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More Like Not Running Away
Levi Revel is a boy in danger of losing his family and maybe his mind. He’s in awe of his father, Everest, a majestic dreamer, a master builder, a man with a violent, secret past. As the family moves from state to state, Levi hears solace in the voice of God, a voice that sends him preaching from treetops and roofs.
But the family begins to fall apart, and as Levi enters adolescence, he hears more troubling things: other voices, terrifying sounds, warnings. When Everest takes him on a high-speed, cross-country chase to win back Levi’s mother—by force if necessary—Levi realizes how much danger they all are in.
Tender and frightening, this debut novel takes readers across America, through the eyes and ears of a child whose family is haunted by a past they can’t outrun. From a boy lost in a world of imaginary voices and chilling destruction to a young man who can rebuild steeples, the story Levi tells is the triumph of persistence over moments of isolation and despair.
But the family begins to fall apart, and as Levi enters adolescence, he hears more troubling things: other voices, terrifying sounds, warnings. When Everest takes him on a high-speed, cross-country chase to win back Levi’s mother—by force if necessary—Levi realizes how much danger they all are in.
Tender and frightening, this debut novel takes readers across America, through the eyes and ears of a child whose family is haunted by a past they can’t outrun. From a boy lost in a world of imaginary voices and chilling destruction to a young man who can rebuild steeples, the story Levi tells is the triumph of persistence over moments of isolation and despair.
245 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2019
Read my reviews at jenchaosreviews.com
More Like Not Running Away (McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction)By Paul Shepard
Sarabande Books, December 1, 2005
288 Pages, Paperback Editon
Goodreads Rating: 3.60/ My Rating: 3.00
From Goodreads:
”Levi Revel is a boy in danger of losing his family and maybe his mind. He’s in awe of his father, Everest, a majestic dreamer, a master builder, a man with a violent, secret past. As the family moves from state to state, Levi hears solace in the voice of God, a voice that sends him preaching from treetops and roofs.
But the family begins to fall apart, and as Levi enters adolescence, he hears more troubling things: other voices, terrifying sounds, warnings. When Everest takes him on a high-speed, cross-country chase to win back Levi’s mother—by force if necessary—Levi realizes how much danger they all are in.
Tender and frightening, this debut novel takes readers across America, through the eyes and ears of a child whose family is haunted by a past they can’t outrun. From a boy lost in a world of imaginary voices and chilling destruction to a young man who can rebuild steeples, the story Levi tells is the triumph of persistence over moments of isolation and despair ”
Review:
More Like Not Running Away was a strange book about a strange family, Moving from state to state, never settling, always talking about building something great, for years, reminded me of my old life years ago.
However, there’s Levi. He hears many voices. At first, he thinks it's God. He goes to church, preaches from treetops and rooftops without so much said from his ill observant parents. As he gets older, the voices change. They're many, they're menacing and very much like that if a sick person. Fearful of what his father would say, he says nothing and goes about trying to live with them. He isolates himself and never makes friends.
Then there's the daughter. An open-minded, but the very strong-willed girl whose feet are firmly planted on the ground. The daughter believes none of the stories of the mystical house that will be built and the promises the dad makes for a better life.
The mother loves her husband very much and believes in him wholeheartedly. Sadly, she stays with him until she sees why he is really like.
The father, a dreamer, a man who didn't learn to read until he was in the army, was a man who doesn't know much of anything, he spent his life being accused of being retarded. He knew he could build anything, a new house was just what the family needs after all.
After the family runs out of time and money to build the house, the father takes his temper out on it and states, matter of factly, they are moving again. This time to Florida. Mother, tired of the dreams dashed, the constant moving and the promises never fulfilled, moves away...to her sister’s.
The daughter, not wanting to be with either parent moves away also. Levi stays with his father.
The story follows Levi and his father as they set up and realize that mom isn't coming back. Father, determined to win her love, takes to crossing the country to take her back by any means necessary.
This disturbing tale, for how short it is, is slow and long. It takes a while to get to the point and I was very impatient about that fact. I thought the idea that a son could be so loyal to a luckless father was endearing; but, the cross country chase was a bit much, in my opinion.
