Hold It Til It Hurts (Audible Audio Edition) T Geronimo Johnson Corey Allen Recorded Books Books
Download As PDF : Hold It Til It Hurts (Audible Audio Edition) T Geronimo Johnson Corey Allen Recorded Books Books
When Achilles Conroy and his brother Troy return from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, their white mother presents them with the key to their past envelopes containing details about their respective birth parents. After Troy disappears, Achilles - always his brother's keeper - embarks on a harrowing journey in search of Troy, an experience that will change him forever. Heartbreaking, intimate, and at times disturbing, Hold It 'Til It Hurts is a modern-day odyssey through war, adventure, disaster, and love, and explores how people who do not define themselves by race make sense of a world that does.
Hold It Til It Hurts (Audible Audio Edition) T Geronimo Johnson Corey Allen Recorded Books Books
This is not the kind of book that would normally make it onto my radar, but when Sherman Alexie chose it for the WSJ Bookclub, saying "I don’t think a book by another man has ever made me cry as much…", I thought I'd check it out. I'm glad I did.Briefly, Achilles and Troy are the African-American adopted sons of a white couple from Maryland. Their father died while they were in transit, travelling home from their second tour in Afghanistan (Goddamnistan), so they are surprised to arrive home and find the funeral about to take place. He had always wanted the boys to have the opportunity to trace their birth-parents, so their mother acts upon those wishes, giving each of the brothers a blue envelope after the funeral. Achilles adamantly rejects his, while Troy is a bit more open to the idea. The next morning, Troy has disappeared. After a few days Achilles goes in search of his brother - and that is the backbone of the story; Achilles' odyssey in search of his brother. What the story is about is race and identity.
"racism is the bus that runs us over, every day, and while maybe only the racists are driving, every white is along for the ride"
There's some pretty powerful stuff in there, from descriptions of what went on in Afghanistan, to what it was like in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
"The little red duplex was tagged with the spray paint circle and cross and the number three, indicating that three bodies were found."
"Bose was red in the face, stuttering, trying to explain the feeling of witnessing destruction on a scale usually reserved for wartime."
"...you know damn well if this were Malibu or Key West or Galveston, they would have evacuated these people in a heartbeat. It's some dark s*** when your country lets you sit out on a highway in hundred-degree weather and die just because you're black and poor."
But overall, it didn't have the emotional impact for me that it did for Sherman Alexie. At least not until the very end when I wept through the final chapter or two. I know this is because I am not male or brown and I don't have any direct experience or connections with war or the military, so I'm not discounting it at all. What I do know about is being part of a family, so that's the bit at the end that tugged on my emotions.
Sometimes I felt a bit lost in the story, and strangely, this is one of the things that I admired about the book. Achilles is a different kind of 'unreliable narrator'. He lies to and hides the truth from the other characters, but not from us, the readers. Still, I sometimes found it difficult to decide what was true and what was not. Ines, the love interest, accuses him: "Your grieving voice sounds exactly like your lying voice." (She's onto him by this point...)
On top of that there was the author's tendency to go a bit too far with the 'show, don't tell' rule. A good example was where someone has died and then we are at the funeral - but hang on! - this funeral is for someone else altogether!!!! (And it took me paaaaaages to work this out!)
Overall, I liked it. I liked the writing, and I liked the way the author let me take the story the way I wanted to.
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Hold It Til It Hurts (Audible Audio Edition) T Geronimo Johnson Corey Allen Recorded Books Books Reviews
Johnson has a unique approach to literature. I found this novel to be very interesting and at times disturbing. He covers a lot of territory, from Afghanistan to hurricane ravaged New Orleans. I am eager to read his new novel.
different kind of story and look at African americans adjustment to life outside of military service. Thought provoing.
Achilles, a soldier home from the war faces challenges as he searches New Orleans for his brother, Troy who has left home as he looks for his birth parents. This is a beautifully written novel with many insights on race, family, brotherhood and war.
Very very complex.....jumped from one scenario to another, then back, then forward, then back,etc. Very very few books do I not finish reading, but this one after really trying to stay with it, had me jumping to the last two pages.......would not recommend this book.
