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The Universe Versus Alex Woods Gavin Extence 9780316246576 Books

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The Universe Versus Alex Woods Gavin Extence 9780316246576 Books

I used to avoid stories that make you think, the stories with great emotional amplitude. I need light reading, I not more stress. A little while ago, though, I started to seek out stories with depth. The light books became too repetitive. Amazon found me The Universe versus Alex Woods and I gave it a try.
I can't say I loved it, I love different fiction more, but it's definitely a brilliant book. It's about an oblivious youngster to whom life mostly happens and he's sort of a commentator. He does have a worldview and acts accordingly, he's not a whiney (much), and presents us with a stable personality, even though the opening chapters suggest otherwise. The narrative is also stable and clear, but the first chapter which is one of the most interesting I've ever read.
No spoilers, go read it. Even if just the first chapter.
Light enough book even for those like me who fear unpleasant surprises in the name of emotional enticement. Not that the book is bland in this aspect, l just deem it safe.
All right, the book is also a great commercial for Kurt Vonnegut's books. I decided long ago I wouldn't like Vonnegut's books but now I want to read some.


Tags : The Universe Versus Alex Woods [Gavin Extence] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div>A rare meteorite struck Alex Woods when he was ten years old, leaving scars and marking him for an extraordinary future. The son of a fortune teller,Gavin Extence,The Universe Versus Alex Woods,Redhook,0316246573,Coming Of Age,Literary,Bildungsromans,Epileptics,Epileptics;Fiction.,Friendship,Teenagers - Great Britain,Teenagers;Great Britain;Fiction.,Veterans,Veterans;Fiction.,ENGLISH CONTEMPORARY FICTION - INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS+,England,English Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Coming Of Age,Fiction Literary,Fiction-Coming of Age,FictionComing of Age,GENERAL,General Adult,Great Britain,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Teenagers,United States

The Universe Versus Alex Woods Gavin Extence 9780316246576 Books Reviews

If this is Gavin Extence's first novel then he is a brave writer to have dived in at the deep end with the subject of this book. The cast is small enough for the reader to believe in each one but is is the narrator and hero, Alex, whose story this is who plays centre stage. There is a fine line between fiction and fact that is occasionally stretched to the limit but is then diffused by subtle humour. That said, if there is one criticism I would level at Alex, it is when he goes on too long about matters technical - these include medical and scientific subjects - which smack slightly of an author showing off. Similarly there is too much Kurt Vonnegut quoted; tiresome if you have never read him but I forgave Extence that indulgence when I read how important KV was to him in the acknowledgements. If you believe in Alex and what he stands for, then this book will be an inspiration to you. Even if you don't you cannot fail but be moved by his approach to what is an issue of our times. Maybe you have read other fiction on the subject of this book,which this author cleverly saves from being mawkish but I am certain this book will still be a revelation to you.
I very much enjoyed this book. Alex Woods was struck in the head by a meteor when he was a child, and he was forever changed. A minor celebrity in his hometown (and sometimes farther away), his life is full of quirky, interesting, and unusual events. His experience with the meteor triggers an acute curiosity about the universe. Although he doesn't particularly like school, he reads voraciously about topics that interest him. Working off a minor teenage property damage case, he goes to work for Mr. Peterson, a reclusive, antisocial VietNam vet. They become each other's good friends, and Alex begins to view him almost as a 'big brother' figure. When Mr. Peterson becomes critically ill with no hope for a cure, he and Alex try to figure out how to get him (Mr. Peterson) to Canada where doctor-assisted suicide is legal. The book goes from a story of an unusual boy to a discussion on assisted suicide. Interesting twist, but handled very well. I recommend this book!
This story begins with an ending. You're not quite sure where the protagonist is coming from -- he's young and clearly in a lot of trouble with the police. I was worried that Alex -- called Lex by his mother, and not entirely coincidentally also bald -- would turn to an unsympathetic character. I hate those -- people who are horrible and make terrible decisions. But no, Alex, while making a series of decisions not everyone agrees with, is an entirely moral and compassionate young man.

He's notorious because as a young boy, he was hit by a meteor and recovered after a two week coma, but not without consequences. He gets severe epilepsy, enough that it keeps him out of school for a year. Then he goes to school where he's bullied because he's different; isn't that the way?

I like how Alex figures stuff out and often lists it -- such as ways he doesn't fit in or how his friend Mr. Peterson needs help making a critical decision.

What I appreciated is that our precocious protagonist is real. He makes mistakes that seem genuine -- you could easily have made them. He also in the process of learning about life and literature, about how to control his own unsound brain and how watching someone he loves die.

I love that a major thread of the book is Kurt Vonnegut, absurdity, and secular humanism. I totally want to join The Secular Church of Kurt Vonnegut.

Alex learns from his friend, Mr. Peterson, an irascible war veteran who'd rather be left alone. Alex and Mr. Peterson rail against each other in a way that's hilarious -- Alex won't bring him certain kinds of music in the hospital, because he's not ready for it.

This book was a library ebook loan, and I loved it so much that I bought it. That's the highest praise, trust me.
I used to avoid stories that make you think, the stories with great emotional amplitude. I need light reading, I not more stress. A little while ago, though, I started to seek out stories with depth. The light books became too repetitive. found me The Universe versus Alex Woods and I gave it a try.
I can't say I loved it, I love different fiction more, but it's definitely a brilliant book. It's about an oblivious youngster to whom life mostly happens and he's sort of a commentator. He does have a worldview and acts accordingly, he's not a whiney (much), and presents us with a stable personality, even though the opening chapters suggest otherwise. The narrative is also stable and clear, but the first chapter which is one of the most interesting I've ever read.
No spoilers, go read it. Even if just the first chapter.
Light enough book even for those like me who fear unpleasant surprises in the name of emotional enticement. Not that the book is bland in this aspect, l just deem it safe.
All right, the book is also a great commercial for Kurt Vonnegut's books. I decided long ago I wouldn't like Vonnegut's books but now I want to read some.