Customer Reviews

The Song of Daniel

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love the song of daniel. when you read it, you feel like you are sitting next to daniel in the cemetary, the details are so vivid. it's the first book I've ever read that I literally couldn't put down. I read it in one day, and would recommend it to anyone who needs to read a book they will never forget.

... I set out to read one of his earlier novels - a touching piece entitled The Song of Daniel. It was a very heartfelt and sincere story about a young man named Daniel Mitchell, living in a world of his own. It was a peaceful life - an escape from reality that he created for himself, after he had been exposed to unspeakable violence in his early childhood. This realm of Daniel's remains untouched, until he meets worldly and somewhat cynical Rebecca. As a result, they learn much from each other. In this masterpiece, Williams has conveyed Daniel's thoughts, vulnerabilities, and deepest fears with such an indescribable intricacy that puts us in his shoes. Finally Daniel deals with the uprising of his past in his own way. I really enjoyed this book.

I read Song of Daniel some years ago, and I still think of it with wonder. The plot is moving, the characters unforgettable, and the writing tender and loving. In fact, the book is the best sort of "southern" novel. To a southerner, that does not mean that the book is about the South, although Williams' evocations of the southern setting are loving and poetic. Rather, the southern novel seems to distinguish itself by the author's love of language. Williams' voice is gentle, beautiful, and touching--sometimes to the point that it evokes tears. But don't think that the book is maudlin. The tenderness is genuine, authentic. Of special interest to those familiar with the marvelous (and largely forgotten) Georgia poet, Byron Herbert Reece, a subplot involves the research of a University of Georgia professor into just such a Georgia mountain poet. Song of Daniel gripped and moved me as few books ever have. Its power over the imagination and the emotions is so great that I have not reread it yet: after perhaps ten years, it is still too strong in my memory. But it holds a special place among those books that I _will_ reread. Although they are very different writers, the only southern novelist I would compare with Williams (based on this book) is Walker Percy, and that's the highest praise I can offer. Buy this book and take it to a quiet place.

A wonderfully written book about life and innocence and finding oneself. Wonderful imagery. The characters were extremely likable. It was especially interesting to me because I grew up in Athens, Georgia and visited the cemetery often, so I could really relate to the scenery set in this book.

I am sorry that I cannot give this novel quite the glowing review that others here have given it. I like Philip Lee Williams' work very much and found his first novel a masterpiece. I enjoyed THE SONG OF DANIEL very much until just before the last third of the novel. I felt that at that point Mr. Williams' relaxed his pacing, delivered some dialogue that is nothing short of corny, and that UG professor Rebecca and the dying lady Rachel were on the verge of becoming unglued as credible characters. I too found the tie-in with the true story of Byron Herbert Reese quite interesting (I am intrigued by Reese and have read everything I can find by and about him) but Mr.Williams departs drastically from the story of Reese in this book when he brings in the character of Rachel, the death pact on the mountaintop and, well, just the entire matter becomes a good deal preposterous as one nears the end of the novel. I do think that Philip Lee Williams is a fine novelist. I just cannot agree that THE SONG OF DANIEL is quite worthy of him. I kept feeling that he was striving to meet a deadline and so the last third of the novel somehow, to my regret, fell apart for me. And Daniel is indeed one of the most exasperating characters I ever encountered in any novel. Surely any perceptive reader knows that such a person in real life would, of necessity, be in an institution. This having been said, I will read the more recent novels of Philip Lee Williams--his talent is immense, prodigious. And I am fascinated to learn that he is also a composer. Before learning this, I suspected early in the novel that the author had a strong affinity for classical music. He has his character Rebecca always playing it.