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The Book of Why
A deeply moving story about a self-help author confronting life's ultimate can love survive anything? Even death?A novel about an unforgettable love, THE BOOK OF WHY asks big Is there meaning in signs? Do coincidences matter? Does love ever really have to die?The answers to these questions are within you-at least that's what writer Eric Newborn said in his mega-bestselling books and speeches. But the loss of his wife has left Eric with a failed belief system. In the wake of that trauma, Eric has become a recluse in his home on Martha's Vineyard. A fan who tracks Eric down brings him back to memories of his wife, leading him closer to her than he'd dreamed he could ever get again. With a breathtaking twist at its end, THE BOOK OF WHY is a perfect, unforgettable love story in the tradition of Nicholas Sparks and Julie Orringer.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
44 people are currently reading
1073 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Montemarano
11 books75 followersNicholas Montemarano's most recent novel, The Senator's Children, was published by Tin House Books. He is the author of two previous novels and a short story collection. His first memoir, If There Are Any Heavens, was published in 2022. He has received a Pushcart Prize and an NEA fellowship. He grew up in Queens and now lives in Lancaster, PA, where he is the Alumni Professor of Creative Writing and Belles Lettres at Franklin & Marshall College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 16, 2016
لست من هواة قراءة الروايات باللغة الإنجليزية ولكن صديقة لي رشحت هذه الرواية لي لانها تتفق مع افكاري بالكفران بالتنمية البشرية.
اعجبني في للرواية غموضها وأحداثها التي تنقلت بين الماضي والحاضر وإن كان هذا مربكا احيانا فمثلا يبدأ الكاتب بعض الفصول بجزء من خطبة للبطل او من خطاب من احد معجبيه ولكنك لا تكتشف هذا بسهولة.
في الحقيقة لا أدري هل هذه رواية أم كتاب أم كتاب في شكل رواية. على اي حال استمتعت كثيرا بأفكار البطل وخط تحوله الدرامي. فهو مؤلف كتب تنمية بشرية مشهور وله العديد من الخطب الملهمة والاف المعجبين شديد الايمان بافكاره عن قوة الارادة وأننا مسئولين عن كل ما يحدث لنا وقانون الجذب إلى اخره من أفكار للتنمية البشرية.
ولكن للرواية تقدمه لنا وهو شخص وحيد مع كلبه وقد كفر بكل هذه الافكار حتى انه عندما يتحدث عن نفسه في الماضي يقول الشخص الذي يشبهني.
يبدو للوهلة الاولى أن سبب كفرانه هذا هو وفاة زوجته الحبيبة بالسرطان ولكن نتكشف مع احداث الفلاش باك انه كان لديه الكثير من الاسئله من القراء التي لم يستطع الاجابة عليها. مثلا لماذا يمرض الاطفال؟ ماذا فعلوا او اعتقدوا لتحدث لهم الكوارث وهم رضع؟
ماذا عن الكوارث الجماعة مثل ١١ سبتمبر هل كانت لدى كل الناس هناك افكار سلبية سببت لهم هذه الكارثة؟
هكذا تخبرنا للتنمية البشرية أن اعتقادنا أن شيئا جيدا سيحدث سيجعله يحدث بقانون الجذب والعكس صحيح.
وهكذا كان يؤمن بطل قصتنا وعندما عجز عن الانجاب حاول أن يطبق نظريته على زوجته لابد أن تؤمن انها ستنجب وستنجب. وعندما حاولت ان تتناقش معه في احتمال عدم الانجاب رفض المناقشة وظن انها بذلك تسبب عدم الانجاب في الحدوث او ربما انها تشعر بالذنب لان اختها توفت وهي حامل في حادث فهذا الشعور يسبب العقم.
يستعين بأدلة من خطابات معجبيه الذين شفوا من الشلل او السرطان بقوة الارة ويلوم زوجته داخليا انها لا تنجب ثم يلومها بعد ذلك انها لا تشفى من السرطان. ثم يعتقد انها حتى لو كانت زوجته غير مؤمنة فيكفي ايمانه هو وحبه لها لتشفى.
ولكنه لا يكفي وتموت رغم كل شىء.
وهنا ينهار.
وبعد سنوات تأتي قارئة لتبحث عنه وتنكتشف ترابط مصيرهما ولكن من اللافت للنظر ان هذه القارئة ساعدتها كتب البطل للتخلص من زوجها العنيف ولكنها للاسف تتزوج شخص اخر بنفس المواصفات. تسأله لماذا دائما أجذب نفس النوعيه من الرجال؟ فلا يستطيع الاجابة.
ولكني اعتقد اني اعرفها لان التنمية البشرية قدمت لها علاجا سطحيا لمشكلتها الأولى ولكنها لم تعالج اصل المشكلة التي تدفعها للقبول بشخص abuser
يغير البطل فلسفته في النهايه ليقول أن اي انسان معرض ليحدث له اي شىء سيىء لا توجد ضمانات ويجب أن نتعايش مع فكرة اننا لا نستطيع التحكم في أقدرانا ولكن ما نملك التحكم فيه حقا هو ردود افعالنا تجاه الأقدار.
حقيقة أن بطل المؤلف ليس بشرير بالعكس هو يعتقد او كان يعتقد أن مهمته في الحياة مساعدة الناس ولكنه اعتقد في فلسفته الغير مبنية على أسس علمية وانتهى به الامر أن اصبح يجمع كتبه والكتب المشابهة له مثل كتاب The secret.
وينقلها من ركن self-help book إلى ركن الخيال العلمي.