This can't be YA. Too strange, and quite honestly, too confusing.
Writing
While I thought the story was a bit confusing, the writing was very good. I was surprised that this book was part of an art collection and this did not make money for the author, rather the art society that published it.
I would like to see more written by the author, maybe less confusing, but definitely in the same tone.
Plot
The storyline was apparent in the beginning but evolved towards the middle. When Levi’s mother left, the whole plot changed, and so did the character behaviors, this was seen from 55% on. While the remainder of the book was a bit lackluster, I was pleased it ended the way it did.
What I Liked About The Book:
The writing was clean and crisp, the characters were well fleshed out and I knew who was talking at each given time. I was pleased with how the writer was able to design the separate identities for the characters.
What I Didn't Like About The Book:
The book did not have a good balance of narrative to dialogue and to me, that could make for dry reading. Good, solid dialogue makes a book that much more exciting and moves the story along far better than dry narrative.
Overall Impression:
Though the story was interesting and the synopses promised something thrilling, I was not very Impressed as it failed to deliver a very good story. It was dry and often very humorless. There were no real breaks and it became confusing too often. I rated this a 3.00.
HOMEPAGE
More Like Not Running Away (McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction)By Paul Shepard
Sarabande Books, December 1, 2005
288 Pages, Paperback Editon
Goodreads Rating: 3.60/ My Rating: 3.00
From Goodreads:
”Levi Revel is a boy in danger of losing his family and maybe his mind. He’s in awe of his father, Everest, a majestic dreamer, a master builder, a man with a violent, secret past. As the family moves from state to state, Levi hears solace in the voice of God, a voice that sends him preaching from treetops and roofs.
But the family begins to fall apart, and as Levi enters adolescence, he hears more troubling things: other voices, terrifying sounds, warnings. When Everest takes him on a high-speed, cross-country chase to win back Levi’s mother—by force if necessary—Levi realizes how much danger they all are in.
Tender and frightening, this debut novel takes readers across America, through the eyes and ears of a child whose family is haunted by a past they can’t outrun. From a boy lost in a world of imaginary voices and chilling destruction to a young man who can rebuild steeples, the story Levi tells is the triumph of persistence over moments of isolation and despair ”
Review:
More Like Not Running Away was a strange book about a strange family, Moving from state to state, never settling, always talking about building something great, for years, reminded me of my old life years ago.
However, there’s Levi. He hears many voices. At first, he thinks it's God. He goes to church, preaches from treetops and rooftops without so much said from his ill observant parents. As he gets older, the voices change. They're many, they're menacing and very much like that if a sick person. Fearful of what his father would say, he says nothing and goes about trying to live with them. He isolates himself and never makes friends.
Then there's the daughter. An open-minded, but the very strong-willed girl whose feet are firmly planted on the ground. The daughter believes none of the stories of the mystical house that will be built and the promises the dad makes for a better life.
The mother loves her husband very much and believes in him wholeheartedly. Sadly, she stays with him until she sees why he is really like.
The father, a dreamer, a man who didn't learn to read until he was in the army, was a man who doesn't know much of anything, he spent his life being accused of being retarded. He knew he could build anything, a new house was just what the family needs after all.
After the family runs out of time and money to build the house, the father takes his temper out on it and states, matter of factly, they are moving again. This time to Florida. Mother, tired of the dreams dashed, the constant moving and the promises never fulfilled, moves away...to her sister’s.
The daughter, not wanting to be with either parent moves away also. Levi stays with his father.
The story follows Levi and his father as they set up and realize that mom isn't coming back. Father, determined to win her love, takes to crossing the country to take her back by any means necessary.
This disturbing tale, for how short it is, is slow and long. It takes a while to get to the point and I was very impatient about that fact. I thought the idea that a son could be so loyal to a luckless father was endearing; but, the cross country chase was a bit much, in my opinion.
This can't be YA. Too strange, and quite honestly, too confusing.
Writing
While I thought the story was a bit confusing, the writing was very good. I was surprised that this book was part of an art collection and this did not make money for the author, rather the art society that published it.
I would like to see more written by the author, maybe less confusing, but definitely in the same tone.