I first read Welcome to Braggsville and was floored by the immense talent and raw passion that poured out of Mr. Johnson's pen. It made me so much more aware of the struggle of black identity in White America and I immediately jonesed for more. As great as WtB is, HiTiH is even better. I found it very difficult, if not impossible to put this book down, and when I did all I could think about was Achilles. I'm struggling to write a review that does this important book justice, I implore you to read this book. T. Geronimo Johnson took a classic story of an odyssey and adapted it to modern times. He created such a rich character whom despite his many flaws you couldn't help but to be completely overwhelmed with compassion and hope for him. (Which would have really pissed Achilles off.) Reading this book opened my eyes to yet another ugly part of Black History in America. This is a book that makes you think of yourself, and whatever personal demons you may be holding but more importantly, of others and how important identity is. THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK. In my eyes T. Geronimo Johnson is quickly becoming the most important voice in America.
I got bored. It felt too stilted and as if he were trying his best to 'show off'. I think Johnson would do well to read the Masters, such as Jim Harrison, to really find a better way to tell his story and engage the reader.
The author had me right with him, I felt what the main character felt (as much as possible). Riveted. The subjects covered were difficult, made me think about my own prejudices. This book was the best read for me this year. I'm not eloquent, but I know so much more about a soldier's shoes, the devastation left behind, the enormity of the task of reentering society, combined with interracial adoption issues, then Katrina. Thank goodness friends and family were around. I will read this book again. It's a life changer.
This is not the kind of book that would normally make it onto my radar, but when Sherman Alexie chose it for the WSJ Bookclub, saying "I don’t think a book by another man has ever made me cry as much…", I thought I'd check it out. I'm glad I did.
Briefly, Achilles and Troy are the African-American adopted sons of a white couple from Maryland. Their father died while they were in transit, travelling home from their second tour in Afghanistan (Goddamnistan), so they are surprised to arrive home and find the funeral about to take place. He had always wanted the boys to have the opportunity to trace their birth-parents, so their mother acts upon those wishes, giving each of the brothers a blue envelope after the funeral. Achilles adamantly rejects his, while Troy is a bit more open to the idea. The next morning, Troy has disappeared. After a few days Achilles goes in search of his brother - and that is the backbone of the story; Achilles' odyssey in search of his brother. What the story is about is race and identity.
"racism is the bus that runs us over, every day, and while maybe only the racists are driving, every white is along for the ride"
There's some pretty powerful stuff in there, from descriptions of what went on in Afghanistan, to what it was like in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
"The little red duplex was tagged with the spray paint circle and cross and the number three, indicating that three bodies were found."
"Bose was red in the face, stuttering, trying to explain the feeling of witnessing destruction on a scale usually reserved for wartime."
"...you know damn well if this were Malibu or Key West or Galveston, they would have evacuated these people in a heartbeat. It's some dark s*** when your country lets you sit out on a highway in hundred-degree weather and die just because you're black and poor."
But overall, it didn't have the emotional impact for me that it did for Sherman Alexie. At least not until the very end when I wept through the final chapter or two. I know this is because I am not male or brown and I don't have any direct experience or connections with war or the military, so I'm not discounting it at all. What I do know about is being part of a family, so that's the bit at the end that tugged on my emotions.
Sometimes I felt a bit lost in the story, and strangely, this is one of the things that I admired about the book. Achilles is a different kind of 'unreliable narrator'. He lies to and hides the truth from the other characters, but not from us, the readers. Still, I sometimes found it difficult to decide what was true and what was not. Ines, the love interest, accuses him "Your grieving voice sounds exactly like your lying voice." (She's onto him by this point...)
On top of that there was the author's tendency to go a bit too far with the 'show, don't tell' rule. A good example was where someone has died and then we are at the funeral - but hang on! - this funeral is for someone else altogether!!!! (And it took me paaaaaages to work this out!)
Overall, I liked it. I liked the writing, and I liked the way the author let me take the story the way I wanted to.
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