اعجبني في للرواية غموضها وأحداثها التي تنقلت بين الماضي والحاضر وإن كان هذا مربكا احيانا فمثلا يبدأ الكاتب بعض الفصول بجزء من خطبة للبطل او من خطاب من احد معجبيه ولكنك لا تكتشف هذا بسهولة.
في الحقيقة لا أدري هل هذه رواية أم كتاب أم كتاب في شكل رواية. على اي حال استمتعت كثيرا بأفكار البطل وخط تحوله الدرامي. فهو مؤلف كتب تنمية بشرية مشهور وله العديد من الخطب الملهمة والاف المعجبين شديد الايمان بافكاره عن قوة الارادة وأننا مسئولين عن كل ما يحدث لنا وقانون الجذب إلى اخره من أفكار للتنمية البشرية.
ولكن للرواية تقدمه لنا وهو شخص وحيد مع كلبه وقد كفر بكل هذه الافكار حتى انه عندما يتحدث عن نفسه في الماضي يقول الشخص الذي يشبهني.
يبدو للوهلة الاولى أن سبب كفرانه هذا هو وفاة زوجته الحبيبة بالسرطان ولكن نتكشف مع احداث الفلاش باك انه كان لديه الكثير من الاسئله من القراء التي لم يستطع الاجابة عليها. مثلا لماذا يمرض الاطفال؟ ماذا فعلوا او اعتقدوا لتحدث لهم الكوارث وهم رضع؟
ماذا عن الكوارث الجماعة مثل ١١ سبتمبر هل كانت لدى كل الناس هناك افكار سلبية سببت لهم هذه الكارثة؟
هكذا تخبرنا للتنمية البشرية أن اعتقادنا أن شيئا جيدا سيحدث سيجعله يحدث بقانون الجذب والعكس صحيح.
وهكذا كان يؤمن بطل قصتنا وعندما عجز عن الانجاب حاول أن يطبق نظريته على زوجته لابد أن تؤمن انها ستنجب وستنجب. وعندما حاولت ان تتناقش معه في احتمال عدم الانجاب رفض المناقشة وظن انها بذلك تسبب عدم الانجاب في الحدوث او ربما انها تشعر بالذنب لان اختها توفت وهي حامل في حادث فهذا الشعور يسبب العقم.
يستعين بأدلة من خطابات معجبيه الذين شفوا من الشلل او السرطان بقوة الارة ويلوم زوجته داخليا انها لا تنجب ثم يلومها بعد ذلك انها لا تشفى من السرطان. ثم يعتقد انها حتى لو كانت زوجته غير مؤمنة فيكفي ايمانه هو وحبه لها لتشفى.
ولكنه لا يكفي وتموت رغم كل شىء.
وهنا ينهار.
وبعد سنوات تأتي قارئة لتبحث عنه وتنكتشف ترابط مصيرهما ولكن من اللافت للنظر ان هذه القارئة ساعدتها كتب البطل للتخلص من زوجها العنيف ولكنها للاسف تتزوج شخص اخر بنفس المواصفات. تسأله لماذا دائما أجذب نفس النوعيه من الرجال؟ فلا يستطيع الاجابة.
ولكني اعتقد اني اعرفها لان التنمية البشرية قدمت لها علاجا سطحيا لمشكلتها الأولى ولكنها لم تعالج اصل المشكلة التي تدفعها للقبول بشخص abuser
يغير البطل فلسفته في النهايه ليقول أن اي انسان معرض ليحدث له اي شىء سيىء لا توجد ضمانات ويجب أن نتعايش مع فكرة اننا لا نستطيع التحكم في أقدرانا ولكن ما نملك التحكم فيه حقا هو ردود افعالنا تجاه الأقدار.
حقيقة أن بطل المؤلف ليس بشرير بالعكس هو يعتقد او كان يعتقد أن مهمته في الحياة مساعدة الناس ولكنه اعتقد في فلسفته الغير مبنية على أسس علمية وانتهى به الامر أن اصبح يجمع كتبه والكتب المشابهة له مثل كتاب The secret.
وينقلها من ركن self-help book إلى ركن الخيال العلمي.
February 2, 2013
Eric Newborn is a best-selling self-help author and motivational speaker. He tells his (mostly) adoring audience that they can do anything, have anything, cure any illness with the power of their mind. They just have to believe they can to make it so. But then his wife and the love of his life becomes ill with cancer and, suddenly, he is faced with her mortality and his own grief and nothing, not his mind, his books, his faith, offers him any hope or salvation.
Here, I will admit I am not a fan of self-help books. At their best, they just seem like magical thinking, at their worst, they seem cruel - if there are no accidents and the mind can heal any illness, what does that say for the millions of people who die from accidents or disease? Are they weak minded, did they not try hard enough? If it is their own fault, do their survivors have the right to grieve openly? And what about infants and young children who are the victims of illness or accidents - who's to blame for their deaths - their parents for not providing a safe mind bubble around them?
Some of these questions are asked in this book. When they are raised in his seminars, Eric has had no answers. However, he has promised one woman, the mother of a sick child, he will write a book to explain away these seeming objections to his philosophy, The Book of Why. He has never been able to do so and after his wife dies, he stops writing altogether and goes into hiding. Eventually, he does start the book but only for himself and in it, he raises the inevitable and ridiculous ends his philosophy could lend itself to - ideas like stopping rain on your wedding day with the power of positive thinking, why we don't live to be two hundred if we really want to.
