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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
This book broke my heart, over and over, and then put it back together again.
Gary Paulsen has always been a literary hero of mine. As a veteran English teacher, I can’t possibly count the number of times I’ve read “Hatchet” with my middle school classes. It’s the kind of book that holds a particular magic, in that it can touch the heart of anyone who reads it. People from all walks of life just connect with Gary Paulsen’s writing style, and “Gone to the Woods” is no different.
From the first pages, the reader is just drawn right into the story and can’t turn the pages fast enough. The boy in this story remains nameless, but we all know it’s Gary himself. As I read I continually thought, “How can this be real life? How can all these terrible and amazing things happen to just one person?” But it’s not just some random person, it’s Gary Paulsen - a literary legend who lived through more than most of us can ever imagine.
There is so much pain within these pages, but so much healing, too. As an octogenarian, Paulsen has retold these years of his life in a way that lets us all know, even without him coming right out and saying it, that he is okay. And, if he can be okay with all the terrible hands that life dealt him, maybe the rest of us can somehow, someday be okay, too.
Gary Paulsen has always been a literary hero of mine. As a veteran English teacher, I can’t possibly count the number of times I’ve read “Hatchet” with my middle school classes. It’s the kind of book that holds a particular magic, in that it can touch the heart of anyone who reads it. People from all walks of life just connect with Gary Paulsen’s writing style, and “Gone to the Woods” is no different.
From the first pages, the reader is just drawn right into the story and can’t turn the pages fast enough. The boy in this story remains nameless, but we all know it’s Gary himself. As I read I continually thought, “How can this be real life? How can all these terrible and amazing things happen to just one person?” But it’s not just some random person, it’s Gary Paulsen - a literary legend who lived through more than most of us can ever imagine.
There is so much pain within these pages, but so much healing, too. As an octogenarian, Paulsen has retold these years of his life in a way that lets us all know, even without him coming right out and saying it, that he is okay. And, if he can be okay with all the terrible hands that life dealt him, maybe the rest of us can somehow, someday be okay, too.
This powerful new memoir by Gary Paulsen delves deeper into his difficult past showcasing some of the best moments of his childhood contrasted with some of the worst. This is marketed as middle grade, but it has references to prostitution, STDs, extreme violence, and war atrocities. Paulsen doesn't go into a lot of detail most of the time, but this may not be the book for more sensitive readers. There are parts of this book I really loved and parts where things slowed down too much. There are sections of truly lyrical prose describing both the beauty and the horrors of the world that will live with me for years to come. Recommended.
Read more at Bookish Adventures.
Read more at Bookish Adventures.
adventurous
funny
sad
medium-paced
Phenomenal book. Gifted by a friend. Loved every minute readingthis
I didn’t realize how much I missed Gary Paulson until I read this book. He is the true master of “write what you know”.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
What a wonderful memoir that was and could only be written by the great Gary Paulsen. A boy and his adventure through a horrible childhood and rough adolescence - to the army, ending with an 80 year old man looking back on his life. Truly a masterpiece.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
At times it was difficult to listen to the trauma which Gary Paulsen faced as a child and then as a young man. One can only appreciate how resilient he proved to be and the man he has become.
