We ran like young wild furies,
where angels feared to tread.
The woods were dark and deep.
Before us demons fled.
We checked Coke bottle bottoms
to see how far was far.
Our worlds of magic wonder
were never reached by car.
We loved our dogs like brothers,
our bikes like rocket ships.
We were going to the stars,
to Mars we’d make round trips.
We swung on vines like Tarzan,
and flashed Zorro’s keen blade.
We were James Bond in his Aston,
we were Hercules unchained.
We looked upon the future
and we saw a distant land,
where our folks were always ageless,
and time was shifting sand.
We filled up life with living,
with grins, scabbed knees, and noise.
In glass I see an older man,
but this book’s for the boys. ¹

This article begins with a captivating poem that sets the tone for a celebration of childhood. The author compares this book to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and expresses their deep love for it. It's a magical coming-of-age story that took the author back to their own childhood days. Robert McCammon's enthusiasm for the subject matter is palpable. Eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson and his family live in a small Alabama town. Cory does typical boy things like riding his bike, playing with his dog, and going to school. But he also experiences some extraordinary events like witnessing a murder and visiting a house of ill repute. He learns to respect magic and has many adventures with his friends. "Boy's Life" is a delightful and sometimes melancholy celebration of youth. It may have some autobiographical elements. However, the book wasn't popular with everyone. In 2006, a parent challenged it as inappropriate for children. McCammon had to defend his book in person. The final note thanks Lawyer Stevens for selecting the book and prodding the author to read it. Overall, it's a book that evokes strong emotions and memories of childhood.

This book is nothing short of pure perfection.

There is simply no other way to accurately describe it or give it the justice it truly deserves.

It is an absolute masterpiece that is both beautiful and heartbreaking, filled with moments that are incredibly poignant.

I found myself completely immersed in its pages from the very first sentence, and I loved every single second of it.

Not only is it one of the best books I've read so far this year, but it is also one of the best books I've ever read, period.

It has this magical ability to sink its hooks right into your heart and burrow deep, never letting go.

Even days after I've finished reading it, I still can't stop thinking about how much I adored this book.

It has left an indelible mark on my soul and will surely be a book that I will recommend to everyone I know.

It is truly a work of art that should not be missed.

It's not often that I encounter an author whose storytelling prowess has the faintest echoes of Mark Twain, Richard Russo, or Steinbeck. However, Robert McCammon truly fits the bill.

Set in the early 1960s in Zephyr, AL, we are introduced to 12-year-old Cory Mathenson as he rides with his father Tom on their daily milk delivery route. Suddenly, a car zooms by and careens into Saxton Lake. His father promptly pulls the truck over and races after the sinking vehicle. When the sheriff and tow truck arrive, they discover that the unknown driver has been brutally murdered, leaving Tom with a recurring nightmare.

From a first-person point of view, Cory narrates the story of his upbringing in Zephyr and the diverse cast of characters who inhabit the town. Like any typical young boy, he spends time with his best friends, endures beatings from rednecks, dreams of becoming a writer, and struggles with his school teacher, affectionately known as 'Leather Lungs'. Although his father is not racist, he is 'apprehensive' and fears what he doesn't understand. However, he is not the only one in Zephyr with this trait.

The term 'page turner' is often associated with thrillers or high-octane mysteries, but it is equally relevant here due to the story's immersive quality. We are desperate to know what fate awaits Cory and his family, so we eagerly flip the pages. The 1960s were a time of significant social, economic, and political change, particularly in the South, where racial injustice was a prevalent issue. The residents of Zephyr are not overly prejudiced, but like any Southern town, they have ties to the past.

One of the most fascinating characters is an elderly black woman known as The Lady. She is loving, unique, and has a touch of psychic ability, which causes a small segment of the town to fear rather than admire her. While Cory's mother loves everyone, she becomes increasingly worried about her husband's nightmares and believes that The Lady can offer some assistance. As the old saying goes, 'what you resist, persists'.

The author's narrative style, combined with the first-person point of view, creates a remarkable reading experience. Towards the end, we are caught off guard when the momentum suddenly explodes as the murder mystery is solved. And, like any great plot twist, it comes as a complete surprise.