When I first had the opportunity to read this book, I almost turned it down. As I said, I don't like self-help books admittedly for very personal and emotional reasons. However, I was curious to see how author Montemarano would deal with this subject in fiction. Would he turn it into the kind of 'you-can-make-lemonade' answers that so many self-help writers make of their own tragedies or would Eric's grief and his conclusions reflect that of most of us - a personal, deep, and angry response to a chaotic and unfair fate?
That I really liked the book should tell you the answer I took away from it. Interestingly, one of the parts I liked best was his list of self-help books about grief and all the different and contradictory answers they give. I say interestingly because, after reading a few other reviews, this seems the part of the book most others objected to.
The Book of Why is an easy read (I read it in a couple of hours) but it is not an easy subject. For such a depressing subject, it is surprisingly hopeful and uplifting without being melodramatic or devolving into simple platitudes. At times, the book felt like a group of interlocking short stories, some of which never reach any real solution. However, these stories seemed to mirror the stages of grief and, so, they ring true. Montemarano acknowledges that self-help books do help thousands of people while pointing out that the realities of death and grief are complex and as varied as the people who face them and there are no clear-cut simple answers. This is a difficult subject both in fiction and real life and I don't know anyone who has an objective opinion on it. In The Book of Why it is handled in a kind and compassionate way while making for an engrossing read and I recommend it highly.
Here, I will admit I am not a fan of self-help books. At their best, they just seem like magical thinking, at their worst, they seem cruel - if there are no accidents and the mind can heal any illness, what does that say for the millions of people who die from accidents or disease? Are they weak minded, did they not try hard enough? If it is their own fault, do their survivors have the right to grieve openly? And what about infants and young children who are the victims of illness or accidents - who's to blame for their deaths - their parents for not providing a safe mind bubble around them?
Some of these questions are asked in this book. When they are raised in his seminars, Eric has had no answers. However, he has promised one woman, the mother of a sick child, he will write a book to explain away these seeming objections to his philosophy, The Book of Why. He has never been able to do so and after his wife dies, he stops writing altogether and goes into hiding. Eventually, he does start the book but only for himself and in it, he raises the inevitable and ridiculous ends his philosophy could lend itself to - ideas like stopping rain on your wedding day with the power of positive thinking, why we don't live to be two hundred if we really want to.
When I first had the opportunity to read this book, I almost turned it down. As I said, I don't like self-help books admittedly for very personal and emotional reasons. However, I was curious to see how author Montemarano would deal with this subject in fiction. Would he turn it into the kind of 'you-can-make-lemonade' answers that so many self-help writers make of their own tragedies or would Eric's grief and his conclusions reflect that of most of us - a personal, deep, and angry response to a chaotic and unfair fate?
That I really liked the book should tell you the answer I took away from it. Interestingly, one of the parts I liked best was his list of self-help books about grief and all the different and contradictory answers they give. I say interestingly because, after reading a few other reviews, this seems the part of the book most others objected to.
The Book of Why is an easy read (I read it in a couple of hours) but it is not an easy subject. For such a depressing subject, it is surprisingly hopeful and uplifting without being melodramatic or devolving into simple platitudes. At times, the book felt like a group of interlocking short stories, some of which never reach any real solution. However, these stories seemed to mirror the stages of grief and, so, they ring true. Montemarano acknowledges that self-help books do help thousands of people while pointing out that the realities of death and grief are complex and as varied as the people who face them and there are no clear-cut simple answers. This is a difficult subject both in fiction and real life and I don't know anyone who has an objective opinion on it. In The Book of Why it is handled in a kind and compassionate way while making for an engrossing read and I recommend it highly.
June 17, 2012
A beautiful book - a love story, a grief story, cynicism and hope together, along with mysterious happenings that never fully make sense (like life). Reveals the strengths and the weaknesses of law-of-attraction philosophy. Recommended for anyone who has lost someone, and anyone who wonders if it's safe to love.
December 13, 2012
Eric Newborn has turned around millions of lives with his bestselling self-help books. That is until he loses his wife to cancer and he abruptly stops believing in his own advice. Eric disavows his past teachings and lives as a recluse in Martha’s Vineyard. But when a determined fan tracks him down, he is forced to relive his past memories and contemplate his next book, The Book of Why.
Nicholas Montemarano’s novel, The Book of Why, actually begins as a self-help book. In fact, I had to double-check that the early review copy I had received was the correct book. It turns out that Montemarano interweaves Eric Newborn’s first person narration between quotes from his fictional books, speeches he gave and conversations from his past. Early on, this works effectively to paint the backstory of the optimistic Eric in contrast to the raw pessimism of his older self. It is the destruction of an idealist who thought he had the power to control the world around him with his beliefs, only to find out that the most important thing in his life could not be saved.
Unfortunately, The Book of Why fails to advance beyond that point. The primary story arch simply ends in the second half of the book amid colliding memories and never gets picked back up. What began as the documentation of a man’s journey – either towards redemption or destruction – simply ends up going no place. In all honesty, there is no discernible plotline to this story. While the premise held real promise, the book devolves into scattered thoughts and ideas with no real connection and no destination.
The Book of Why may have some emotion and artistic depth, but it fails to deliver on its early promise of a story. What we get instead feels unfinished and unedited. At times Montemarano demonstrated beautiful writing, but it is sadly not a readable work of fiction and did not take me anywhere.
Nicholas Montemarano’s novel, The Book of Why, actually begins as a self-help book. In fact, I had to double-check that the early review copy I had received was the correct book. It turns out that Montemarano interweaves Eric Newborn’s first person narration between quotes from his fictional books, speeches he gave and conversations from his past. Early on, this works effectively to paint the backstory of the optimistic Eric in contrast to the raw pessimism of his older self. It is the destruction of an idealist who thought he had the power to control the world around him with his beliefs, only to find out that the most important thing in his life could not be saved.
