Martin and John

One of the very reasons I enjoyed this 'novel' of sorts stems from the very style in which it is written. I've reread it many times over since I bought it, and have found it as compelling the 50th time as the first. The way in which Peck gives life to Martin and John, and the parents (lovers, stepparents, exlovers, etc) Bea and Henry in successive stories, changing histories, including other pasts, and including his own life in the story telling, gave me a way to describe a post-modern story to my friends; one in which a non-linear story line could advance a set of characters as well as be self-aware of itself. This continues to be one of my favorite stories on my bookshelf, and I would lend it to anyone if I hadn't already loaned it to my friend.

Like a lone wolf that slips into your room in the dark of night, so too did Dale Peck. Here is an author, whose first effort written while still in his twenties, possesses the gift of prose and delicate insight into the plight not only of those afflicted and affected by the ravages of AIDS, but also of evoking those parts of your past that everyone wants to shut a door on, hits the mark every time! I loved this book with a passion that resulted in my copying sentences and paragraphs for later reference. It has followed me for over a year and every time I come across it on my bookshelf, I have to open it and savour one of those many favourite passages. If you want something aside of the usual pulp fiction out there, and are willing to lose your heart and soul, Dale Peck is the place to start.

The first time I came across this book was its chinese version, which I bought for its attractive book cover. It was difficult for me to follow the stories at first, because it isn't a conventional type of fiction, but a group of stories all with the characters named John and Martin. But I was gripped as I read on. The stories are naturalistic and dark. I don't know how much they reflect the truth (I'm a girl, so what do I know?) but they feel real and it's really moving, esp. the part about lover dying of AIDS. I love this book, and I lent it to a friend (who is also a girl) and she liked it too. Of course it is not sitcom, but it is not boring. Most of the book is about the not so happy parts of life, but the people are not feeling miserable about themselves.

Some books you start reading remind you of something lost, something hidden or the worst, something unspoken. Martin and John crosses your pathway in the world of reading by bringing back your memories to your mind. Dale Peck is a great artist, as I can say. His greatness is not only in writing but he is great because he reflects the pasts of millions without naming each of them; touching their souls with a delicate word. As I started reading the novel in English, that is my second language, flashbacks from my own past started marching in front of my eyes. In the Chapter titled Given This And Everything he says: '...without measuring things how can you say what you've lost?'. Start thinking as you wish...I am sure that just this simple question will tell a lot about what you have forgotten. It is a journey. Reading Martin and John. It is a bridge not only between the world of Peck's and yours but a bridge between your mind and your self. It is a bridge that all should pass through.

This debut novel finds its essence in a postmodern distortion of time, space and characterization. The title characters, Martin and John, appear as different people in different situations in each chapter of the book, forcing the reader to re-evaluate his/her notions of personal identity. In one chapter, Martin and John may be a happy, newly-established couple living fabulously in New York City; in another, they remain together tenuously while struggling with life in a small desert town. There is an underlying continuity, however, and the end result is a compelling statement about human character and the myriad facets of our personalities. Peck's brutal honesty and perfectly-crafted descriptions can make the reader wince with empathy and well with emotion. This is a triumphant book, to be read and shared as widely as possible.