Review of At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me
- Kelebogile Mbangi
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- Latest Review: At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me by Jerry A. Greenberg
Review of At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me
At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me is a hugely entertaining book by Jerry A. Greenberg. It is a very cleverly written fictional novel set in New York City.
Ralph Bentwater is an established painter who is down on his luck. The economic downturn has affected the art market badly. Unyielding, he refuses to cheapen the price of his paintings to boost sales. He will not lower his hard-earned reputation. He decides to channel his creative energies into a different direction - that of writing. He packs up and moves to New York City. Once there, he befriends his neighbour, Harvey Panettone, a struggling waiter with the shared intent of becoming a writer. The two decide to pair up and co-author a work of fiction loosely based on and inspired by the people around them. Of special interest to them is their weird Ukrainian neighbor, Franny, and her group of friends, whom they imagine to be involved in espionage.
This has to be one of the most entertaining books I have read in a while. The characters are quite amusing. The suave Ralph, with his perfectly styled hair, turtleneck sweater and khaki pants, embodies the picture of a starving artist. I thoroughly enjoyed his descriptions of his surroundings, places and people as he is very artistic in the way he sees things, drawing meaning and symbols from virtually everything. Ralph gives the book an artsy feel. The easygoing, laid-back Californian sweetheart, Harvey, provides doses of comic relief. As they investigate Franny and her gang, he becomes more and more paranoid. The author plays on Harvey's paranoia, leading to a hilarious scene that I kept replaying in my head and laughing about long after reading it.
I also enjoyed how mind-bending the book was. As Harvey and Ralph develop their characters and storyline, they seem to lose touch with what's real and what's not. As I read on, I realized that I too struggled to separate what actually happened in the book and what was merely imagined by the two authors. I thought this was pure genius as it made the book that much more intriguing.
At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me is not just entertaining, but also has a depth to it that is revealed towards the end of the book when Ralph realizes his purpose and discovers what is truly important to him. And so, I believe this book will be enjoyed by a wide audience. It has a widespread appeal.
I recommend it to those who enjoy a good fiction book with great characters and a fast pace. I found very few errors and had the impression that it was professionally edited. I believe it deserves a perfect rating, as there was nothing I disliked about it. Therefore, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me is a brilliant book!
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At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me
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- Mtsweni Nelsy
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