Unfortunately, The Book of Why fails to advance beyond that point. The primary story arch simply ends in the second half of the book amid colliding memories and never gets picked back up. What began as the documentation of a man’s journey – either towards redemption or destruction – simply ends up going no place. In all honesty, there is no discernible plotline to this story. While the premise held real promise, the book devolves into scattered thoughts and ideas with no real connection and no destination.
The Book of Why may have some emotion and artistic depth, but it fails to deliver on its early promise of a story. What we get instead feels unfinished and unedited. At times Montemarano demonstrated beautiful writing, but it is sadly not a readable work of fiction and did not take me anywhere.
July 29, 2018
The title catch my attention! That why I choose this book at first without really knowing what is was about. It's more or less a fiction book, with pieces of self-help/magic thinking throw here and there in the story, the protagonist itself is a self-help writer so... There are some good part, mostly some reflexion about life and positive thinking, which is a good thing, better be positive, but always be careful to not become blinded by magical thinking, but it mostly an average life drama story with a writing slightly below average. Kind of a self-help book with a story. It seem I can make a comprehensible point of view here so I should stop, I hope you get the point of that book. Not a bad one, but not really a good one either. I would have like deeper reflexion and maybe something a bit more special about the story.
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January 29, 2016The Book of Why covers a tricky subject regarding death. The tone of the novel is meant to be hopeful—describing a man’s struggles as he attempts to come terms with his wife’s death. However, I don’t feel that the author entirely succeeds in achieving this tone. There are various moments in the novel—situations that trigger memories and ideas that are introduced but left incomplete—which are rather shocking, not just for what is stated, but for the implications of what is said.
In the beginning of the novel and at the end, Montemarano plays and hints at certain ideas surrounding a character to whom his narrator dedicates this novel: a future twenty-seven year old Gloria Foster. The author plays it safe by not formally stating the narrator’s future intentions and hopes regarding Gloria; it’s up to the reader to determine what might happen next. Yet, the implication surrounding these future hopes can be read in both a positive and negative light. As a reader, I don’t think that this is a subject that should have been left open-ended, especially given the fact that the Gloria Foster who physically appears in the novel is only a young child. I honestly don’t believe Montemarano intended for such a reading to be made, but it is a subject that could be misconstrued by a reader.
The ambiguities surrounding this particular subject, paired with the strange situations that trigger the narrator’s memories—e.g. his compulsive fascination with lav-related bodily functions and how the act of watching his dog relieve itself congers up a cherished memory of his dead wife—leave the reader feeling shocked, confined and at times, utterly bewildered. Likewise as a reader, I felt trapped by the narrator’s voice, as if I was in a tunnel listening to the narration bouncing off the walls. This feeling of confinement is only emphasized by the narrator’s use of repetition, both of words and phrases, which is especially prevalent at the end of the book. The reading experience was truly oppressive, and I can’t say that I’ve ever really come across narration like this to such an extent before.
The thoughts expressed in this novel are meant to be positive, a kind of personal learning experience for how one begins to cope with loss and loneliness. But as a twenty-seven year old myself, if I happened to be the twenty-seven year old to whom the narrator dedicates this book, I can’t honestly say that my feelings for the narrator would be entirely sympathetic in nature, solely based upon what was written. On the whole, The Book of Why is a novel that seemingly fails to achieve its positive intentions. It is a novel that turns a tricky subject about death into something lurid through implication.
In the beginning of the novel and at the end, Montemarano plays and hints at certain ideas surrounding a character to whom his narrator dedicates this novel: a future twenty-seven year old Gloria Foster. The author plays it safe by not formally stating the narrator’s future intentions and hopes regarding Gloria; it’s up to the reader to determine what might happen next. Yet, the implication surrounding these future hopes can be read in both a positive and negative light. As a reader, I don’t think that this is a subject that should have been left open-ended, especially given the fact that the Gloria Foster who physically appears in the novel is only a young child. I honestly don’t believe Montemarano intended for such a reading to be made, but it is a subject that could be misconstrued by a reader.
The ambiguities surrounding this particular subject, paired with the strange situations that trigger the narrator’s memories—e.g. his compulsive fascination with lav-related bodily functions and how the act of watching his dog relieve itself congers up a cherished memory of his dead wife—leave the reader feeling shocked, confined and at times, utterly bewildered. Likewise as a reader, I felt trapped by the narrator’s voice, as if I was in a tunnel listening to the narration bouncing off the walls. This feeling of confinement is only emphasized by the narrator’s use of repetition, both of words and phrases, which is especially prevalent at the end of the book. The reading experience was truly oppressive, and I can’t say that I’ve ever really come across narration like this to such an extent before.
The thoughts expressed in this novel are meant to be positive, a kind of personal learning experience for how one begins to cope with loss and loneliness. But as a twenty-seven year old myself, if I happened to be the twenty-seven year old to whom the narrator dedicates this book, I can’t honestly say that my feelings for the narrator would be entirely sympathetic in nature, solely based upon what was written. On the whole, The Book of Why is a novel that seemingly fails to achieve its positive intentions. It is a novel that turns a tricky subject about death into something lurid through implication.
February 25, 2013
Copy provided by NetGallery.com in exchange for a review
Dissapointment...I'm sorry but to me this was. I didn't get what the hype was about. I'm not into self-help books.
Eric Newborn has turned around millions of lives with his bestselling self-help books. That is until he loses his wife to cancer and he abruptly stops believing in his own advice. Eric disavows his past teachings and lives as a recluse in Martha’s Vineyard. But when a determined fan tracks him down, he is forced to relive his past memories and contemplate his next book, The Book of Why.
