Review by ab2020 -- Geraldine by Edmund M Aristone

[ab2020]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Geraldine" by Edmund M Aristone.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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What do Halsey, Stephen Fry, and the female protagonist of Geraldine have in common? Perhaps they are all artists—Geraldine, the aforementioned protagonist, is a painter, while Halsey is a singer/painter and Fry is an actor. However, all three people also have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, a relatively common mental illness, is characterized by alternating “manic” and “depressive” phases. It is also the central struggle faced by the protagonists in Geraldine, the second novel by Edmund Aristone.

Geraldine is told from a third person limited perspective and follows a young man named Tom McCoy. The novel details his relationship with Geraldine, a twenty-two-year-old artist whom he meets through a friend. At the beginning of the story, Tom is working as a bartender after being suspended from a medical residency at a clinic in Philadelphia. Geraldine spends a good amount of time volunteering at the local children’s hospital, so she is reluctant to enter into a relationship with a doctor—even one who doesn’t actively practice medicine. However, Tom and Geraldine are inexplicably drawn toward each other, and their relationship blossoms rapidly.

As they get to know each other, Geraldine introduces Tom to her circle of friends. Tom finds many of these friends to be eccentric and mentally unstable, but he appreciates them because of the joy they bring to Geraldine. Unfortunately, this joy also comes with a large amount of personal struggle. Geraldine is haunted by the memory of her mother, who committed suicide as a result of her bipolar disorder. Several tragic incidents in Geraldine’s life, coupled with her own bipolar disorder, cause her to place herself into dangerous situations. Throughout her struggles, Tom works hard to understand her and build a life of healing and love with her.

Geraldine is a well-written novel with a few beautiful passages. The romance is sweet, and the author displays a skillful sense of humor. The plot and characters are well-developed, and the novel generally makes for an enjoyable read. However, the book also contains quite a few typographical errors, as well as some more serious problems.

First, Geraldine’s bipolar disorder is not mentioned by name until nearly the end of the story. Though a thoughtful reader will be able to deduce the cause of her struggles, this gives the novel a somewhat annoying vagueness. Second, much of the development in Tom and Geraldine’s relationship takes place in the form of long speeches delivered by one character to the other. This creates an impression of “telling” rather than “showing”; one could say that it’s a bit cheesy and cliché. Third, the timeline is often unclear. I got nearly halfway through the book before I realized that the story takes place in 1974. Tom moves in with Geraldine only one week after they meet, but the author subsequently glosses over an entire summer (June to October) without providing much detail. This makes the storyline seem somewhat jerky and confusing.

Despite these problems—and some other less important issues—the novel’s strengths still outweigh its flaws. I would still recommend it, but I would warn potential readers that they may not enjoy everything about it. Thus, I award Geraldine 3 out of 4 stars.

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Geraldine
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