itibaren Nodej, Kerman, Iran
The last couple paragraphs of this book could not be any better. I would argue they are some of the most painful, pertinent, and truthful words ever written in an antiwar novel. The sentences are short and lucid, but the book elucidates the inhumane nature of systems of institutions and the policies that emanate from them. Even when a person is stripped of any characteristic of humanity by war, there is still the possibility for creative thought...and most importantly for hope. Unfortunately, human beings always have to contend with the overpowering nature of coercive institutions. When Joe learns how to communicate without words, or smelling, hearing, touching, and vision, he is told that what he wants is "against hospital regulations." It is reminiscent of Winston Smith drawing in the dust on the cafe table at the end of 1984. He does it without thinking, for no reason at all. To give up is to be truly broken, but to stop thinking is relinquish what makes us human. And the struggle continues...
I really enjoyed this book. The chapters were a good length. A fair bit of background without getting bogged down in details. A lot of personal information about Calvin and his family. My boys would not let me stop reading it, which is rare for a biography of this length.