Ransom Seaborn (Paperback)

by Bill Deasy (Author)
Key Phrases: Ransom Seaborn, Old John, Dan Finbar (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Compelling prose, capturing the mood and style of classic American writing. -- girlondemand.blogspot.com

Product Description
"Nobody who knows Bill Deasy's wonderful music will be surprised to find that this book is filled with soul. Deasy quietly explores the ties that bind, and the evolution of a heart that everyone will recognize, and root for" -- Jane McCafferty, author of "One Heart" --- Ransom Seaborn is an astonishing literary debut in the spirit of Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Velluminous Press (August 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905605080
• ISBN-13: 978-1905605088
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #380,739 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One for the ages, August 8, 2006

By	Richard A. Dolnack "Rick" (Greensburg, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I went to see Bill Deasy's band the day Ransom Seaborn was released. First thing I did was to buy a copy. Bill signed it and as he handed it to me he said he wanted a review. As I walked away I thought, "What if I don't like it? What if it isn't any good? What do say then?"
By the time the crowd arrived for the show I was through 30 pages. I stopped reading it only to talk to friends and to listen to the band. I couldn't wait to get home and read more and cursed the fireworks display that closed the exits and the police who made me turn off my lights. When I got home I continued to read. I woke up with it laying on my chest, picked up where I left off and stopped reading only long enough to make coffee. That should answer the first question.
There's a passage early in Ransom Seaborn where a professor asks his lit class. "What is good writing?" He offers no answer but reads an example. Let me try to answer. To me good writing whether it be poetry, prose, song, or theater draws its reader, listener or viewer into another world. The people, places, sights, smells and sounds are clear in the minds eye. Ransom Seaborn does just that. The characters are real I now know them all, I've been to Harrison College and Pembrook.
I won't give any plot details, that would spoil it for you. It can most easily be described as a coming of age tale. As with all good writing it plays with your emotions. I found myself with tears in my eyes but breaking out in a laugh before the tear could fall over the course of a few paragraphs.
The difference between good writing and great writing is the test of time. If there is any literary justice in this world 20 years from now a young author will write a coming of age tale about a loner whose backpack contains a copy of Catcher in the Rye and Ransom Seaborn.
Yeah I liked and it is that good.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars blow me away, August 9, 2006

By	Betsy E. Suzio (Pittsburgh PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What I liked most about the book is that as soon as I finished it I came to the realization that I would have liked it even if I had never heard of Bill Deasy before opening the cover. It's a captivating story, told in a generous, thoughtful & thought provoking manner. At times playful, at times breathtaking, at times disturbing, and not for a moment disappointing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evocative, August 29, 2006

By	Bill M (CA) - See all my reviews

I loved this book. It beautifully captures that time in a young person's life when first love can grab you so hard that you ache all over; when everything--or nothing--can be drenched in meaning; when a book or a song can change your life. Bill's writing, like his music, gives you a heightened sense of the world around you. This is the type of book you buy for all your friends and family.