Kelly Malambri/Columnist
Jude Keffy-Horn and Teddy McNicholas spent the majority of their teenage years in a haze, with their eyes tired and heavy from whichever drug they managed to get their hands on from day to day.
But all that changed one night when the two passed out after sniffing Freon from an air conditioning unit, and only Jude woke up.
In her popular novel, “Ten Thousand Saints,” Eleanor Henderson takes readers through the everyday experiences of Jude’s life, as well as many other characters’ lives in the novel that are close to him, like Teddy and Jude’s family.
After Teddy’s death, Jude moves to New York to live with his brother Johnny, who introduces him to the music scene and a new life in the Big Apple.
In the novel, characters like Johnny and his and Jude’s mutual love interest, Eliza, often steal the show from Jude, who seems to be the glue that ties their stories together.
As the story transitions through the ‘80s and into later decades, so does Jude, as he grows from being a druggie to a “straight-edged punk.” In its entirety, the story is about coming-of-age in the midst of a changing culture, and is one that would be easy for anyone to relate to.
Whether it is because many have been through a change or coming-of-age like Jude’s, or through a familiarity to the characters’ personalities, the book is extremely realistic and relatable.
The novel is a nostalgic piece of art that describes the period’s music and cultural scenes. If The Misfits does not ring a bell, you might feel a little left out of the story from time to time; however, Henderson does not fail in getting the reader to fully grasp her story, with or without an understanding of these references.
However, the greatest flaw of the book is in Henderson’s descriptions of such nostalgia. The author describes every facet of every object in every room every character enters in a way that is both repetitive and often times completely unnecessary.
At some point, people stop caring about how gray the sky is and care more about what the characters in the book are actually doing underneath it.
Besides this, the book left me with very few complaints. It is short, sweet, and besides some frivolous descriptions, the majority of the author’s diction proves to be artfully purposeful. The book is not one full of action, horror or glamour, but one that reflects reality in a charming, thought-provoking manner.
Because of all the great aspects of the novel, Henderson’s debut has left me and, I can only assume, many other fans of hers in anticipation of her next book. In the meantime, however, “Ten Thousand Saints” is available at the University’s Barnes and Noble.
The novel, which has received great reviews from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe, is worth a read, as it is a subtle, outstanding example of modern literature.
Cover to Cover is a biweekly book review column. Email at kelly.malambri@fiusm.com
About Post Author