Plot
The storyline was apparent in the beginning but evolved towards the middle. When Levi’s mother left, the whole plot changed, and so did the character behaviors, this was seen from 55% on. While the remainder of the book was a bit lackluster, I was pleased it ended the way it did.
What I Liked About The Book:
The writing was clean and crisp, the characters were well fleshed out and I knew who was talking at each given time. I was pleased with how the writer was able to design the separate identities for the characters.
What I Didn't Like About The Book:
The book did not have a good balance of narrative to dialogue and to me, that could make for dry reading. Good, solid dialogue makes a book that much more exciting and moves the story along far better than dry narrative.
Overall Impression:
Though the story was interesting and the synopses promised something thrilling, I was not very Impressed as it failed to deliver a very good story. It was dry and often very humorless. There were no real breaks and it became confusing too often. I rated this a 3.00.
HOMEPAGE
January 3, 2020
Slow and plodding. Interesting character development for some characters but I felt others were flat.
October 31, 2009
The initial impression was that this would be a long version of Faulkner's "Barn Burning", but after the first 30 pages, Shepherd seemed to find his own stride and the narrator Levi begins to develop into a real character. Mr. Shepherd's phrasing is taught and somewhat stylized without ever feeling hurried or put-on, leaving a quasi-biblical aftertaste, like a McCarthy-infused aperitif.
Despite a few incongruities of characterization here and there, my only real complaint with this otherwise excellent story is the ending: I suppose it could be defended as realistic, but having successfully made me care about the narrator's father Everest, the complete lack of redemption (and the seeming implication that this isn't that big a deal) was frustrating to me: I felt a little put on. I thought I had a heavy-weight novel on my hands, only to have the last few punches thrown by a bantam-weight from Connecticut. Nevertheless, an enjoyable and beautifully written debut novel, and a few afternoons well-spent.
Despite a few incongruities of characterization here and there, my only real complaint with this otherwise excellent story is the ending: I suppose it could be defended as realistic, but having successfully made me care about the narrator's father Everest, the complete lack of redemption (and the seeming implication that this isn't that big a deal) was frustrating to me: I felt a little put on. I thought I had a heavy-weight novel on my hands, only to have the last few punches thrown by a bantam-weight from Connecticut. Nevertheless, an enjoyable and beautifully written debut novel, and a few afternoons well-spent.
May 27, 2016
I thought the writing was overall good, and the very realistic and detailed portrayal of people as dynamic elements was very good. That being said, the story was sort of hard for me to get through. It took a lot of energy for me to keep reading. There were points where I would put the book down for days and just not read in between. I never had any trouble stopping or walking away from it when I was under time constraints, which is not a good sign. In the end, I decided to just not finish the book. I don't really care what happens or how it ends, and I don't mean that in a rude way, I just. There's nothing there for me.
Good, but not good enough to finish.
Still, someone else might find it more than good enough.
Good, but not good enough to finish.
Still, someone else might find it more than good enough.
November 17, 2009
I found this book a little slow to draw me in, but once it did I found the disfunction of the family to be real and very lifelike. The main character was a bit confusing to understand what was really going on with him, but he was lovable just the same.
February 22, 2012
The book copy i had was only like 248 pages but it was an okay book. A good family story with a lot of struggle and confusion. I would only give it a three star because it seemed a little to mature for me. Its a lot about family and the struggle between a boy and his dad.
February 27, 2012
This is a sleeper of a novel... one of those books that pulls you into the story to the point that reading becomes like living beside the characters. The development of the story was natural and climactic.
January 23, 2008
Very thought provoking book by Paul Shepherd. Really captures real life moments, a very good read.
January 29, 2008
A lot.
June 24, 2008
From the flap, this book promised me tales of spiritual depth... instead I got an average book that felt to me like a young adult novel. Not a terrible book, but it definitely let me down.
July 25, 2009
sometimes we had to choose, to run away or stay and face the problem. I amazed with Levi's persistence believe in his father.
January 1, 2011
Beautifully written, but oppressive, bleak. I admired this book but didn't like it.
September 20, 2016
amazing writing
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews