Muy doloroso.

OMG I am so glad this is over. I would have abandoned it halfway through but for the fact that it was a fast read and I thought I should give it a chance to redeem itself but UGH. It is what would happen if you took Pat Conroy's hysterical plot lines and combined it with John Irving's inability to write one page when ten will fit. Add a dollop of the movie Forrest Gump aka noble savage meets diease of the week (not the book -- the movie), and there you have it.

I made a promise with myself that in 2019 I would read the book that has been on my to read list the longest. This was it. When I loaned it from the library the first thing I saw was wow, 897 pages. It’s a commitment to take on such a long book, especially for a relatively slow reader like myself.

Spoiler alert, I will briefly mention some of the main issues and topics in the book. Set in the early 1990s, it is told from the point of view of Dominick Birdsey who is in his mid-30s We gradually come to learn that Dominick has a lot of stuff going on in his life. His identical twin brother Thomas has paranoid schizophrenia and has just committed a very violent act in the local library; their mother has recently passed away and Dominick promised her on her death bed that he would always look out for Thomas; Dominick has never known who his father is; the stepfather Ray ruled the household very strictly and often treated the boys badly, particularly Thomas; was this a factor in Thomas getting his mental illness when Dominick didn’t? Dominick is divorced but still feels strongly about his ex-wife Dessa, they lost a child at three weeks old and this drove a wedge between them; Dominick went out and got himself a vasectomy he was that angry; his new partner Joy is 15 years younger than him and when she tells him she’s pregnant he knows the child cannot be his.

Whew! Heavy stuff! Never a dull moment hey. I have left out a few other things going on too. I will give it four stars as I did become engaged with the story and it did hold my interest the whole way through. I did feel it could have been shorter, maybe by a couple of hundred pages. A book of nearly 900 pages is a bloody long book! The manuscript of the life story of Dominick’s grandfather didn’t have to be that long imo, I skimmed over a bit of that. It went on for around 100 pages I estimate and didn't add much to the meat of the story and I almost felt it could have been left out altogether. Some of the other stuff didn’t really need to be that drawn out. Also, I wasn’t crazy about  the fact that everything sorts itself out in the long run. Dominick gets back together with his ex-wife; his ex-girlfriend Joy dies from AIDS and they adopt the baby, how convenient and nice for a couple who can no longer have a child; he is distraught at Thomas’ death but deals with it well; he finds out who his father is; he reconciles with the stepfather Ray, a guy he hated for most of his life; his career gets sorted, he sells his painting business and gets back into teaching; and so on, and so on. Am I some sort of killjoy for thinking that a Hollywood / he lives happily ever after ending could have been different? Couldn’t at least one thing have gone pear-shaped? Just a little? Anyhow I did enjoy it and will definitely read another of Wally Lamb’s books one day.

All I can say about this book, having read it when it first came out, is that if you have a sibling who is close to you and whom you love dearly, who develops a devastating and incurable mental illness, this book will break your heart. But, it will also speak to you and leave an indelible impression. It's beautiful and eloquent and, in the end, I felt better about life for having shared in the experiences of Dominick and Thomas.

Before I started reading this incredible, housebrick sized book by Wally Lamb I noted a few of my feelings. Certainly I was excited about starting it as I knew it had great reviews and it had been calling to me from my shelves for months and finally I had reason to read it. I needed a book starting with "I" for the Quarterly Challenge and so it was that I came to start reading this book. However it wasn't just excitement I was feeling, I was a little daunted by the size of the book which comes in at 859 pages and I was apprehensive about the content. I remember reading a review about another Wally Lamb title and the reveiwer stated it "did not haunt me as much as his earlier IKTMIT". That word haunting provided much food for thought but there was only one way to find out and that was to dive in the deep end and read it for myself. During Chapter 1 I knew I was fully committed to the book (regardless of how long it might take to finish). By then I was already aware there would be mental health and self harm themes but there was something about the writing and the content that made me want to keep reading, and reading, and reading.

I Know This Much Is True tells the story of identical twin brothers who have grown up with their mother and step father in a volatile environment, enduring explosive and often violent outbursts from Ray their step father when things were not done,or did not go as he felt they should. The protaganist, Dominick took it upon himself from a very young age to try to protect his somewhat weaker and more fearful brother Thomas,and to an extent his mother. But this role of protector was not one he necessarily wanted nor enjoyed and he became resentful of his brother especially. Not only was Thomas weaker and more fearful but he was something of an misfit growing up and Dominick resented being seen as the other half of this rather different boy. At times I didn't know how I felt about Dominick. I disliked his temper and he definitely had an attitude for which I had mixed feelings, however I really liked his caring side and the sentimentality that was expressed about his ex-wife Dessa and his mother, and I admired his fiercely protective streak toward Thomas when he had been diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia and was in no shape mentally or physically to protect his own rights. Large chunks of the book were devoted to the autobiographical words of his grandfather Domenico, a man I came to despise, and really did not enjoy reading about his life. And yet, this family history was the perfect tool to help Dominick understand his past and to address the issues of the present and set himself up for an improved future.

