It's All Right Now

Let me start by saying it is 100 degrees around here, my air conditioning is broken, and I am sweating like Patrick Ewing. Yet I am still going to give this book the VERY RARE 5 Stars. I love the glacial pacing of the character development, the deliberate advancing of the plot, and the way Chadwick does sadness. It will make you ache. Perhaps those who don't care for this book prefer the leaden dialogue and Must See TV pacing of foul crap like "Angels and Demons." Who knows? Put on some Ahmad Jamal, pour a glass or ten of wine, and get lost in the world of Tom Ripple.

I agree with the other reviews except I thought it was totally involving throughout. As my days went by there was always a background of Tom Ripple that drew me to continued reading. Hard to shake off his philosophy and world view. Also, I dont find anyone talking about the humor which starts on page one. True, he does evolve, but his basic goodness and acceptance of life is apparent from the start. The punning is clever and often hilarious; particularly the reactions of the other characters to his broad based humor. I loved it when he interacts with Fogarty whom he recognizes as his match. There are so many gems to savor. I would like to read his unpublished novels. This is a must read book.

Charles Chadwick's sprawling (682 page) novel is an amazing feat. It takes a mighty story to glue a reader's eyes to a tome of this size and that is why this is such an odd victory: there really is no 'story' per se, just the private musings of a man who describes himself as a gray being - "I've noted before, I think, that the impression I seem to give is one of neutrality. I feel pretty neutral about that." Language of this sort becomes not that of ennui but of profound introspection on a perceived common life. Tom Ripple is a loner, avoiding contact with other humans whenever possible, a man who goes to extremes to just be anonymous. His main driver appears to being convinced that he - and the rest of the world's inhabitants - are simply 'all right'. He avoids interaction with neighbors (even a disarmingly acute need to confront a pederast) and with troubled people in general. His aloof stance creates a safety cocoon for him: "A friendship loomed, making me feel decidedly unfriendly. I accepted of course." Though events occur (in abundance) around him, Ripple skirts them or at best denies any interest in intervention. Yet despite the continuing pages of interior dialogue by a man removed from the world while walking the turf of that world, there is something about Tom Ripple that creates an indelible character, one of those literary creatures that become part of our vocabulary. Think 'Rabbit Run', 'Catcher in the Rye' and at the same time remember this is the first novel by a 72-year-old author! Quite an achievement. Let's hope there are more books from this Charles Chadwick. Grady Harp, August 05

Charles Chadwick's It's All Right Now is simply a lovely novel, a beautiful read that I was sorry to see end. The narrator, Tom Ripple, begins writing down his thoughts on his life in the early 1970s, essentially so he can look a little more busy at his dull job. He seems to be about thirty at this point and is frankly not a very likeable protagonist. He is married with two children and eventually his wife leaves him. At the start of the novel, his main pasttime seems to be watching television. He keeps writing, however, and as his life progresses, he grows into a likeable, thoughtful man, a good friend, a loving father. There really isn't much of a plot in the novel, no one thing other than Ripple's character development as he searches for meaning in his life, in any life. But with the way Chadwick writes, for some reason, I found I didn't miss the plot. Ripple is a remarkable character and I found myself truly enjoying this novel. It is a rich, highly satisfying work, one that I believe will stay with me for quite some time. Enjoy.

Ever grow sick of hearing about the next great writer, usually young, usually an enfant terrible? Then you may be plesasntly delighted to find the book which (I'll admit) takes some time to grow on you....but oh, the rewards are great! Written by a British civil servant, Charles Chadwick, this book took 28 years to complete(!) and the result is a finely nuanced plot that unfolds slowly, not in the brief snippets of sound bites that we've gotten so used to in real life. This is a book to savor, as Chadwick unfurls the life of Tom Ripple, a man who simply records his perceptions about life.