Revere Beach Elegy: A Memoir of Home and Beyond

Revere Beach Trilogy #2

by Roland Merullo

The author of the acclaimed novel Revere Beach Boulevard writes his own story of place, class, family, and love

“Sentimentality is cheap. Real emotion is difficult to render. Memoirists walk a tightrope between sentimentality and simple feeling. What gives Revere Beach Elegy its vitality and ‘worth’ is the author’s taut prose and his fearlessness to run across that tightrope.” —Greg Lalas, Boston Magazine

In Revere Beach Elegy, Roland Merullo returns to his childhood heaven of Revere, Massachusetts, to begin an intricate, impressionistic portrait of his rich and complex life. The tough codes of Revere’s working-class streets mix with the warmth and affirmation of family— forty cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles—to form a background against which Merullo’s later wanderings are always set.

“I’ve never met Roland Merullo, or even read anything he’s written before now. Yet today I feel as if I’ve known him my whole life. . . . At the close of Elegy, the reader is comfortably walking alongside a man who has grown into himself, accepted and embraced his past.” —Ray Suarez, The Washington Post

Praise for Roland Merullo’s Revere Beach

“A great novel—ambitious, heartfelt, generous, and oh-so-skilled.” —Richard Russo

Roland Merullo is the author of Revere Beach Boulevard, A Russian Requiem, and Leaving Losapas. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and daughters.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

ROLAND MERULLO is an awarding-winning author of 24 books including 17 works of fiction: Breakfast with Buddha, a nominee for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, now in its 20th printing; The Talk-Funny Girl, a 2012 ALEX Award Winner and named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Library Association and the Massachusetts Center for the Book; Vatican Waltz named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly; Lunch with Buddha selected as one of the Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews; Revere Beach Boulevard named one of the "Top 100 Essential Books of New England" by the Boston Globe; A Little Love Story chosen as one of "Ten Wonderful Romance Novels" by Good Housekeeping, Revere Beach Elegy winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction, and Once Night Falls, selected as a "First Read" by Amazon Editors.

A former writer in residence at North Shore Community College and Miami Dade Colleges, and professor of Creative Writing at Bennington, Amherst and Lesley Colleges, Merullo has been a guest speaker at many literary events and venues and a faculty member at MFA programs and several writers’ conferences. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Merullo's books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Chinese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Czech.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book of a series. It can be read as a stand alone. In this one we follow the author throughout his years and how he basically accepts becoming an adult. This is more or less an autobiography.

This one didn't land for me like the first book did for me. There is nothing wrong with the actual writing. The author definitely has a nice way with the written word. The problem with this book was twofold. The first was that this was suppose to be part of the Revere Beach trilogy. But the problem arises when we spend very little time in Revere. The first book did this and I loved it as Revere is the next city over for me. Instead, this book we spend time in Russia or a lesser developed area the author was sent to because he joined the Peace Corps. This did not allure me like Revere would have. The second flaw the material is about the author. I don't think the author is really that exciting to warrant a novel about. The first book had interesting characters. Him driving a cab and getting into a fight down the North End is a common occurrence that is not really book material. I did like the message of the book as it is about the stuff we go through before we accept adulthood and smarten up. I just don't think it was executed to the best way possible.

When I decided to read the first book I wasn't expecting much and it exceeded my expectations. Going into this book I was expecting a lot and unfortunately it did not meet up to my expectations. I have no idea what the third book will bring. This book was underwhelming. I will read the third book and hope we get to the enjoyment that the first book provided.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am unabashedly a Roland Merullo fan. His prose is fluid and simply wonderful to read. This book is largely autobiographical, but since Merullo grew up north of Boston, as did I, the places and landmarks (and people) were familiar to me. That made the book even more fun to read. It is a testimony to the author's skill that he can fill nearly 200 pages with thoughtful insight and introspective reflection (it really is a deep book, like what is the meaning of life?) but hold my interest to the extent that I finished the book in two days. I am a slow reader and that almost never happens! Revere Beach Elegy is a thoughtful, well-written book.

[Mary Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the editing of sentences seemed to have way too many commas, the 10 selections in this memoir were an excellent "slice" of Roland Merullo's life experiences. And I DO believe that Italians in his grandmother's town gave up their house for him, as my travel buddies and I were offered free lodging from a NYC teacher who happened to own a house on Capri when we couldn't find lodging there!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of interconnected chapters tells the experiences and incidents that have shaped the author's life.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested in this because his novel, “In Revere In Those Days” seemed so autobiographical and I wanted to find out about the “real” Roland Merullo. Hs growing up in a close-knit Italian family in Revere, Massachusetts and winning a scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy is a part of the novel, which ends with graduation from Phillips Exeter. Merullo graduated from Brown University where he met his future wife, Amanda. He had learned Russian in college (and at Phillips?) and spent some time in Russia as an interpreter of an exhibit sponsored by the U.S. government to show American life. He spent six months as a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia but returned to America for health reasons, and for the fact that his job, helping the chiefs form a government, was generally impossible because of the feet dragging of the chiefs. He drove a taxi in Boston three days a week while he tried to get started as a writer, and eventually became a novelist. I enjoyed the book because I had read the novel, but I don’t think it would appeal to many people unless they knew something about Merullo from his other books.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the self-reflection in this book, the realistic portrait of a place like Revere. Merullo could have romanticized, sought out melodramatic details, but instead of nostalgia, of a black and white portrait, he gives an honest color photograph. No need to dig too deep beneath the surface. His pursuit of goodness drives the book, a series of personal essays. The autobiographical sum is greater than the parts.

[John Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it would be about Revere Beach back in its heyday. (It was the first public beach in America).
But, it wasn't.
The author grew up in Revere but then moved on. The book is about his life.
He is a pretty good writer, however, and he has had some interesting adventures, so I kept reading even though it wasn't what I was expecting. Good until the final chapter or so, which he used to explain his theories on the meaning of life.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refelection of a life lived honestly, with all the variables a life gives us. Though I often forget, gratitude and a sense of humbleness of spirit will offer more open-mindedness and serendipitous opportunity than one could possibly imagine.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether it was the loss of one's father or learning from failure, this author spoke to me!

[Steven Manchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent read!

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

[Jim Dezieck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite writing and a great story for anyone from or living in Boston's formerly immigrant neighborhoods, especially Revere Beach.