Since finishing the book I've read that Wally Lamb took 6 years to write it and that unlike others who write what they know he wrote what he didn't know. He spent years researching the various aspects of the book and in my humble opinion he did an amazing job of making this story ring true, to give the characters life and depth. For a few nights after finishing the book I came to realise exactly what was meant by the use of the word haunting, as the story continued to invade my sleeping hours and caused me to think about the characters and their fates. I'm not sure I could say it was a book I enjoyed because of the subject matter and themes however it was one I am particularly glad to have read. It was a weighty novel but one I couldn't draw myself away from. It was my first Wally Lamb title and I can say with absolute conviction that it will not be my last. Initially I rated this book 4.5 stars but I'm tempted to push my own limits and round it up to a 5

this was one hell of a book. even besides the fact that it is close to 900 pages.

the book is basically the story of Dominick Birdsey, the "sane" twin brother of a mentally ill Thomas. It deals with his life struggle as twin, caretaker, family member, and friend of this person slowly coming undone (no pun intended). but by all means, this is not the only story going on in this novel...not the only character with struggles, pain and emotion.

from joy, Dominick's messed up girlfriend, to Ray, his abusive step father, down to Dell, the forman during one of his summer jobs as a landscaper...every character Wally Lamb writes is thought out, and lends an important piece to the puzzling, anguishing story of Dominick's life. not only do these characters help move the plot along, but, i felt some sort of emotion for every single character in this book. good or bad, i felt something, and that takes a lot from an author...to make the reader feel something on every single page.

it also amazed me how, in the middle of this engrossing novel about Dominick, the author plopped an entire second novel, the story of Dominick's grandfather, right into the middle of it. and it didn't even make me blink. it was just as fascinating to learn about Dominick's ancestors, and relate them to all i knew about him. what author can successfully do something like that? well...wally lamb, i guess.

kudos to Lamb for taking me through this journey of Dominick's self loathing, self pity and self discovery, with such an amazing voice.

I'm so glad I'm done with this book. Wally Lamb was introduced to me by a coworker who is apparently hell bent on getting everyone in the office to read this--I know at least two other people stopped reading the book at different intervals. I can say now that after reading She's Come Undone and this one that I don't much care for Wally Lamb.

The guy just doesn't know when to stop. That's the bottom line here. This book in particular is 897 pages. You want to know how many of those you actually need? Maybe 400. The rest is so needless and dull and repetitive. He beat me over the head with the summer when Dominick and Thomas painted or whatever. It started off really awesome with Thomas cutting off his own hand. Then the rest of the book is Dominick yelling at people and threatening people and being angry and stomping around.

Plus, it's a soap opera. I don't know how else to classify it. There's cover ups, and AIDS, schizophrenia, incest, a harelip, SIDS, divorce, child and spouse and sexual abuse, apparent suicide, and a long lost family member. Not to mention his girlfriend running off with her bisexual lover and bequeathing her child to Dominick when she dies.

^^^^ That right there is a soap opera. One and done.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now a mini series on HBO...

SUMMARY:
An epic story of brotherhood - identical twins, incredibly diverse and forever linked to one another. Dominic is the “stronger” twin, the one who has to hold everyone together, but manages to alienate most people along the way with his aggression and his stubborn ways. Thomas is the more loving and sensitive twin, but his mental health issues take a toll on this family. What will they discover about themselves and each other as they grow?

PROS and CONS:
This one’s a brick at almost 900 pages, it has a main character who is a total jerk, and a meandering plotline - really no plotline whatsoever. So I hated it, right? Wrong. It’s wonderful, it’s heartbreaking, it’s profound, it’s a journey I’m so very glad I took.

READ IT?
This one really depends on the person - if you’re in the mood for an in depth character study you won’t find a better option than this one.