Nicholas Montemarano’s novel, The Book of Why, actually begins as a self-help book.
Unfortunately, The Book of Why fails to advance beyond that point. The primary story arch simply ends in the second half of the book amid colliding memories and never gets picked back up. What began as the documentation of a man’s journey – either towards redemption or destruction – simply ends up going no place. In all honesty, there is no discernible plotline to this story. While the premise held real promise, the book devolves into scattered thoughts and ideas with no real connection and no destination.
The Book of Why may have some emotion and artistic depth, but it fails to deliver on its early promise of a story. What we get instead feels unfinished and unedited.
Dissapointment...I'm sorry but to me this was. I didn't get what the hype was about. I'm not into self-help books.
Eric Newborn has turned around millions of lives with his bestselling self-help books. That is until he loses his wife to cancer and he abruptly stops believing in his own advice. Eric disavows his past teachings and lives as a recluse in Martha’s Vineyard. But when a determined fan tracks him down, he is forced to relive his past memories and contemplate his next book, The Book of Why.
Nicholas Montemarano’s novel, The Book of Why, actually begins as a self-help book.
Unfortunately, The Book of Why fails to advance beyond that point. The primary story arch simply ends in the second half of the book amid colliding memories and never gets picked back up. What began as the documentation of a man’s journey – either towards redemption or destruction – simply ends up going no place. In all honesty, there is no discernible plotline to this story. While the premise held real promise, the book devolves into scattered thoughts and ideas with no real connection and no destination.
The Book of Why may have some emotion and artistic depth, but it fails to deliver on its early promise of a story. What we get instead feels unfinished and unedited.
January 2, 2013
2013 has just begun, but I'm pretty sure this will end up on my top 5. I've read six books so far that release this year and it beats most of them, so it's definitely top 5 right now. I'll keep you updated. This is a beautiful story of love and faith and miracles. It absolutely made me question the way I look at the world. If you enjoyed books like The Land of Decoration or The Age of Miracles, serious think-y books with good plots, this one is for you.
October 29, 2012
Honest, lovely moments between a husband and a wife, a female German Shepherd named Ralph and a heartbreaking story line make this novel a real beauty.
July 7, 2012
A truly exquisite, heartbreaking and hopeful novel. Highly recommended.
November 14, 2021
2.5 stars
January 24, 2013
In The Book of Why by Nicholas Montemarano protagonist Eric Newborn is a best selling author of self-help books. The only problem is that he no longer believes in the answers he presupposed to others - that positive thinking will prevent bad things from occurring in your life. He knows that despite his previous claims, he doesn't have an answer to why bad things happen to good people. Eric has escaped his life and fame by hiding out on Martha's Vineyard with his dog, Ralph, when Sam, a woman who is searching for him, ends up at his door, injured. Eric tries to keep his identity a secret as long as possible, but she eventually discovers who he is.
Interspersed at the beginning of sections in The Book of Why are excerpts of Eric's lectures and/or his books, so you can get a feeling for his philosophy of "positive thinking can cure everything" He believes that if people just believe they can create their own reality. The narrative actually follows several different timelines, jumping from present day to Eric's childhood to the time he spent with his wife. His childhood sections help to reveal the birth of his philosophy. The sections with his wife show his beliefs tested and challenged. The sections in the present reveal his current disillusionment.
I was conflicted on this novel. If I didn't commit to reviewing it, I might have stopped at 50 pages, however, at about half way through the novel it began to mesh together for me and at that point I was engrossed in Eric's story. I found myself less annoyed with Eric's naive beliefs and his casting aspersion on other beliefs or blaming people for their suffering. Then, at the end of the novel, I was back to not enjoying the novel as much, but in this case it was due to a choice Montemarano made in his writing, rather than the plot, that was off-putting for me.
Montemarano is a very good writer. The Book of Why is beautifully written, with almost poetic-dream like passages, but it is also a very dark, depressing novel.There are many questions raised but few answers given. Certainly if you have ever wondered if there really are coincidences, if everything happens for a reason, and if can miracles happen, you will want to discover what Eric concludes... and you might be disappointed in the ending.
Eric tells us: "I didn’t know, then, that it would be my final book. Before this one, I mean. Though I don’t consider this a book as much as a letter: to the woman in the yellow dress, to Cary, to Gloria Foster. I didn’t know, then, that I would ever need to write another book; that I would write The Book of Why, after all, though not as an answer but rather as an unanswerable question. I didn’t know, when I thought I knew it all, that I would join the chorus of askers. (Location 1727-1730)"
Highly Recommended - but read it with a positive frame of mind
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Little, Brown & Company and Netgalley for review purposes.
http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/
Interspersed at the beginning of sections in The Book of Why are excerpts of Eric's lectures and/or his books, so you can get a feeling for his philosophy of "positive thinking can cure everything" He believes that if people just believe they can create their own reality. The narrative actually follows several different timelines, jumping from present day to Eric's childhood to the time he spent with his wife. His childhood sections help to reveal the birth of his philosophy. The sections with his wife show his beliefs tested and challenged. The sections in the present reveal his current disillusionment.
I was conflicted on this novel. If I didn't commit to reviewing it, I might have stopped at 50 pages, however, at about half way through the novel it began to mesh together for me and at that point I was engrossed in Eric's story. I found myself less annoyed with Eric's naive beliefs and his casting aspersion on other beliefs or blaming people for their suffering. Then, at the end of the novel, I was back to not enjoying the novel as much, but in this case it was due to a choice Montemarano made in his writing, rather than the plot, that was off-putting for me.
