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Customer Reviews of You Must Remember This

AN AMERICAN TREASURE
I ate these words up. Joyce Carol Oate's mastery of language is at the height of it's power in "You Must Remember This". I had to stop and seep in some of her truly inspirational prose, told in such a purposeful, matter-of-fact style, just to remind myself what a gifted writer can accomplish. A sometimes grey-clouded and bountifully absorbing novel depicting the human sexual condition under the colorless factory-lined skies of her native Western New York. I can't recall another book bringing the characters to such full-fledged living form as Ms. Oates does here. From what magic does she compose the radiating brilliance, sensitivity and brutishness, innocence and shrewdness of the character Felix, an ex-boxer who spends his life gallantly seeking the happiness deprived of in childhood. It would seem only a Boxing expert could delve into the mind striking constant chords of revelation and truths and opening the reader's mind to the insights and points of view of boxing. Or the character of Enid, a troubled, too deeply sensitive high-schooler whose mysterious mind and advanced maturity may reflect Ms. Oate's own childhood genius. These pages turn as fast as a high charged suspense novel, it's low-key slowly climaxing appreciation of the human condition result in an intimate bond with the characters and human nature itself. I feared the last handful of pages, so concerned was I that something tragic would happen to these tender, fragile charaters. As a Wesstern New York native I was delighted to read the countless descriptions, some bold others suggestive of this part of New York State where factory-lined horizons, still-water lakes and gaseous colors in the sky can be beautiful. I must say I found the title and conclusion of the book a bit vague but I trust Ms. Oates discetion and understanding that I will be remembering this for quite some time.

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You WILL Rember This
I read this book a number of years ago and I can still remember, vividly, what the story is about--the characters--the setting. I took to watching boxing for a while after I read it, not the big title matches but the small town boys going at it dreaming of fame. Thanks to Ms. Oates' love for boxing I found a new way to see this "sport". But that is not what I remember most. I remember a character who is nothing short of a despicable, who does evil, unspeakable things and who I was made to care about. I don't think he will ever leave me...I couldn't forget him if I tried. Reading Oates can make you a more compassionate person--if you want her to our not. What a gift. Read the book, you won't be sorry you did--and, it is my guess that you too will remember this one.

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Gifted writer
Joyce Carol Oates is a gifted writer, and although I enjoyed this book because of its attention to detail, that detail was also one of the aspects I didn't like. I was impressed with Ms. Oates study and expertise of boxing, but I also found it detracting to the story, at times. Still, this is a good book and worth the read.