Memoir
208 pages
Expected publication: April 14th, 2015
Here is the first non-fiction book by Bruce Eric Kaplan.
It is a book wholly unique in form and feeling.
This memoir is both full of wonder and anxiety, and is altogether side-splitting and heart-breaking.
Above all, it captures what it was like for Bruce Eric Kaplan, and perhaps some of you, to be a child.
Completion: A+
Writing/Style: A
Characters: A
Plot/Pacing: N/A
World-building/Atmosphere: N/A
Sub-genres (Romance, Mystery, Humor, etc.): N/A
Final Grade: A Get Thee to a Bookstore!
I Was A Child: A Memoir is deceptively simple, so much so that it renders my normal grading structure obsolete. This memoir is a series of moments and pictures that peek into the time and childhood of its author Kaplan, culminating in an unexpected turn of pathos and a quiet heart-tugging end. Much like childhood, the novel at first appears to have little direction other than sporadic details that both highlight the charm of nostalgia and a slightly darker undercurrent. This book was read in one sitting, and I feel that is how I would recommend reading it. It is short, but the lack of a strong event-driven plot builds a tension within the reader that is rewarded in the end. The writing style suits the content as it is simple but revealing of a child’s mindset. I, for one, did not know anything about Kaplan before reading this book but found it quite enjoyable nonetheless. As well, I was not yet born during the time of Kaplan’s childhood so the small details he gives help to create an image of the time period and Kaplan’s life as well as an universal sense of childhood.
All of this being said, this memoir might not be for everyone. It is small and quiet. If there is a mystery in it, it is that small mystery that we all live our lives with, not knowing where they will end up. If that sounds like story you can appreciate, then definitely pick it up.
**ARC was provided through a Goodreads giveaway for an honest review. **
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