Montemarano is a very good writer. The Book of Why is beautifully written, with almost poetic-dream like passages, but it is also a very dark, depressing novel.There are many questions raised but few answers given. Certainly if you have ever wondered if there really are coincidences, if everything happens for a reason, and if can miracles happen, you will want to discover what Eric concludes... and you might be disappointed in the ending.
Eric tells us: "I didn’t know, then, that it would be my final book. Before this one, I mean. Though I don’t consider this a book as much as a letter: to the woman in the yellow dress, to Cary, to Gloria Foster. I didn’t know, then, that I would ever need to write another book; that I would write The Book of Why, after all, though not as an answer but rather as an unanswerable question. I didn’t know, when I thought I knew it all, that I would join the chorus of askers. (Location 1727-1730)"
Highly Recommended - but read it with a positive frame of mind
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Little, Brown & Company and Netgalley for review purposes.
http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/
February 17, 2017
I have to admit, I delayed picking up this book for as long as possible… Reason you ask? Well, I am not a big fan of self-help books. They are very presumptuous if you ask me. A person may be an expert on handling things and may have knowledge of how people act and react, but it is a big mistake to categorize people and write a book about which category will react how and what they should do. It undermines our individuality. Besides, I hate the idea that a person who has never met me in life – tell me how I will react and what I should do. Why can’t I learn it for myself?
Okay, so now that my rant is over, let me come to the storyline and try and salvage this review. Our protagonist is a very successful writer – of self help books. He is a best-selling author and people flock to his speeches. But when he loses his wife, he is broken. For all the worth his books and knowledge were, when time comes he fails to help himself! He becomes a recluse and hides down in a vineyard until a fan tracks him down and changes his life forever.
This was a difficult book to get into for me because various chapters started with the protagonists speeches and quotes from his best-selling days. But once I made peace with the fact, this book was highly enjoyable. Eric Newborn, our protagonist, had an interesting life to say. His life sectioned into three parts – his early youth till he gets married, his life with his wife and his present without her. While the and forth continuously, I think revealing one bit at a time and then connecting the dots to make a full picture of his life was a brilliant way to tell this story. I soon became a part of Eric, Ralph and Cary’s story. The author’s eye for detail helped create a more vivid picture of the setting.
Overall, I think this book is good for a one time read that will force you to ask yourself a few important questions. Whether it affects you enough to bring a change is up to you. I enjoyed reading it.
Okay, so now that my rant is over, let me come to the storyline and try and salvage this review. Our protagonist is a very successful writer – of self help books. He is a best-selling author and people flock to his speeches. But when he loses his wife, he is broken. For all the worth his books and knowledge were, when time comes he fails to help himself! He becomes a recluse and hides down in a vineyard until a fan tracks him down and changes his life forever.
This was a difficult book to get into for me because various chapters started with the protagonists speeches and quotes from his best-selling days. But once I made peace with the fact, this book was highly enjoyable. Eric Newborn, our protagonist, had an interesting life to say. His life sectioned into three parts – his early youth till he gets married, his life with his wife and his present without her. While the and forth continuously, I think revealing one bit at a time and then connecting the dots to make a full picture of his life was a brilliant way to tell this story. I soon became a part of Eric, Ralph and Cary’s story. The author’s eye for detail helped create a more vivid picture of the setting.
Overall, I think this book is good for a one time read that will force you to ask yourself a few important questions. Whether it affects you enough to bring a change is up to you. I enjoyed reading it.
February 1, 2013
The book starts off with Eric Newborn living a reclusive life on Martha's Vineyard. One day, a woman comes by who wants directions to what turns out to be his own house, as she can't find it. He claims he doesn't know the street name but through circumstances, they spend some time together, and she helps him getting back into the real world.
There is a lot of looking back to Eric's recent past, a few years ago, when his wife was still alive. Eric was a self-help guru with several books in his name, claiming if you believed something strong enough, it would happen.
He has many followers but there are also people who doubt him: how can he claim that people with an incurable illness will be fine if only they believe they will be? When his own wife falls ill, he loses the belief in his own ideas.
Sometimes there are some paragraphs with lists: things people wrote to him in the past, advice he finds in books on how to deal with grief, etc. ("Some books say be modest. Some books say don't be too modest. Some books say volunteer. Some books say take charge, stand straight, smile. Some books say take the stairs, not the elevator." etc.). This is actually good fun.
What I also liked was the presence of Ralph, a female dog. She had been Eric's wife's dog and one of the few left-overs from his life with her. I also liked Sam, the woman that comes to visit. She is more spiritual than Eric, and believes her dead brother gives her useful information in her sleep. She convinces Eric to come with her and follow up on these ideas, leading to amazing coincidences that must be more than just coincidences. This helps Eric to comes to terms with the death of his wife. For me, the coincidences were unlikely, but acceptable as a part of the story.
This was a good story about loss and love, friendship and fate.
There is a lot of looking back to Eric's recent past, a few years ago, when his wife was still alive. Eric was a self-help guru with several books in his name, claiming if you believed something strong enough, it would happen.
He has many followers but there are also people who doubt him: how can he claim that people with an incurable illness will be fine if only they believe they will be? When his own wife falls ill, he loses the belief in his own ideas.
Sometimes there are some paragraphs with lists: things people wrote to him in the past, advice he finds in books on how to deal with grief, etc. ("Some books say be modest. Some books say don't be too modest. Some books say volunteer. Some books say take charge, stand straight, smile. Some books say take the stairs, not the elevator." etc.). This is actually good fun.
