Customer Reviews

Of Such Small Differences

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

 

 

What impressed me immediately about this book, and continues to impress me, is how seamlessly Joanne Greenberg entered the point of view of a deaf-blind character. The sensory images in this book are flawlessly tactile or odors or taste--when we are inside the protagonist's head there are no visual or auditory images at all, the ones we who see and hear gravitate toward most quickly--And yet, for me, one with both sight and hearing, the sensory experience of this book is remarkably rich. This is a tremendous feat, one to be admired, and for that reason I will continue to recommend this book, despite the sad ending and bleak, and sadly true, portrait of the way deaf-blind adults are treated in this society.

A really extraordinary writer can perform a kind of magic, doing two things at once in such a way as to change readers' lives.

We each live in a lonely cocoon (none more so than those who don't know it); we cherish past measure those moments when we break through and connect intimately with other worlds and other lives beyond ours. A writer like Greenberg can take us deep into lives and worlds we never knew (except remotely)and at the same time, ignite the flame of understanding that connects us with the people in those worlds. We end up feeling we have been somewhere previously unknown to us; yet we end up feeling our own lives more richly, knowing ourselves in a new way.

Of Such Small Differences works such magic. We meet a man whose situation would seem to make him a different kind of human being altogether--a man who cannot see or hear. (Such is our ignorance.) We end by being closer to him, more connected to him, and more aware of his likeness to us than, for example, to the man who lives next door.

Small differences make the big difference, of course, in writing as in all else. I first read this book long ago, yet still vividly remember small details such as a sandwich John's lover throws in the garbage because John, making the snack for her, accidentally cut himself and got blood on the bread. I remember the intensity of a moment when John is in despair and weeping, desperate for both privacy and connection. His lover sits with her back against his, granting him, amazingly, emotional space and emotional support at the same time. There are dozens of such unforgettable experiences here for the reader.

One reviewer spoke of the book's sad ending. Not true. Yes, the plot per se ends with a universal downturn of the sort we all experience; but the tone of the book is one of quiet,powerful celebration as John and his older friend imagine what John's "calling card" would look like, were he to create one--it would need to be the size of a table napkin to include all his triumphs.

The thoughtful reader of Of Such Small Differences will come out the far end of this beautiful novel with a heartful of riches.

JoAnne Greenberg's novel, Of Such Small Differences", is a story about the trials and tribulations of finding oneself in love. What makes this affecting love story less of a cliché is that it is written from the main character's viewpoint whom happens to be Deaf-Blind. The story is about a year in the life of John Moon, 25 years old, and an independently living Deaf-Blind man with a flair for writing poetry. This novel is written in such a way that brings awareness to the painfully slow stages that happens during our struggle from isolation toward connecting on a deeper level.

Born blind, John is beaten into deafness at age 9 by his alcoholic father who feels nothing but shame towards him. Later, he is sent away to residential school where he endures indifference at best, brutality at worst, but mostly important self-empowering lessons that help generate his independence and sense of direction in the Hearing world. He learns that he must be exhaustingly vigilant on a daily basis because, "Deaf-blind people suffer more for their carelessness," as his home living teacher once said to him.

His only friends outside the deaf-blind community are those that are paid to be with him such as interpreters or van drivers. His life is very routine and complacent; he has a decent job and gets extra money from his stiffly rhymed and simple poems that are commercially successful. Yet, he cannot express himself on a deeper level, cannot express how he truly understands the world, from a deaf-blind perspective. His poems are for the Hearing world, so that they can be grateful for their sight and hearing, not the truths in his heart such as his rage or longings. Further, his inability to control his "vibration", the volume of his speech, contributes to his isolation from the Hearing and renders that communication tool almost useless.

Into his world come challenges and profound changes when he literally bumps into a woman, Leda, who works at his company part time. Leda is a twenty-something free spirited aspiring actress and she becomes his driving force to show his capability in the Hearing world. She can see and hear and he falls in love with her despite the misgivings of everyone around them. Neither of their friends condones the relationship, as John's deaf-blind best friend says to him, "You want so much to be involved in HER world, but she doesn't want to be in YOURS. We are a novelty to them, one they get bored of eventually." But they move in together anyway and she loves him in return and becomes his companion, guide, interpreter and lover. The greatest thing of all is that she encourages him to cultivate his genuine voice in his poetry, to show his vision from a deaf-blind experience. His personality begins to flourish.

But as with any new relationship, the rose-colored glasses start to come off and there are struggles, more than a Hearing relationship would have. She becomes weary from the need to interpret every minute detail and he becomes hurt when she doesn't explain everything. In her "free-spiritedness" she is not as organized as John needs. His home life becomes more of a struggle and sometimes dangerous, as when she doesn't put the knives back exactly where they needed to go and he cuts his finger. At times, John feels that SHE is the one who is Deaf-blind, when she doesn't notice the rough walkway or tree branches low enough to hit his head on. When she claims she didn't notice those things he castigates her by saying, "Seeing is believing," meaning he can't believe the Hearing know so little about such a bragged about sense. She is annoyed that he has no concept that to "see" means that you "see everything, altogether". She grows drained of being responsible for seeing every problem he could run into.

In addition, she never fully understands that he is humiliated when things get out of control in the Hearing world, "misunderstandings" the hearing always say, and he ends up in the hospital or at the police station. For him, it is important that he be seen as a CAPABLE person and it is a source of deep bitterness that the Hearing world is so impatient and rude towards the deaf-blind. Many times throughout the book, John is grabbed from behind without knowing who or what is going on. And when he shows his frustration by struggling or "vibrating too loud", it only makes the Hearing more ruthless towards him.