5 Stars

This is a book that stays with you long after turning the last page. The storyline is deep and moving, and the ending was lovely and held hope and happiness for Dominic (the main character), but I felt emotional upon finishing as I pondered all that he had been through.
Dominic is a wonderful brother to his twin Thomas, who is a paranoid schizophrenic, and he loves his brother deeply. But Dominic carries a constant feeling of guilt because he battles conflicting emotions of embarrassment, anger and even sometimes hate toward his mentally ill brother due to the pain and stress that he feels Thomas causes upon his life. The thing is, no matter what Thomas puts Dominic through and no matter how angry he makes Dominic feel, he is there for Thomas, defending him, being is strength and his voice, fighting for him, supporting him. It is clear within these pages just how much Dominic deeply loves and cares for his brother.
Thomas is not the only battle in Dominic’s life, he faces a hard childhood, loss of loved ones who never should have died, and hurt and confusion by someone who betrays him deeply in such a terrible way.
Dominic is a strong, complex, fair, caring and beautiful character (although he doesn’t see this within himself) and the book is sad, but hopeful and beautiful as well. It explores the intricacies of family and what goes on behind closed doors, and it journeys us through Dominic’s path toward finding himself, uncovering truth’s, and forgiveness (to those he loves and to himself also). I really loved this story, the characters were so well developed I found it hard to believe I wasn’t reading a true story about real people. It is a work of art and an incredible piece of writing. It is absolutely worth the mammoth read that it is, and I enjoyed it immensely.

wow what a book! I know it took me ages to finish it but I was way too busy attending to my newborn son :-) I read it between nappy changes and night time feeds and I must tell you this book is just soooo good. I have read more amusing stories, more complicated family relations but this book beats all the rest simply because Wally Lamb is an amazing writer. Story is so great that I keep thinking about all the characters late into the night and long after I have put the book down. 900 pages seems like a big book but in this case you just don't want the book to end. I could have read another 900 and some. I just didn't want this book to end! it's a must read for sure.

I must redact my previous review that was in the form of an improper and preposterous simile. Write, rewrite, write, rewrite, press delete, turn off laptop. Back to the book...hmm...Okay, if I remember correctly, and there is a very good chance I do not, this book was post five hundred pages or more. Yet, I did not put it down. Why? Not exactly sure. But, I sense, Lamb is a very decent man, who wrote this story which I exceedingly liked. Okay, all is now better.

Šią knygą įsigijau jau gana seniai, bet prisiruošti perskaityti prireikė laiko. Vis tik, tai didelės apimties kūrinys. Tiesa, pastebėjau, kad paskutiniu metu norisi man skaityti tas storules ir dažniausiai jos nenuvilia. Paprastai čia tempas lėtas, ramus, skaitytojas pamažu įvedamas į pasakojimą ir be menkiausios skubos vedžiojamas po istorijos labirintu.

Istorijos pasakotojas vienas iš dvynių Dominykas, keturiasdešimties sulaukęs, savo gyvenimo griuvėsiuose bebraidantis ir nuo brolio psichologinės sveikatos bėdų niekaip negalintis atsitraukti vyras. Problematiška šeima, emocinis ir psichologinis smurtas bei viso to pasekmės suaugus. Dar pridėkime senelio imigranto istoriją ir turime knygą, kuri tikrai nepaliks jūsų abejingų.

Emociškai sunki istorija. Autorius iš įvairių taškų analizuoja įvairias traumines patirtis. Tas daugiasluoksnis situacijų aptarimas yra vienas stipriausių autoriaus kaip pasakotojo bruožų. Ir kas įdomiausia, tas smulkmeniškumas tikrai nėra nuobodus. Greičiau priverčia susimąstyti, kad kiekvienas ateiname su sava istorija, savo patirtimis, traumomis ir skirtingai prieiname prie gyvenimo metamų iššūkių.

Itin stiprūs knygos veikėjų portretai. Puikiai išpildyti, unikalūs, daugiabriauniai. Autorius puikiai padirbėjo.

Pirmoji knygos pusė lėtesnė ir tikrai kėlė klausimą - ką autorius ruošiasi pasakoti per visus tuos 900 puslapių. Antroji dalis dinamiškesnė, joje daugiau intrigos, tas išlaikytas balansas ir knyga neprailgo. Be to, atskiras pliusas už sugaudytus palaidus istorijos galus pabaigoje. Išpildymas puikus.

Itin gražiai sužaista brolių dvynių korta. Berniukų tarpusavio ryšys, vietomis lyg primestas, plius emocinės sveikatos klausimai sukuria puikią dirvą pasakojimui.

Tikrai nesitikėjau, kad istorija bus tokia stipri, daugiasluoksnė. Praėjo jau kelios savaitės nuo tada, kai knygą perskaičiau ir istorija manęs nepalieka. Tas tik dar kartą įrodo kokio stiprumo pasakojimas. Norite paveikaus, skaudaus ir sukrečiančio pasakojimo? Šis jums patiks. Rekomenduoju.