow" is an incredible book! I lost myself in the story by page 10 and was able to abandon my own modern life pressures by escaping into the world of Steven Armour as he escaped into the world of John Trow. The writing is beautiful, imaginative, complex and ironic, taking us back in time with rich details of life in 1865 and returning us suddenly to the world of tv reruns and the internet. Tom Dyja has risen to the top of my list of favorite authors.

More and more frequently it's been proven to me that one should listen to the reading suggestions made by friends with similar interests. Since I enjoy expository prose more than narrative, I tend to resist recommendations when they are novels rather than books of information, but every now and then someone who shares my interests will recommend one that is a "good fit." Meet John Trow by Thomas Dyja is a example. It is a very complex novel, recommended by a friend at work with whom I'd like to write ghost stories and with whom I share a number of interests. The book is part ghost story, part murder mystery, part Civil War history, and part a search for a philosophy of life. Whether any of these things are subjects in which the author himself has a real interest or experience or whether he just did his homework, the book works, at least for me.

The central character, Steven Armour, is bogged down in a mid-life crisis. His wife Patty seems angry all the time, his son is a stranger to him, his daughter suffers undiagnosed petit mal seizures which cause difficulties at school, his coworkers treat him with the indulgence reserved for the "elderly" and "out of the loop," and his elderly father, a widower, perennial child and the arch antagonist of Steve's wife Patty, is hoping to move in with the family. It's not that Steve's problems are unique; but his solution to them is. Introduced to a Civil War reenactment group while on a family outing, he is goaded into joining, and once involved gets REAL involved.

While I was a little disappointed in the ultimate solution of the mystery part of the book--I'm a romantic at heart--I felt that the book was greater than the sum of its parts. On the way toward recreating the life of a private John Trow, Steve learns things about himself and his life. We should all be so lucky. He comes to view the goals and purposes that he had accepted as grounding principles from the perspective of an outsider which helps him make some changes. Freed of the group think of modern life, at least for brief periods, he manages to become more centered and clinical in his judgement. For anyone caught up in the hectic pace of modern life as Steven Armour is, some of the points that Dyja makes about choices, taking control, taking responsibility, owning mistakes, and making changes are significant. In fact they are far more significant than the actual plot of the story, which is in fact a little light weight.

The book is a good read for anyone with an interest in ghosts, the Civil War, Civil War reenactment, and family dynamics. More important it's a good book to prod one into considering ones own priorities and where they lead.

Don't let the very lame cover fool you: this is an excellent book. The descriptions were vivid, the characters interesting, likeable and three dimensional. Many times I was *there*, not only smelling the smells and seeing the sights, I was *feeling* the emotions of the protagonist. The prose have an easy, lyrical quality (aside from a few tangential run-on sentences that requires the reader to follow along with the main point the way a novice surfer might cling to an oversized wave).

The dialogue had an easy, realistic quality. Several times I found myself laughing out loud at funny things the characters said and did.

At its best it was like reading a really good Stephen King novel. For those who like a touch of the paranormal without going over the top, this book serves nicely. For the Civil War fan that wonders what it would be like to be a re-enactor, this book answers the questions.

The story is presented in 5 "parts" or acts and it went on about an act too long. I would have given this five stars if it had concluded at the end of Act 4. There, the reader is still feeling the chills of a plot twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan. As it is, it plods on for another 50 pages trying to tie up all loose ends, when in fact having it conclude at the end of Act 4 would have left us with the chills AND the ability to speculate as towhat exactly happened. It would have even left a question mark as to the supernatural nature of what had taken place. In life, not all questions are answered, not all loose ends are tied up, and it would have left a realistic touch if the same had happened here.

I'd recommend this book. If you have the will power, close the book at the end of Part 4 and call it a story.

I loved this book! I think this author is very talented and I don't understand some of the other critics. Who cares if you don't know how to pronounce a name?? I can't believe that would stop someone from reading Russian novels or
great story for that matter. Before I get too far off track here - let me say again, I really enjoyed this book and plan to recommend it to one of my books groups and I hope I don't have to wait too long for another book from this fine writer.

The past has a tendency to beckon us more than ever as modernism proves itself to unsatisfying in spite of all the luxury and material acquisitions that abound. Lives of "quiet desperation" is still a motivating force behind the façade of the nuclear family and the upper-middle-class manicured existence that we hold so dear. The movie "American Beauty" is an example of this negation of status quo in the guise of middle-class angst.

