Warehouse Stock Clearance Sale

Grab a bargain today!


The Running Man
By

Rating

Product Description
Product Details

Reviews

Gr 9 Up-Joseph, a 14-year-old living in an Australian suburb, draws a portrait of a reclusive neighbor for a school assignment. A Vietnam vet, Tom Leyton lives in his family home with his outgoing sister, Caroline, and devotes his time to raising silkworms. A nosy neighbor warns Joseph and his mum about rumors that Tom was asked to leave his teaching position due to improper behavior toward a student, but Joseph perseveres, with Caroline's encouragement. At first almost noncommunicative, Tom gradually opens up to shy Joseph, who in turn shares secrets regarding his absent father. Threaded throughout the tale is Joseph's fascination with the Running Man, a homeless person who jogs through the streets, and about whom he has nightmares. This nearly plotless story features strong character development and delves into the post-traumatic stress syndrome afflicting Tom. However, when he finally tells Joseph about the events in Vietnam that have left him so scarred, the dialogue becomes stilted and unnatural. Bauer's writing style veers between reserved and stiff, and the silkworm metaphor-"All their lives in a box!"-is troweled on too thickly. The Running Man, introduced early on, does not reemerge until late in the story. The explanation for Joseph's father's absence, especially as the underlying reason for the teen's reticence, is introduced so late that it merely interrupts the flow of the narrative instead of enhancing the climax. While this novel will appeal to students seeking a thoughtful psychological character study, it is marred by more telling than showing.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Ask a Question About this Product More...
 
Look for similar items by category
Home » Books » Children's » Fiction » General
How Fishpond Works
Fishpond works with suppliers all over the world to bring you a huge selection of products, really great prices, and delivery included on over 25 million products that we sell. We do our best every day to make Fishpond an awesome place for customers to shop and get what they want — all at the best prices online.
Webmasters, Bloggers & Website Owners
You can earn a 8% commission by selling The Running Man on your website. It's easy to get started - we will give you example code. After you're set-up, your website can earn you money while you work, play or even sleep! You should start right now!
Authors / Publishers
Are you the Author or Publisher of a book? Or the manufacturer of one of the millions of products that we sell. You can improve sales and grow your revenue by submitting additional information on this title. The better the information we have about a product, the more we will sell!

Back to top