He is used to having little or no explanation of what and why things happen, and often he does not know if other people have left the room. Leda proves to understand by being patient with him, making her best attempt at bringing light to all the unanswered questions that keep him in the dark. They both think their love will overcome the differences.

However, the differences become too great and when it's time for her to make a decision about moving across country to be in a theatre production, they both agree it's best they split. At first reaction, it would seem as though John has failed. But the triumph is that despite the failed relationship, he is not defeated. The consolation is that he has learned what it means to love others, to trust himself that he can continue to take risks and not be confined by a world that doesn't understand him. His voice has become more authentic through his poetry and he can now temper his self-destructive rage, recognize his condition and celebrate his survival.

This was a captivating novel that changed my way of thinking in regards to what it might feel like being deaf-blind. The author, JoAnne Greenberg, amazed me by her writing abilities when describing some of the scenes and emotions from the perspective of deaf-blind; it was an intense read that has given me a more open perspective that I didn't have before.

This is an amazing book, but the author who wrote I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. It's a love story about a deafblind young man named John, and an able-bodied woman named Leda. John was born blind, and became deaf as a child. He can speak and use ASL but communicates primarily through fingerspelling. He lives on his own, and works in sheltered workshop, where he meets Leda, an aspiring actress who works as a van driver.

Greenberg had extensive contact with the Deaf and deafblind communities, through her husband, a social worker, and her experience lends authenticity and realism to the story. This is not a romance, but a realistic, deeply affecting, poetic novel. The entire novel is narrated entirely from John's point of view, a stunning accomplishment. He's also a poet, and the poetic descriptions of how he encounters the world are amazing. But it also means that we as readers get as bewildering and incomplete a view of the world as he does. The experience of reading an entire book narrated this way gives a tiny glimpse of how difficult it is for him, and as a result the reading experience is sometimes exhausting.

The book was originally published in 1989, and it is quite dated, actually it seemed like it was set in the 70s. Leda is a self-absorbed hippie, as are her flaky actor friends. John was educated in residential schools, and the book reveals the abuses possible in those schools, and the deep scars institutionalization leaves on his psyche. Greenberg makes many sharp observations about disability, the cultures among disabled people, and of the social workers, interpreters, and volunteers who help them.

John is a fascinating, resilient character, but so many bad things happen to him, it's a bit upsetting. His family is nightmarish. But what really bothered me the most was Leda. She's so selfish and thoughtless, I just wanted to smack her. Still, highly recommend the book for anyone interested in disability culture.

This is an excellent book that opens your mind and gives you insight into love. It's a nice addition to any book club's reading list. Here are the discussion questions our club used when we met to talk about the novel.

20 Discussion Questions for "Of Such Small Differences"

1. The author uses no visual or auditory images as she unfolds the story of John Moon. Did you find that distracting? How did it impact your sensory experience of the novel?

2. How believable are the characters? Which character did you identify with?

3. What line or sentence jumped out at you or stayed with you after reading the novel?

4. Did you make any personal connections to the story? What was the connection? What does this thought/memory mean to you?

5. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new awareness of some aspect of your life or your assumptions about disabled people that you might not have thought about before?

6. John's friends and Leda's friends were very different from one another. Neither set were supportive of their relationship. Luke called Leda a "tourist" who saw them as novelties. Bennet accused John of using Leda, of taking advantage. Did you think John and Leda's relationship had a chance of being successful?

7. What was your reaction to John's relationship with his family?

8. How does the relationship between John and Leda change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What was the turning point? What was your reaction to that pivotal moment?

9. John and Luke were beaten at a bar for appearing to be gay. Could that still happen today?

10. At Leda's party, John described the smells and touch of each of her friends. What was your reaction to reading about this? How do you think John would describe you?

11. Leda learned to sign in order to communicate with John. What is the most effort you've expended at the beginning of a romantic relationship? Was it worth it?

12. Have you ever used an interpreter or relay service to interact with an individual who is deaf or deaf blind? What was the experience like?

13. How does disability exclude or set people apart in society? How is it like or unlike race, sexual orientation, class or ethnicity in creating social divides?

14. Which character from this book would you most want to go have a drink with? If you had to use an interpreter for conversation, would you choose Corson, Rahner, Martin or Sam?

15. Would this book make a good movie? Who would you cast to play the main characters?

16. Where do you think people generally get their ideas about disabled people's lives? Think about films, plays or television shows you have seen that include a disabled character. How many can you think of? What do you remember about those characters and about the actors who played them?

17. How could you still be an effective Mom if you were deaf blind?

18. John tells Leda about the racial desegregation that took place at the Deaf Blind state schools in Florida because they could not teach blind people to identify black and white people in order to keep themselves separate. What other kinds of prejudice might be eliminated in society if those same standards could apply?

19. Do you think the ending was sad or hopeful? Why?

20. Did you learn something from this book that you didn't know before?

I could not put this book down, and I am sad it is over. It is a novel among novels. It offers a deep and profound and often painful look - and whole-body experience - into a world to which so few have access. I knew some things about deaf-blindness before reading this book, but now I feel about fifty times more educated on the subject. I have the greatest respect for Joanne Greenberg. Her writing is magical and eye-opening - and teaches me things about myself.

Also, it has inspired me to relearn the finger-spelling I once knew as a child.

Why this book was not a bestseller is beyond me.

The book was great for learning how someone who is both deaf and blind views the world. Sadly, I felt exhausted after finishing it because this man's life went by so slowly, like it would never end or bring lasting happiness.