What I also liked was the presence of Ralph, a female dog. She had been Eric's wife's dog and one of the few left-overs from his life with her. I also liked Sam, the woman that comes to visit. She is more spiritual than Eric, and believes her dead brother gives her useful information in her sleep. She convinces Eric to come with her and follow up on these ideas, leading to amazing coincidences that must be more than just coincidences. This helps Eric to comes to terms with the death of his wife. For me, the coincidences were unlikely, but acceptable as a part of the story.
This was a good story about loss and love, friendship and fate.
January 20, 2013
An interesting take on a relatively unexplored idea. Why is it that it usually seems like self-help authors have a tough time... well... helping themselves? Eric Newborn is a award-winning, best-selling, whatever superlative you can think of, self-help author. But regardless of all those who lavish praise on him, or testify to how his works have changed his life, there's always a few people in the audience who have questions he just can't answer. And when these questions start reflecting his own personal difficulties, he begins to doubt his own self-help ability.
"The Book Of Why" is written in such a way that we're to believe that it exists in the universe of the novel. Eric is writing the book you're reading to a character in the book. He won't name who "The Book Of Why" is for, just that they'll know it's about them. It's an interesting conceit that gives a nice bit of leeway to the form of the novel. There are bits that are meant to be transcripts from Eric's seminars, bits that are more conventional narrative, and bits that are directly speaking to the reader (which, again, is meant to reflect the book's status within the book's own universe).
Overall, an interesting read from this author and enough that I'll be looking for some more of his work (I believe he's been published in the "Best American Short Stories" series, and since I have most of those for the past couple decades, I'll probably find some more there)
"The Book Of Why" is written in such a way that we're to believe that it exists in the universe of the novel. Eric is writing the book you're reading to a character in the book. He won't name who "The Book Of Why" is for, just that they'll know it's about them. It's an interesting conceit that gives a nice bit of leeway to the form of the novel. There are bits that are meant to be transcripts from Eric's seminars, bits that are more conventional narrative, and bits that are directly speaking to the reader (which, again, is meant to reflect the book's status within the book's own universe).
Overall, an interesting read from this author and enough that I'll be looking for some more of his work (I believe he's been published in the "Best American Short Stories" series, and since I have most of those for the past couple decades, I'll probably find some more there)
January 31, 2013
Eric Newborn is a disillusioned self-help writer and widower living alone with his female German Shepherd named Ralph. "I didn't know, when I thought I knew it all, that I would join the chorus of askers," he says at one point in the book. Sam Leslie who comes looking for him is one of those askers. Her arrival and their subsequent adventure is the catalyst for Eric to finally tackle writing the book that he has promised the lady in the yellow dress he would write ages ago, The Book of Why.
Interspersed in the book are sections of his previous self help texts and talks. He spoke strongly about the law of attraction among other things: what you put out into the universe is what you get back. And this is one of the things that the other askers puzzle over so hard. Why is it that someone who does good and puts out good or is innocent as is a young baby can still have something bad happen to them? (Don't read it looking for a definitive answer to Why.)
Also throughout the book there are pieces of his life from when he is young through his marriage with Cary that help to explain first his belief system and then the disillusionment with it.
The book is beautifully written. It will linger on your mind afterwards. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Interspersed in the book are sections of his previous self help texts and talks. He spoke strongly about the law of attraction among other things: what you put out into the universe is what you get back. And this is one of the things that the other askers puzzle over so hard. Why is it that someone who does good and puts out good or is innocent as is a young baby can still have something bad happen to them? (Don't read it looking for a definitive answer to Why.)
Also throughout the book there are pieces of his life from when he is young through his marriage with Cary that help to explain first his belief system and then the disillusionment with it.
The book is beautifully written. It will linger on your mind afterwards. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
January 26, 2013
I read The Book of Why by Nicholas Montemarano as an advance review given to me by NetGalley. It's my favorite book thus far sampled ahead of publication date because I cannot stop thinking about it.
Our protagonist Eric Newborn used to be a rather trite and smug self-help author who thought he had all the answers, until he had to face the tragedy of losing his wife. He finds that his facile advice doesn't even scratch the surface of a grief like his, and he is forced to reexamine his life. Bits of his advice are scattered throughout the book, and over time we see just how little Eric Newborn really knows. He's a very human protagonist. Don't we all flounder in this life, not really knowing how to deal with the hard cold reality of death?
There are no real "answers" in this book, which is why I loved it so much. We the reader are forced to look at our own realities and come up with our own versions of the truth. I generally hate self-help books because of their one size fits all approach to life. So it was highly satisfying to read a book where I saw the truth of my own journey reflected. I couldn't answer Eric's questions, but I could put my own under new focus. I loved that. Four and a half stars.
Our protagonist Eric Newborn used to be a rather trite and smug self-help author who thought he had all the answers, until he had to face the tragedy of losing his wife. He finds that his facile advice doesn't even scratch the surface of a grief like his, and he is forced to reexamine his life. Bits of his advice are scattered throughout the book, and over time we see just how little Eric Newborn really knows. He's a very human protagonist. Don't we all flounder in this life, not really knowing how to deal with the hard cold reality of death?
There are no real "answers" in this book, which is why I loved it so much. We the reader are forced to look at our own realities and come up with our own versions of the truth. I generally hate self-help books because of their one size fits all approach to life. So it was highly satisfying to read a book where I saw the truth of my own journey reflected. I couldn't answer Eric's questions, but I could put my own under new focus. I loved that. Four and a half stars.