At its heart, this is a 'coming of age' story driven by themes of contrast, resistance, family, and compassion. For those who have read my reviews, you know that I prefer to be concise rather than verbose and keep details, characters, and plot points under wraps. In simple terms, if you appreciate top-notch storytelling and enjoy being fully immersed in a fictional world, I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list.

Engrossing Southern Gothic about One Boy's Childhood


This remarkable novel delves into the life of a Southern boy, presenting a captivating blend of various genres. It begins with an air of mystery, as the identity of the murderer remains unknown for a significant portion of the story. However, as the narrative progresses, the author gradually reveals the culprit, somewhat diminishing the element of surprise.

Despite this, the book is a wonderful and unclassifiable read. It is filled with humorous moments and vivid descriptions that bring the small town of Zephyr, Alabama, to life. The characters are richly developed, each with their own quirks and eccentricities. From the narrator, Cory Mackenson, who loves running free outdoors and has a penchant for monster pictures, to the various adults and children he encounters, the cast of characters adds depth and charm to the story.

The adventures that Cory experiences are both strange and exciting. He meets a host of peculiar individuals, such as the elegant Lady with magical powers, the timid Nemo Curliss with a miraculous pitching arm, and the brutish Branlin brothers. He also has encounters with prehistoric monsters, hoboes, and even the Ku Klux Klan.

McCammon's writing is excellent, as always. He weaves a tale that is both enchanting and thought-provoking, exploring themes of childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination. The audio version, read by George Newbern, is equally出色, bringing the story to life with his engaging narration. Overall, this is a must-read for fans of Southern Gothic literature and anyone looking for a unique and entertaining read.

You know how it is when you read a book, and by the time you reach the end, you find yourself weeping because there's no more of it? Well, this particular book is exactly like that.

The story within its pages is captivating, the characters are vividly brought to life, and the descriptive passages are simply outstanding. Oh, man, those descriptive passages! They are truly something special.

One passage, in particular, about the young boys on the last day of school before summer break was positively magical. It was so beautifully written that I had to put the book down and just savor it for a while before continuing. I even read that passage to my husband (and anyone else who would listen).

This book is an absolute must-read. You really gotta pick it up and experience it for yourself. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Boy's Life is my very first encounter with a Robert McCammon book. In terms of the premise, it wouldn't have been my initial pick. However, I was informed that it was truly outstanding, and fortunately, I wholeheartedly agree.

This is a captivating account of small town life in the United States during the 1960s. I firmly believe that a vast and significant portion of the allure of this novel lies in its portrayal of the wonder of childhood and small town existence. What makes it even more remarkable is that it accomplishes this without turning a blind eye to the negative aspects.

My thoughts on the character writing are rather peculiar. You see, I'm not entirely certain that I found most of the characters individually extremely fascinating. Yet, when considered as a whole, they had such a collective essence that truly represented the setting in which they were living. So, in that sense, I still think the character writing was of a very high caliber.

Moreover, it manages to be captivating in a manner that is difficult to put into words. It is a rather meandering novel, dealing with seemingly uninteresting matters. But, astonishingly, I was completely engrossed throughout. This might be the novel that showcases the largest disparity I've ever witnessed between how interesting it would sound based on a summary and how captivating it actually is.

I'm truly impressed by how much I adored this book, considering that I don't have a great deal of nostalgia for small town life. And yet, this book, which is very much about small town life, was truly, truly excellent.

9/10

4.5 stars.

If someone had informed me that I was going to relish a book centered around an 11 - 12 year old boy, along with his friends, family, and hometown, I would have been highly skeptical. Indeed, that's precisely what occurred, and I was initially doubtful. However, I still chose to read this particular book as I was branching out from my growing boredom with unexciting psychological thrillers. And the curious thing is, I truly did enjoy it.

The book commences with a highly dramatic event, which swiftly drew me in, and before long, I was completely captivated.

McCammon is an exceptionally talented writer. His typical genre appears to be horror. I'm uncertain precisely where this book is intended to fit, but it was most definitely not horror, although some unfortunate events did transpire. There were certain supernatural/paranormal elements present, yet they were rather mild and benign.

I won't discuss the plot in detail as the title essentially sums it up. It pertains to approximately one year (around 1964) in the life of a boy, encompassing some of the sad, strange, and wonderful things that took place. I do recall that era. I was a girl (and still am, as far as I'm aware), so my interests were slightly different. Nevertheless, it was a gloriously carefree time when kids had the liberty to roam and explore at will.