Along comes Thomas Dyja will a brilliantly conceived and technically well executed novel, Meet John Trow . In this case, rather than trying to chase the "sweet bird of youth" as many middle-aged people ridiculously attempt, Steven Armour finds solace in the past. What initially starts out as a lark, that is, joining the ranks of of a Connecticut Civil War re-enactment unit turns into ghostly obsession. We get drawn into the process by which Steven assumes his new quasi-personality. Mt. Riga, a local restoration village, becomes the weekend haven for Steven as well as other locals as each respective re-enactor takes on the alter ego which eventually lead to dark obsessions. The ensuing irony of the supposed past lives of the characters in contrast to their modern counterparts makes for very entertaining fiction

Mr. Dyja's style is refreshing in the context of today's bottom line trend in fiction. His narrative is neither condescending nor pendantic. The use of detail is flawless, and from it I learned a lot of insight into the world of the Civil War re-enactor. The most satisfying aspect of this novel is the surprising faux ending and the eventual (for the better?) resolution of the characters.

I am sorry, I had great hopes of enjoying this book since it is about reenacting and the reasons one engages in that activity. Instead I get an obscene, adulterer, possessed man in middle age crisis with only a smidgen of information about reenactment.
The author seems to have a very limited vocabulary when in "modern speak" but it is cleaned up a lot in the era of being channeled. What does that tell us about the quality of our modern brains if we can only speak strings of 4 letter words.
This is not a family book by any means. Nothing I want my family to be exposed to.
I may very well destroy this book so that no one else will have to suffer as they navigate the dusky pasture of life while stepping in cow pies the entire time.

Well, because the concept of this book drew me in. I am an avid lover of history, and the hint of paranormal in the bookjacket description intrigued me. I didn't even get mildly into the book until over halfway through; up to that point, I felt the Steven really didn't give me a whole lot of reason to feel sorry for him, or empathize, unless I count his mean wife. Too much monotonous description in the first part of the book for my taste, the action in the plot started way too late. If the author was trying to do this for effect, to make us feel what Steven felt it wasn't effective. And there wasn't any resolution with the wife; that is left up to the reader's imagination. It was a loose end most readers would like to see wrapped up. But I can't justify the character's mid-life crisis actions the same way the author did. Then the ending was wrapped up way too quickly. The light bulb went off in the character's head, then it was over. Huh.

That the author has talent, I have to doubt. He doesn't apply it very well in this work.

The ONLY reason I finished this book was because I paid so much for it. If it had presented the story that was on the jacket, I would have loved it. As it is, it's a disappointment.

The prior review of this book is a prime example of why it is unwise to based decisions soley on what a "critic" says. I loved this book - read it in 4 days. I could not put it down. I guess one just has to have an interest in history to take a liking to it. I did think the ending was just ok, not excellent. Otherwise it was a fantastic read. It also served as a solemn reminder of all that our ancestors endured and suffered through in the Civil War and how reenactors try to get a glimpse of that. My advice - read it for yourself and enjoy!

Do you like books about civil war reinactors?...Me either. Do you like books about possession?...Naw, I could do without them too. Huh, who would've thunk I'd have loved this? Not me. I don't know why I even started it. I'm glad I did though.

Yet another book about a corporate lacky learning that we have been tricked into thinking unnecessary things are important. Althewhile, fighting what he thinks is his possession by a dead civil war vet. Ha! try and beat that for weirdosity, though it's written straightforward and serious.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I was intrigued by the combination of civil war history, mid-life crisis, and the supernatural that the book promised. Unfortunately, although it started off well, the book failed to deliver on that promise.

To be fair, the book starts off well. We meet the protagonist, and can sympathize with his feelings of paternal inadequacy, and corporate anonymity. His discovery of re-enactment was very interesting, as was the effect the change in his personality had on his family.

Then he gets a love letter. Uggh. Actually, the first one isn't bad. We've already been set up to wonder if our "hero" has been possessed by his character. Then he gets a mysterious letter from the past. All is well and good until it becomes quite clear who the letters are from.

At this point, the supernatural element is dropped from the book. We have read scenes of possession, where John Trow takes over; Steven Armour knows things he shouldn't know, etc., but nothing is ever made of it.

Talk about a let down. What could have been a very interesting read falls apart in the end, becoming little more than a romance novel in the end.

I was disappointed to say the least.