4 out of 4 stars
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The Theory of Talking to Trees, the novel by Karl Dehmelt, is a complex story about two men struggling with mental illness. Stephen Christiansen is a successful author, and engaged to Phoebe. He proposed seven years ago, and Phoebe insists other conditions must be met prior to setting a wedding date. Isaac Sellers is a down-on-his-luck factory worker, and engaged to Olivia. A man of modest aspirations, he struggles to survive day to day. Stephen and Isaac's paths cross during a near-fatal mugging and they become fast friends, partly based on their shared pathologies. Without including spoilers, both of their relationships are changed dramatically through the course of the story.
Both Stephen and Isaac suffer from lives touched by mental illness. Isaac, from a poverty-stricken background, has little to shield him from the ravages of schizophrenia. Stephen, on his way to becoming a best-selling author, is more functional, until he's not. Mental illness or not, the characters have good advice for us all. One example is when Isaac tells Stephen, "I can only judge myself, and base my actions on being better than who I was yesterday." (P. 158)
The Theory of Talking to Trees is about mental illness, but it is also about the relationships experienced by its sufferers. Although the specific diagnoses are only named briefly, the audience gets a snapshot of the complexities and cruelties involved. The Theory of Talking to Trees also spotlights the writing process. Both Stephen and Isaac use writing as a coping mechanism. Stephen works for a publishing house and Isaac has a manuscript he would like to publish.
Readers of literature can appreciate this novel. Artistically written, it is reminiscent of a good short story. An example is the abundant use of simile and metaphor found throughout the tale. One memorable metaphor describes a family's experience after a near-fatal accident: "They scrape the morsels of optimism from a full plate of tragedy, fearing the young man might not awaken from his comatose state." (P. 7) While he writes about writing, Mr. Dehmelt uses lyrical prose to add yet another layer of complexity to the work.
The book appears to be professionally edited, with less than a handful of errors noted. This is an important point for a work about a professional editor working for a publishing company! Nice touch, Mr. Dehmelt. I rate The Theory of Talking to Trees 4 out of 4 stars. The writing is poetic, I found myself rooting for the intriguing characters and the descriptions of life with mental illness are authentic.
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The Theory of Talking to Trees
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