The book delves into themes of family, friendship, and community, while also celebrating diversity. It also touches upon lies, murder, cover-ups, and danger. It is most definitely worth reading. I deducted half a star mainly due to the wings (no, I won't elaborate on that). They simply seemed so unexpected and irrelevant, as did a couple of the other supernatural elements. The book would have lost nothing had they been omitted. The end.

This is going to be a bit long and rambling, because I really, really liked the book and had a lot to chew on before putting my thoughts on paper.

My third book by Robert McCammon took me a little by surprise by the change in style, but in a good way. I liked "The Wolf's Hour" for its Indiana Jones type of campy adventure and "Swan Song" for its disturbing depiction of the aftermath of a nuclear war. But "Boy's Life" is where I became a true fanboy. Here, he has shown what he can really do with a story when he puts his heart in it. Because "Boy's Life" has that feel of honesty and emotional intensity of direct involvement on the part of the writer. Cory Mackenson may be a fictional character, but I know (from an introductory letter to a later edition than mine) that McCammon invested a lot of his personal memories about growing up in a small Alabama town into this novel. I was hooked right from the first lines of his hymn to youth and innocence.

The novel starts in a whimsical, melancholic tone in the portrait of an idyllic little town in Alabama, 1964. Being a Robert McCammon novel, the horror elements will not be long in making an appearance – a car crashing into a nearby lake points to the presence of malefic forces in this sleepy town.

The age of the protagonists (12) is crucial for the plot developments. It is the cusp between childhood and adolescence, between the carefree days of fairytales and reckless adventuring and the first direct contact with the adult world, with responsibility and with danger. In this, I was strongly reminded of the movie "Stand by Me", with four friends going on a camping trip, coping with bullies, later realizing that Death is a part of life. To push the analogy even further – the narrator is a wannabe writer and a talented storyteller.

The structure of the novel is a string of almost independent sketches about growing up in a small town in the 60’s held together by the investigation into the mysterious death from the opening chapter. McCammon did a fantastic job in bringing back to life the period, not only the simple pleasures of young friendship and warm hearted local people, but also the darkness coming out of the woodwork: the racial segregation, the Ku Klux Klan, the local crime lords, the arrival of consumerism in the form of the first supermarket store, the intolerant pastors promising damnation to the listeners of the latest Beach Boys hit.

Cory Mackenson at the start of the book still lives in the magic realm of comic books, swashbuckling heroes, horror movie icons and dogs with flying wings. I subscribe here to McCammon theory that this is the best part of childhood, to be preserved and cherished in our later lives.

At 12 years old, Cory is more interested in his dog and in his magic bicycle than in girls, but there are two memorable characters that give a glimpse into the man this boy will grow up to be. Chile Willow is a teenage mom living in a trailer park, a vision of incredible beauty tempered by sadness and hardship. The Monster is a gross redhead in Cory’s class who torments him with her nasal effluents and likes to bring dead squirrel heads for Show And Tell at school. Beyond the humor of Cory’s first contact with the feminine mystery, there is his latent kindness and empathy that promise he will turn into a model Southern Gentleman where ladies are concerned.

Cory is also a writer, a spinner of tall tales holding his friends – and later the whole town – spellbound with the magic that comes out of a typewriter and a blank piece of paper. He may be a tad unreliable, he may have arranged some events of this memoir too artistically around the message he tries to convey, but he sure knows how to keep me turning the page to find out what comes next. In a fantastic scene of reading a short story in public, the wall of separation between the author and his hero is as good as gone.

In several places of Cory’s memoirs we can find the credo of McCammon as an author.

There’s a second writer in the story, Vernon Thaxter, a man broken by the big city and the cruel outside world, who gives us a glimpse about how the publishing world works and how to open the eyes of a naïve country boy with a fresh manuscript in his hands.

The theme of how the outside world is colder and merciless and nothing at all like the little town of Zephyr is highlighted in one of my favorite passages from the novel – a night trip on an outbound train in the company of some real scary strangers. I hope this passage is an intentional tribute to the work of Ray Bradbury.

One of the hardest lessons Cory has to learn in this adventurous 1964 year is about death and betrayal on the part of adults. I’m not going to put in spoilers, but he will be forced to make grown-up decisions and to learn how to let go. He will also learn to look inside himself for answers, instead of accepting the easy way out of blind faith handed down from a pulpit.

