The Bowie Book Club discussion

I'm writing a novel in which the main character, Raphy, is supposed to resemble David Bowie. In the following passage, Raphael Lennon (Raphy), the main character, considers the resemblance. Comments would be appreciated.


“Ra-pha-el. And you’re a painter. Your last name isn’t Sanzio da Urbino, is it?”

He grinned. “Nope. Lennon. Raphy Lennon.”

Addy halted. “Really? But you look like David Bowie. I mean the way he looked in that old film. The Man, um, The Man Who Fell to Earth. It’s the shape . . .”

Raphy sighed and nodded. If he never heard the resemblance mentioned again, it would be too soon. He would admit to Bowie’s long nose and sharp jawline, but certainly not the strikingly different eyes, although the light blue of the artist’s right eye . . . Yes, yes, he’d finally researched it. Bowie’s eyes were the same color, but one pupil remained large because of an injury, making the left eye appear darker. When Raphy looked in the mirror he saw Raphy, and that was all he wanted to see. As if struck by a stone, he remembered the artist was dead. Resemblance or no resemblance that was sad.

It is pretty good. However, I've never noticed anything peculiar about David Bowie's nose just that it was well-proportioned, definitely not long nor short ;-)
What text follows because the last sentence is quite enigmatic...

Sounds good, Alex :)

The Reading Bibliophile wrote: "It is pretty good. However, I've never noticed anything peculiar about David Bowie's nose just that it was well-proportioned, definitely not long nor short ;-)
What text follows because the last s..."

Thanks, TRB. I looked at many images of Bowie and occasionally his nose seems a bit longer than average, but you're right, in most cases it just seems well-proportioned. I wanted Raphy to admit to the resemblance, but not in an egotistical way. So, rather than use "sculpted" jawline, I used "sharp." How to do this with Bowie's nose is more difficult. Any suggestions would be appreciated, or perhaps there is another feature that would work?

By what follows, do you mean "As if struck by a stone, he remembered the artist was dead. Resemblance or no resemblance that was sad."

Or do you mean the text that follows those sentences?


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Samanta wrote: "Sounds good, Alex :)"

Thanks, Samanta.

Hi Alex,
I meant the text that follows the last sentence :-)

The Reading Bibliophile wrote: "Hi Alex,
I meant the text that follows the last sentence :-)"

Ah, the rest of the story. The passage is from a chapter in my novel End Man. Raphy is a twenty-six-year-old skateboarder who resembles David Bowie but has had a home life like John Lennon's. Raphy has dromophobia, the fear of crossing streets, but his fear is confined to four streets, the ones that intersect to form a square mile around his home, in effect a prison. In the chapter, he meets Addy who lives outside Raphy's square mile, which sets up an obstacle to their relationship. The novel explores many aspects of death, as Bowie's last work also confronted that subject.

Wow, Alex. This looks great! Please let us know when the book is published :-)

The Reading Bibliophile wrote: "Wow, Alex. This looks great! Please let us know when the book is published :-)"

I certainly will, RB. I appreciate your interest.

Alex