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Sinnerman
"Love makes sinners of us all."
In the sleepy Midwestern town of Vespers...
In the sweltering summer heat...
Julian Sane, high school teacher and cad's cad, is a man at war with himself. But a chance encounter with a former student will push him across professional boundaries and force him to confront his personal demons.
From the author of YOUTH AND OTHER FICTIONS comes a love story for those who live in the real world, where love does not conquer all and actions do have consequences.
In the sleepy Midwestern town of Vespers...
In the sweltering summer heat...
Julian Sane, high school teacher and cad's cad, is a man at war with himself. But a chance encounter with a former student will push him across professional boundaries and force him to confront his personal demons.
From the author of YOUTH AND OTHER FICTIONS comes a love story for those who live in the real world, where love does not conquer all and actions do have consequences.
186 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2013
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 16, 2013
Set against the backdrop of small town Midwestern life, the summer of Julian Sane's fall from grace began like an ordinary summer. That summer was set apart from others in the sense that at the end ot it, after four years of teaching at the community high school, tenure would be granted.
Instead, something much different occurs. Something set in motion one night when Julian's path crosses with a young woman named Lily Carter, an eighteen-year-old former student of the community high school. And it is perhaps important to point out that she was never an actual student of Julian's.
In the days and weeks that follow, a connection slowly unfolds between them. For a man like Julian to take a relationship slowly—even, in fact, to develop a relationship, since he normally engaged in a series of one-night stands—set these events apart and characterized them as meaningful.
So when their relationship is discovered and the rumors fly, and once everything goes viral on the Internet, there will be hell to pay.
"SINNERMAN" is a well-written exploration of one man's journey through an ethically gray area, while also revealing his slow realization of what unanticipated love can look like, despite the issues. Will the events that explode around them all leave anyone standing? Will any of them come out of it unscathed?
I expected an irreverent tale of a contemporary man ignoring the rules. Instead I found a thought-provoking examination of the unexpected treasures discovered in the most unlikely of places. Five stars.
Instead, something much different occurs. Something set in motion one night when Julian's path crosses with a young woman named Lily Carter, an eighteen-year-old former student of the community high school. And it is perhaps important to point out that she was never an actual student of Julian's.
In the days and weeks that follow, a connection slowly unfolds between them. For a man like Julian to take a relationship slowly—even, in fact, to develop a relationship, since he normally engaged in a series of one-night stands—set these events apart and characterized them as meaningful.
So when their relationship is discovered and the rumors fly, and once everything goes viral on the Internet, there will be hell to pay.
"SINNERMAN" is a well-written exploration of one man's journey through an ethically gray area, while also revealing his slow realization of what unanticipated love can look like, despite the issues. Will the events that explode around them all leave anyone standing? Will any of them come out of it unscathed?
I expected an irreverent tale of a contemporary man ignoring the rules. Instead I found a thought-provoking examination of the unexpected treasures discovered in the most unlikely of places. Five stars.
October 18, 2013
Full review on my blog
This is an uncommon love story because Julian is a character created for the reader not to like at the beginning, to find out later – at the same time as Julian does – that he has another side. The relationship with Lily is quite surprising for everybody, even for Julian, and has a lot of funny moments since he sees himself like a teenager again, including an odd moment when he goes to Lily’s house to take her out for dinner and Lily’s father appears at the door to tell him what time she has to be at home! I really found it tender; Lily makes him be in peace with himself.
I enjoyed Julian’s transformation, but then the story leads to an extreme situation that is a little bit implausible, even for a small town; a situation which threatens Julian career and, of course, his relationship with Lily. It would be understandable if Lily was younger, but she is eighteen, already an adult, and she hasn’t actually been a student of his, so from my point of view the situation is exaggerated. Nevertheless, what happens there got me hooked on the story, and it ends up in a momentous scene that I loved.
To summarize, I would have preferred the controversial part to be more justified, but I can say this is a story I enjoyed, and it’s told from a male perspective, for a change.
June 18, 2016
A strong asset to this novel was that it included strong and powerful descriptions. Although this is a rather short book, it is one that you need to read slowly in order to fully grasp all of the details.
I would suggest this novel for more mature readers, as it didn't seem to fit into my age group. I plan on rereading in the future, and hopefully I will be able to appreciate it more. As a recently-turned adult, I haven't had as many life experiences that would help me be able to relate to this story, but I'm sure there are lots of people that could.
The main character, Julian, was very arrogant and not enjoyable at the beginning, but he went through significant character development during the story. I have said before that character development is nearly crucial in defining a good novel, so it was nice to see Julian learn how to choose the important things in life and not be so ... rude.
Overall, I think that it is very refreshing to read a contemporary that isn't all about the happy ever after, and isn't realistic at all. This story is easy to see happening based both on the plot and the characters. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a contemporary read, but it also a good book when reflecting on life.
I would suggest this novel for more mature readers, as it didn't seem to fit into my age group. I plan on rereading in the future, and hopefully I will be able to appreciate it more. As a recently-turned adult, I haven't had as many life experiences that would help me be able to relate to this story, but I'm sure there are lots of people that could.
The main character, Julian, was very arrogant and not enjoyable at the beginning, but he went through significant character development during the story. I have said before that character development is nearly crucial in defining a good novel, so it was nice to see Julian learn how to choose the important things in life and not be so ... rude.
Overall, I think that it is very refreshing to read a contemporary that isn't all about the happy ever after, and isn't realistic at all. This story is easy to see happening based both on the plot and the characters. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a contemporary read, but it also a good book when reflecting on life.
October 15, 2013
It becomes apparent very early in the book that Julian is a high school teacher that is in conflict with himself. He is afraid of real love relationships with women and seems to drink a lot. He has casual sex rather than an intimate relationship. However, all that changes when he meets Lily. She is a former student at the high school he teaches at but she was never a student of his.
Sparks fly in this book! Julian's sister, Clara shows up at his door. They have a loving but passionate sibling relationship. They share just about everything with each other but also argue a lot. Then there are issues with the high school principal and the Board of Directors, just as Julian is just about to make tenure.
I loved this story! Cook captures the inner conflict of Julian well. The characters are well drawn out so, this is a great character study! In just 185 pages Jonathan Cook is able to write a well developed plot and bring it to a conclusion. Note: if you are offended but profanity and sex scenes, this book is not appropriate for you. Highly recommended!
Sparks fly in this book! Julian's sister, Clara shows up at his door. They have a loving but passionate sibling relationship. They share just about everything with each other but also argue a lot. Then there are issues with the high school principal and the Board of Directors, just as Julian is just about to make tenure.
I loved this story! Cook captures the inner conflict of Julian well. The characters are well drawn out so, this is a great character study! In just 185 pages Jonathan Cook is able to write a well developed plot and bring it to a conclusion. Note: if you are offended but profanity and sex scenes, this book is not appropriate for you. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews