Official Review: The Gypsy Carpenter Diaries by Jim Sanders

[Nathrad Sheare]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Gypsy Carpenter Diaries" by Jim Sanders.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Jim Sanders is a newbie to the writing field who has led a full life of hammering, measuring, and pal- making, and he's not afraid to give readers his every shining moment and more. In "The Gypsy Carpenter Diaries," he gives his readers generous helpings of American attitude, human feeling, and sawdust. His language may be, for the most part, unsurprising, though not unimaginative, but the story he has to tell, one of suspense in the criminal underworld and building barns blind (one of many "inside jokes" he shares), is, all by itself, reason to keep turning pages. A both casual and calculated take on the symphonic theme of the autobiography, this offering has enough character to keep even longtime bookworms engaged. Sanders doesn't stop there, but includes several other works that add meat to his meaning, drawing from his roots and history to spin fiction that contains more than a handful of authentic elements.

Sanders' unadulterated enthusiasm shines on every page. Perhaps he puts a foot over the line between sentiment and sentimentality more often than we'd like, but the fact that heart is in his words at all times is admirable. Sanders shows us what others have tried to get us to see for some time, that the poetry of the human condition has a place in prose. He details his own relationships with such vibrancy that a reader can't help but smile. By the end of the book, the reader can feel just the same sense of fulfillment and completion Sanders feels in the twilight of his life.

I'll say that I had some reservations at first concerning the general structure of the book. I wasn't sure, at first, if the idea of writing an autobiography and, then, splitting years of it into moments or days of excluded experiences was wise. However, I believe that Sanders was able to enrich the colors and sensations of each chapter in his life by targeting specific pieces with a view to deeper storytelling. Of particular note to me is "My Friend, Billy the Kid," for reasons I am not permitted to say. More fun for the review readers.

While keeping to a digestible style, Sanders is very careful about proofreading. Many up-and-comers consider it a trifle, but even the minute details add to a reading experience, and mine with this work was made more pleasant than it might have been if Sanders had never used a spell-checker. At times, his editing seems to have added a little unnaturalness to certain dialogue, but his attempts to be more writerly than colloquial throughout the book often do pay off, adding an almost literary air that may prove to make his work more durable in the long run.

"The Gypsy Carpenter Diaries" is a moving and interesting autobiographical work that should not be missed by lovers of creative nonfiction. Even to more than a few green prosegoers, this, I think, may be another foot further down the hole of bibliophilia. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.

******
The Gypsy Carpenter Diaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Nathrad Sheare's review? Post a comment saying so!