January 14, 2013
Eric Newborn is one of those published, best selling, 'self-help' authors. He seems to have the answers for every bad thing in your life and how to avoid it-no excuses allowed. When tragedy strikes his very soul, he finds he is only human after all and escapes into seclusion and depression on Martha's Vineyard.
While 'in hiding' with his female dog, Ralph, an injured young woman comes to his door in need of help. Through their conversations, Eric discovers she is looking for him, the author, he keeps his identity a secret for as long as possible.
What this woman has started within Eric is nothing short of a tsunami of feelings, emotions, memories and longings for normalcy, his 'old' life, a new, improved life, to be healed and whole.
Excerpts of Eric's 'works' are interspersed throughout this book, each sounding more contrived and glib, each sounding less realistic as Eric comes to terms with his life and the healing that is taking place in his very soul.
This book is beautifully written, but very dark. Definitely not fluff.
This copy was provided to me by NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company in exchange for an honest review.
While 'in hiding' with his female dog, Ralph, an injured young woman comes to his door in need of help. Through their conversations, Eric discovers she is looking for him, the author, he keeps his identity a secret for as long as possible.
What this woman has started within Eric is nothing short of a tsunami of feelings, emotions, memories and longings for normalcy, his 'old' life, a new, improved life, to be healed and whole.
Excerpts of Eric's 'works' are interspersed throughout this book, each sounding more contrived and glib, each sounding less realistic as Eric comes to terms with his life and the healing that is taking place in his very soul.
This book is beautifully written, but very dark. Definitely not fluff.
This copy was provided to me by NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2013
Finally finished this book after hearing the author read from it way back in February (full disclosure: author was my creative writing professor in college). A definite good read with just the right amount of creative device usage. Sad and contemplative at times. I definitely needed a tissue during a few moments. Over all, I would recommend this book to young, aspiring authors as a model of what a contemporary novel can and should be. Down-to-earth and accessible while still being literary fiction. I admit that I'm a little biased, but Montemarano is a writer who very much appreciates his reader. That may sound like a weird compliment, but give The Book of Why a read and I think you'll know what I mean.
July 22, 2014
This is a book that I will read again.I read it all in one sitting,but I should have taken some more time to catch my breath.The characters seem real and likable ,there are lots of historical references,which I like,it read like non-fiction,and a mystery and a love story all at the same time.There was no cynicism from the author,except when Eric questions his own work:placing copies of his early books in the fiction and science fiction shelves in bookstores.There is wonderful unselfish love,for Cary and Ralph;"Cary used to say that dogs were made by God so God could slow down and smell the grass."It was not an easy read but it was very worthwhile.
January 27, 2016
This was not a memorable book. It was a novel, not really a self help book. It was rather disjointed and made few points in its story. I actually started to read this a 2nd time a few months later as I didn't even remember it. Suddenly I realized this was a book I had read before. It covers a famous author's life pre-and post novel with much of his mind's rantings and reasons.
January 16, 2013
Ok, so it's hard to describe this book, but I will be getting copies of it for all of my close friends. I received it through Netgalley; part story, part self-help, part hope-inducing, sigh-worthy, oh-I've been-there and all around awesomeness.
It's one of those pass it own, pay-it-forwards.
It's one of those pass it own, pay-it-forwards.
July 6, 2013
The big question is why did I read this and actually finish it? Dementia?
August 6, 2019
Deep and poetic, but difficult to follow.
November 29, 2012
A beautiful novel, inspiring and touching and with an amazing dog named Ralph.
August 20, 2017
A quote in this book really resonated with me.
"you're not really giving up control.You can't give up what you never had. But you can give up your false belief in control. You're afraid that you'll have to feel something painful, that you won't be able to handle what happens. I understand, believe me. Here is the only thing you can do: hold your fear in one hand and your commitment to act fearlessly in the other. That we fall, that we fall apart, are givens. Our goal might be to fall with grace, to sit in the dark."
"you're not really giving up control.You can't give up what you never had. But you can give up your false belief in control. You're afraid that you'll have to feel something painful, that you won't be able to handle what happens. I understand, believe me. Here is the only thing you can do: hold your fear in one hand and your commitment to act fearlessly in the other. That we fall, that we fall apart, are givens. Our goal might be to fall with grace, to sit in the dark."
February 10, 2018
The title caught my eye.
Titles often speak to me.
It was interesting but I got stuck or distracted half way through and it took me ages to finish.
It was more sad than happy.
Talked about what was and what could be...because sometimes we have difficulties accepting what is.
About accepting or not accepting.
Believing or not.
Giving up.
Mmm...
Titles often speak to me.
It was interesting but I got stuck or distracted half way through and it took me ages to finish.
It was more sad than happy.
Talked about what was and what could be...because sometimes we have difficulties accepting what is.
About accepting or not accepting.
Believing or not.
Giving up.
Mmm...
June 3, 2018
It's a heart-warming book based on law of attraction and positive thinking, about losing your loved one, grief and hope. Author tried to clear some doubts about law of attraction but I think he couldn't clear all doubts although he has raised some good questions.
October 24, 2017
An easy favorite
The Book of Why is such a good story of love, loss and recovery. I couldn't put it down. It shows how not every story is perfect and that is ok.
The Book of Why is such a good story of love, loss and recovery. I couldn't put it down. It shows how not every story is perfect and that is ok.
November 12, 2017
I absolutely loved it!
This book caught me so much, it's a very entertaining and mysterious story that brought me closer to myself and made me think of my purposes.
Amazing!
This book caught me so much, it's a very entertaining and mysterious story that brought me closer to myself and made me think of my purposes.
Amazing!
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