I don’t want to end my review on this downbeat note. McCammon himself chooses to write a closing chapter about how you cannot go back to the magic of childhood, but you carry it with you in the outside world and are richer from the experience. This closing chapter is very similar for me to the final scenes in "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" by Tornatore, and his message - don’t be sad it is over, be happy it happened.

I read this book as a teenager, and again as an adult.

Both times, it had a profound impact on me.

On the surface, Boy's Life might seem like just another fluffy, cross-genre book. Is it a crime novel? Is it horror? Is it fantasy? Or is it a coming-of-age story?

But to dismiss it so easily would be a disservice. There is a unique kind of magic within its pages, the same sort that McCammon himself alludes to in the first few pages.

It contains the nostalgic magic of childhood, which we have all experienced, regardless of whether we grew up as boys in the 1960s or not. Anyone who remembers being a kid can relate to Cory's trials and triumphs, even if their own experiences were not exactly the same. Imagination reigned supreme, summers felt endless, and possibilities seemed limitless.

There is also the more blatant type of magic, in the more fantastic elements of the story that, somehow, feel completely believable within the context. You're never quite sure if it's just the way Cory remembers things or if that's how it really happened, and that's what makes it so enjoyable. You accept it at face value.

However, there is more to it than that. What really struck me both times I read it is the underlying magic of creation, of weaving worlds for oneself and others, and of leaving a lasting mark. This novel made me think about writing in general more than any book on the subject could. McCammon's way with words made me consider it from a technical standpoint, and Cory's own aspirations made me reflect on the compulsion and duty to tell stories that I used to feel and that is now returning to me.

I believe Boy's Life taps into something very universal. Therefore, I would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their usual genre preferences.

What a masterpiece!

This is such a magical coming-of-age story of eleven-year-old Cory growing up in 1960s Alabama. It follows Cory, his family, and boyhood friends as they live in a small southern town. The boyhood pursuits include monster movies, fast bicycles, childhood imagination, and getting into mischief. It also deals with various aspects such as town bullies, racism, mystercism, depression, corruption, organized crime, the joy of summer vacation, and family hardships.

This story is dreamlike and allows you to go back to a time when we were all children and experience the magic of the innocence and dreams we all had. It will make you reminisce about your younger self.

There is the mystery of a murder and who committed it, which is the overarching story during the slice-of-life moments. Cory's relationship with his father is beautiful and emotional, and the ending will tear at your heart.

This is just beautiful, and I believe this should be required reading for all. It offers a profound and touching exploration of childhood, family, and the human experience.

This book takes the reader on a journey through the seasons, revealing a murder mystery that unfolds at a very slow pace. At first, the sluggish progress of the mystery frustrated me as I navigated through one digression after another. However, as I delved deeper into the story, the digressions themselves began to draw me in. Time and again, I found myself completely immersed in the narrative, feeling as if I was a part of the story itself.

The author demonstrates a masterful ability to bring the characters to life. By the conclusion of the novel, I had developed such a strong connection with the characters that I knew I would miss them when I closed the cover. And indeed, I did. This was my first encounter with this author, and I had initially expected a horror novel. Instead, I discovered a beautifully told tale of a boy's life that resonates on an archetypal level with anyone who has ever been a boy. At times, it felt like a "Stand by Me" story, but the author's unique voice and storytelling method set this book apart from the rest in a truly creative and engaging way. It's not so much the events themselves that are important, but rather the way in which the author presents them. He has a genuine gift for storytelling, which shines through in the vivid images he creates of the boy, his father, and his friends.

Although there were moments when the pace slowed down and I had to skim, the story quickly regained my attention, and I found myself rereading passages to ensure that I didn't miss a single word. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the ending. The sign of a truly great author is the ability to bring a story to a satisfying conclusion, and this book definitely achieves that.

This is a very good novel!

My rating is 4.5 stars. It truly captivates the reader from the very beginning. The story is filled with interesting characters and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Each chapter brings new surprises and developments, making it impossible to put down. The author has done an excellent job of creating a vivid and engaging world. The writing style is流畅 and easy to follow, yet still manages to convey deep emotions and complex ideas. Overall, this is a must-read for any lover of novels. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and enjoyable read.