Shot Across the River Styx

by Samuel Jaye Tanner

This book is an optimistic, humorous story about how to survive suicide. It is an autobiographical account of how the author learned to cope with his best friend's suicide and his own subsequent survival. It blends magical realism with memoir in order to conjure the amalgam of emotion, psychology, and thinking that went into processing Nick's decision to kill himself when he was twenty-three and the implications of that act.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2014

Reviews

[Samuel J Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What did I think?

I liked it. Because I wrote it.

Actually, I think it could have been more autobiographically accurate, smoother, and a more careful fiction to make it marketable. But that wouldn't have been honest.

This is an honest account of how I started to make sense of suicide. Namely, Nick's suicide. So it is messy, a little ADHD, etc. But it is honest.

Is it literature?

How the hell should I know?

It is an iteration of a story that continues to be important to me. So there you go.

[Josh Twohy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars because I didn't want to make Sam cry - again. This is a pretty emotional book all around, but what came through loud and clear is that Sam is still really pissed about our deconstruction of Blanky Bob in college. Sam - I'm sorry. Also - who brings a blanky to college?! This book is good. Buy it. Read it. Buy it again.

[James Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. Why? Well I like Sam and I think he is a great story teller. Can't wait for the next two.