Boy's Life

I downloaded Robert R. McCammon's Boy's Life a few years back when the ebook went on sale. Since then, it just laid forgotten in my digital library. But given that it won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 1991 and the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1992, I knew I wanted to get to it at some point.

Going through my Kindle library to select what to read next, I came across the book and realized that its time had come. And I'm sure glad I finally elected to give it a shot because it's a magical coming-of-age journey that truly made an impression on me. Boy's Life is an amazing read!

Here's the blurb:

An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song.

It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain he’s sensed spirits whispering in the churchyard. He’s heard of the weird bootleggers who lurk in the dark outside of town. He’s seen a flood leave Main Street crawling with snakes. Cory thrills to all of it as only a young boy can.

Then one morning, while accompanying his father on his milk route, he sees a car careen off the road and slowly sink into fathomless Saxon’s Lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a beaten corpse, naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel—a copper wire tightened around the stranger’s neck. In time, the townsfolk seem to forget all about the unsolved murder. But Cory and his father can’t.

Their search for the truth is a journey into a world where innocence and evil collide. What lies before them is the stuff of fear and awe, magic and madness, fantasy and reality. As Cory wades into the deep end of Zephyr and all its mysteries, he’ll discover that while the pleasures of childish things fade away, growing up can be a strange and beautiful ride.

The novel was released over three decades ago, but it doesn't show any signs of age. Given that it's set in the 60s, Boy's Life is somewhat of a timeless tale that sparks up nostalgia. Not only for that time and place, though I felt that it perfectly captured the political and social vibes of the southern states. But there is something inherently magical about this book. Though I'm a child of the 80s, it spoke to the little boy in me in myriad ways that made me stare in wonder. There are a lot of themes explored in this novel, all of them experienced by all kids going through childhood, on their way to adolescence and then adulthood. Love, hope, fear, anger, ignorance, grief, forgiveness, loss, and racism are just a few of what you can expect as you follow Cory's tale.

Quite a lot of reviews complain that the going is extremely slow and they're not wrong. There is no clear sense of plot in this one and it's not a bad thing. As the title implies, it's more about one boy's life and his self-discovery. Yes, the unsolved murder remains at the heart of the tale and it influences Cory's existence and the lives of his friends and family. Yet for the most part, it's more about the various experiences, both good and bad, that characterize one's childhood and the lessons that must be learned in order to move on. McCammon managed to bring the inner child out of me time and time again, and for that I'll be eternally grateful.

And though Boy's Life is never a fast-moving work, at no point is it boring either. Yes, there are a few supernatural elements. And yes, we get to the heart of the violent murder mystery before the end. But this is an atmospheric novel following the day-to-day life of a young boy and his friends. Their trials and tribulations, if you will. Robert R. McCammon's lyrical prose creates an evocative imagery that makes you live every moment as if you were there. And that, in my own humble opinion, is the beauty of the book. This is what struck a chord and pulled on the heartstrings. This is what makes Boy's Life such a captivating read. I mean, I was curious to discover the identity of the victim and who committed the murder. But I would have read hundreds of additional pages chronicling Cory and the rest of the gang's lives. Because even though me and my childhood friends lived in a different era, we all have to go through the same pleasant and traumatic experiences, the same rites of passage. Which is why Boy's Life resonated so much for me. As I'm sure it would for most of you. Personally, I feel that you have to be dead inside for such a story not to move you. . .

Let McCammon's prose take you back in time. Let this slow and meandering tale take you down memory lane. If you let it, Boy's Life will unlock your heart and bring forth your inner child. And for that alone, it's a priceless novel.

This one deserves the highest possible recommendation.

The final verdict: 9.5/10.

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