The book starts with a ‘journal’ written by John Haye, we get a picture of a young man, in love with life, with good friends and plenty of options and dreams. Then tragedy strikes, on the way home from boarding school, he is blinded in a terrible accident that also disfigures him. The rest of the book deals with his recovery from the accident and how being blind affect his life and how people now treat him.
What I thought was interesting was how Green showed everyone doing what they thought was best for John or what he wanted, without consulting him. John just puts up with the treatment, perhaps feeling that now he is a burden on them and as such shouldn’t complain. John falls for a local girl, the daughter of the town drunk and imagines them going away together, but both know it is not possible. In the end, John’s step-mother takes him to London, believing he will be happy there and John plans to write, something he aspired to before the accident.
This is a character driven novel, it is rather short and interesting. I recommend it.
Written in 1926
Finished September 9, 2010
city girl drinking craft beer 