2 out of 4 stars
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In Gentle Ben by John Wayne Goodson, you are not always who you think you are. Lying paralyzed among a pile of rocks after a gruesome fall, Wayne thinks of the ways he can stop the excruciating pain piercing his body. In an effort to rise and take a sip of water from a nearby brook, he stretches his failing body once more. Every muscle screams out in pain and in frustration, he gives up falling back to his initial position.
His life begins to flash through his mind. He remembers Gary, a faithful childhood friend who he hurt deeply. The pain of losing him and the accompanying guilt still lingers. The images of his parents float through his mind. He recounts their infectious kindness and their amazing love for people. Next comes Thumper, his pet of years past. The bunny that was his constant companion until it found its own independence. The reverie continues until someone appears someone Wayne has never met before and someone whose words he will never forget.
For me, the most amazing aspect of the book, Gentle Ben, is the author’s ability to carve out very vivid backdrop to scenes. The sounds, smells and visions are all too real. The colors that surround his musing are described skilfully. The opening scene is awash with fascinating detail of the surrounding scenery. Wayne Goodson catches every detail from the singing birds to the surrounding shrubs. He also describes his fall among the shrubs and the agonizing pain that follows. Despite the brevity of the book, the background of every scene is well-designed.
The plot’s undoing, however, is the lack of a clear theme outlined from the start. I had to figure out the intentions of the author which were revealed at the very last moment. The lack of focus caused a cascading negative effect. The result was the inclusion of unnecessary characters that had little significance to the main theme. The story of Wayne’s parents makes a delightful addition to the narrative but it does not have a significant contribution to the message the author wants to convey. Gary also appears at the start of the story and there is no mention of him later on when Thumper and Ben appear.
In between, there were arguments for the existence of God and a mention of the author’s believes. I felt these were not adequately explored. Further, at one point, the author describes his relationship with his childhood friend, a friendship that was characterized by Wayne’s dominion over Gary. What follows is remorse which is quickly overshadowed by self-justification. I rate Gentle Ben 2 out of 4 stars. The delightful aspects of the plot are shrouded by the inconsistencies.
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Gentle Ben
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