Escaping Dreamland

I lived in NYC for a dozen years in the70s so some of the sites were familiar, always wonderful to go back to NY for a visit. I also never read any of those childrens’ series books so could not relate to that. I read animal stories and comic books until a librarian forbid me to read any more animal stores, said I had to expand my reading choices–so I simply stopped reading anything at about 9. Oh, I could read just fine, fast and with fairly good comprehension for that age. I just didn’t learn to read “between the lines” or to latch on to any double meanings or any of those “high intellectual” things until I was into adulthood. Only started to read again when someone I had a crush on in high school threaded through all those kids just to hand me Hermann Hesse’s Damien, saying “you’re the only person I know of who’ll understand this book.” That’s when I really started reading. What I found in Dreamland was how fragile friendships can be. I’ve had friends who move away and we lose each other eventually. I’ve had toxic friendships that took me a while to figure out what was wrong and ended it before they took too much of a toll on me. Now that I am old, I have had friends living their lives elsewhere who have gone and died and I didn’t know it for months; when I found out, it felt so strange to realize they’ve been gone and I didn’t know it, I didn’t feel it because we’d been so close once upon a time. I will value those I call true friends now much more, will not be so judgmental, won’t snub them over something that doesn’t amount to much. Life is just too short for that. People that leave an deep impression upon you are too valuable, too rare, too easy to lose to time and distance.

My only problem with this book is that I had to keep reading and, therefore, didn’t get much else done.

This novel grabbed me from page 1 ; such a rich story of friendship and being true to yourself. Love novels that tie the past and present and this one does it magnificently.

I just finished reading “Escaping Dreamland: A Novel” and it was one of my favorite books of the year. I love historical novels – I thoroughly enjoy love stories – my favorite books are mysteries – This book has it all! It was clear from the start that Charles Lovett did a great deal of research to bring the reality of New York in the early 1900s alive. I have never been to New York .. and now it’s even more important to be to see it. This is one of those books that makes you say “one more chapter .. I have to read one more chapter before I close this book” … I highly recommend it!

Seamless transitions are perfectly paced between characters in different centuries. The narrative is driven by kind individuals who are acutely aware of their flaws and limitations within their various literary pursuits. Their dramas unfold in historic California, New York, Europe and England. As the characters mature, they are transformed by the literature they pursue and each other within the context of their various eras. As the modern protagonist pursues his demons he encounters the literary heroes of his past and understands himself more fully as a result.

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